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Visiting This Desktop Background in Real Life Will Make Your Jaw Drop

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One look at the photo and your mind will try to juggle your memory as to why it’s so familiar. Do you have any guesses? Well, let us tell you why. This place feels and looks so familiar because it is a desktop background in real life! Images of Antelope Canyon have been seen in many movies and travel photos. This photogenic natural place is very popular among travelers’ collections of Arizona photography. Let us show you why.

Antelope Canyon Appears in Many Vacation Pictures

Cebb Photographies NYC

There’s a good chance you’ll find a gorgeous picture resembling this one available as one of the wallpaper options on your laptop or smartphone. It’s the beautiful Antelope Canyon! If you couldn’t before, by the end of this article, you’ll be able to impress your friends with all kinds of Antelope Canyon knowledge! We can’t promise you won’t be planning a getaway to see this wonder in person after learning about how truly amazing it is!

Antelope Canyon is Made of Two Slot Canyon Sections 

Flickr User Mark Stevens
  • Upper Canyon
  • Lower Canyon

Double awesome! People sometimes call Upper Antelope Canyon “The Crack.” The Navajo people have their very own name for the upper canyon: “sé bighánílíní.” That’s a mouthful, but it simply translates to “the place where water runs through rocks.” The other half of the duo is simply Antelope Canyon, or “The Corkscrew.” The Navajo name for this one is “Hasdestwazi,” meaning spiral rock arches.

The Upper Antelope Canyon is Visited Most Often 

Antelope Canyon
Flickr User Adam

Why you might ask? Well, there are two important reasons! First off, the upper canyon is much easier to access. The whole thing is at ground level, so thankfully, you won’t have to do any climbing to check it out. The second reason people often visit the Upper Antelope Canyon is that the lighting is much better. Images of Antelope Canyon are best in brighter lighting. More often here than in the lower canyon, beams of sunshine stream down from the top of the canyon and illuminate the walls. The best lighting comes in the summer when the sun is high in the sky. In the winter, the sun isn’t at a high enough angle to light up the different hues of the canyon in the same way.

The Lower Canyon is Worth Seeing as Well!

Antelope Canyon
Flickr User NikonD3xuser1

Back in the day, even though the lower canyon is shallower than the upper canyon, a visit to the lower canyon meant you would be climbing along with ladders! These days, sturdy, metal steps have been installed, and ensure that you won’t have to work too hard. If you’re a little more adventurous, head here prepared for long, narrow pathways, sometimes with uneven footing, and several flights of stairs at the end! Photographers make the trek here more than casual sightseers, so you know it’s worth the effort! Plan your excursion during the morning for the best light.

Photographers Travel Far to Photograph the Canyon

Antelope Canyon
vse-krugom.ru

You might not expect it, but photography here can be rather challenging. That’s because of the wide exposure range. Images of Antelope Canyon can be hard to come by. For those of us who aren’t professional photographers, what that boils down to is that the beautiful sunlight that reflects all around the walls of the canyon, lighting it up and bringing out the different hues, also makes it very difficult to capture on camera. In fact, photographers have been coming here to photograph the canyon for so long that it is commonly known that light beams in the Upper Canyon make their first appearance on March 20th, and disappear again on October 7th each year! How cool is that?

So, Why Does Antelope Canyon Exist?

Antelope Canyon Arizona
Flickr User Domingo Mery

The simplest answer is water. Antelope Canyon is made up of Navajo Sandstone, which erodes during flash floods. During monsoon season, water can rush through the canyon, picking up not only speed but also sand particles as it travels. Each time this happens, the canyon becomes deeper and wider. These waters also smooth out the rough edges of the canyon, which gives the rocks their “glowing” appearance.

Antelope Canyon is a Beautiful Example of Nature’s Raw Power

Antelope Canyon Beautiful
Flickr User Domingo Mery

A day here will surely leave you in awe, but, it’s important to always put safety first. The canyons are ever-changing, and flash floods are always a concern. In the past, the canyon has been shut down for months after damaging floods. Even if it isn’t raining in the immediate vicinity, waters from miles away can build up and rush down the canyon unexpectedly. In 1997, before safety improvements were made, eleven tourists were tragically killed when they were taken by surprise during a flash flood. These days, safety ladders, nets, and an early warning system ensure that you can visit the canyon safely!

Take an Antelope Canyon Tour

Antelope Canyon Tour
Flickr User Peter Crook

Antelope Canyon lies on Navajo Nation land, so you’re required to pay an entrance fee. People are generally required to go on a tour to experience this beautiful place. An authorized tour guide will make sure that you have a safe and enjoyable experience. Don’t worry, because there are tons of options for what time of day you’d like to visit the canyon, and how long you’d like to spend there. Be sure to make your reservations well in advance, though, because there are passenger limits, and Antelope Canyon is a very popular destination!

Planning Your Visit to Antelope Canyon

Antelope Canyon Horseshoe Bend
Source: Horseshoe Bend Antelope Canyon

It is forbidden to do a self-guided tour in Antelope Canyon since some tourists might get lost. Book in advance if you plan to visit this place. You don’t need to worry because there are a lot of companies offering tours, may it be a tour of the Lower Antelope Canyon or the Upper Antelope Canyon. It usually takes around an hour to walk through the canyon.

Many tourists visit the Antelope Canyon from mid-May through September, with 10 am being the blockbuster time of any tour. The 7 am tour is almost always booked because many visitors want to stroll the place before it becomes too hot. Try and see if you can snag an early morning tour!

Tips for Your Visit

  • Coming here during summer is insanely hot, so you better be prepared and hydrated!
  • If you are touring the Upper Canyon, go during the afternoon to catch the glimpse of the bright rays of the sun. However, if you are managed to get a slot on a morning tour, choose the Lower Canyon as it’s a much ideal place if you want to see the sun come in.
  • Don’t rely on the tour guide for all your photos. It’s best if you also bring your camera, tripod, and other photography materials.
  • If you want to be extra, you can also book a photography tour. That way, you won’t have to worry about capturing a shot with a hundred other tourists or having someone photobomb your prized photo moment. The price may be approximately $40 per person for a photography tour.

What else can be said? It’s hard not to fall in love with Arizona when there’s a place as majestic as the Antelope Canyon.

Cheyenne Reed was born and raised in Ohio. She recently relocated to rural Wyoming to try out working at an exclusive guest ranch. She graduated from Kent State University with an English degree, and most enjoys writing about travel. If she has free time, you may run into her anywhere, because she is always itching to explore new places. Her personal motto is, "Any day can be an adventure if you make it one!"

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