Antelope Canyon is the most popular and the most visited place in the LeChee district of the Navajo Nation, near Page, Arizona. Although the LeChee district hosts a number of slot canyons, the Antelope Canyon slots—Upper Antelope and Lower Antelope—is by far the most popular. People from around the globe love to visit this beautiful place, and capture amazing scenes in their cameras!
Upper Antelope, also known as The Corkscrew, isn’t as long and deep as many other slot canyons, but it is amazingly beautiful. It is also one of the easiest slot canyons to visit, because you can drive right up to the entrance and the ground is even and leveled. During summer—tourist season in the slot canyon—you are need to be cooperative and patient and helpful to others in order to enjoy the time, because it is overcrowded and is sometimes frustrating.
On the other hand, Lower Antelope is a long, deep, and more challenging slot canyon—entry is through a slit in the rocks, uneven and rocky ground. Only the first third of the slot canyon is open for tourists, and is the easiest to travel. Other two sections, i.e., the middle and the last sections, are more rugged with sharp drop offs, and require serious rope work. You must take care while in the slot canyon, and never go in if there are predictions for rain in the region, as it will be very risky.
Hiking and camping is allowed only through a valid permit, as the Antelope Canyon lies under the Navajo lands. A separate permit is required for entry into Upper Antelope Canyon and Lower Antelope Canyon; this permit has to be purchased from the Antelope Canyon Unit Office. You will need to keep copy to keep alongwith you during the visit.
You will have to pay a nominal fee to get a permit for hiking—$5 per person per day. An additional amount of $2.50 per person per night will be charged for permitted camping; however, it is restricted to some specified areas. Sometimes, during a particular period of the year, you are required to be accompanied by a licensed tour guide, which is an additional cost.
While planning a trip to Antelope Canyon, you must be aware of the weather conditions, because if the weather is stormy you will not be permitted to enter due to the danger of flood.