upper and lower slot canyon arizona page

We headed south out of Page along Coppermine Road until we hit the Lechee Chapter House on the right (about 3 or so miles it seemed). I got the vibe from some locals they don't always get a permit to hike Water Holes, but we did. It was an incredible experience.įirst off, getting your day pass is a bit of a trip. We were in the canyon for about 4 hours and only saw one other group the entire time as we were leaving. But we opted for Water Holes because to us the peace and solitude outweighed the more vibrant colors (but Water Holes is still gorgeous). We were debating this versus Antelope Canyon (which we haven't done, so I can't compare the two). We would've missed our favorite part of our trip to Page. We almost passed on Water Holes Canyon due to some of the reviews saying it was too intense for amateur hikers. But we don't spend weekends backpacking through the wilderness. We do enjoy hiking and try to get in a good deal of 'outdoors time' when we travel. I'm going to start out by saying me and my partner are about 30 and in fair shape, but we are by no means avid hikers. Also has a nice arch and a structure much like the more famous 'Wave' nearby.Īll around a good experience, particularly for the more adventurous looking to save some money. We were there during the winter, so I can't opine on whether it has shafts of sunlight making it a photographers paradise, but it certainly allows very nice pictures (google it) and is much better for someone who wants a bit of a hike (2.6 miles RT).

We saw no people the entire time we were there. It was beautiful with similar structures to Antelope Canyon in some places, very tight slots in others, and nice, more open hiking walks in others. Speaking with someone at one of those companies, they told us unpleasantly that it wasn't worth visiting with the permit since it wasn't a real slot canyon. Below the bridge and above the powerlines have had the rights exclusively given to two different monopolistic tour companies.

Sadly, you are now only allowed to traverse the Upper Canyon (between the bridge on route 89 and the powerlines about 1.3 miles upsteam). The canyon itself starts at a Bridge on Route 89 about 5 miles South of Page, not long after the parking lot for the Horseshoe Canyon overlook. As opposed to paying lots of money to a tour guide and going to a short, but beautiful canyon like Antelope that is crowded with other people, Water Holes Canyon can be explored for only $5 per person by getting a permit at the Navajo office about 3 miles down Coppermine Road (now 89T). If you are interested in seeing a beautiful slot canyon much like antelope canyon, come to Water Holes Canyon.

Upper and lower slot canyon arizona page