Antelope Canyon

During COVID-19 the Navajo land had closed tours to lower and upper Antelope Canyon. But...as I researched, I found out you could either kayak or paddleboard in from Lake Powell. There were local rental spots offering directions and maps on how to get there. I googled the local spots and found Lake Powell Padleboards and Kayaks. They offer guided tours and just rentals with details on where to park and how to find the canyon. So I was able to make reservations to rent a two person kayak, as this is what my girlfriend and I choose.

When we arrived first thing in the morning to get our kayak they gave us a map an estimated time it would take to enter antelope Canyon. They also gave us a map of where we could launch the kayak on Lake Powell. I know that there are many rental places that you could choose from but...I highly recommend the one we used They were super nice and very helpful! A full day rental price wasn’t too expensive either in my opinion. Here is a link to the rental place. https://lakepowellpaddleboards.com

From the boat launch it was only a short kayak trip to Antelope Creek which is what we took, leading us to Antelope Canyon. It took us just under an hour from the boat launch to the end of the water(where the canyon hike began). Once you get to the end, where the water stops in the canyon, you pull your kayak or SUP onto the shore. But beware because when we were there(October 2020), the shore was this nasty thick putty type mud. Which made for a sticky mess and almost difficult time getting on our hiking shoes. It was a good thing we had an extra towel to wipe it off our feet. I wasn't able to fully succeed, but enough to get socks on and not feel nasty.

The distance you can hike into this canyon is pretty far, but we only went about miles in. In this short 2 miles we saw more than I was expecting. The canyon ranged from extremely narrow to really wide. The narrow spots

seemed just wide enough for us to fit our bodies through and the wide sections were unbelievable to know how nature created this phenomena. It kind of zigged and zagged at points where I wasn’t sure where it was headed, but always opened up again at some point. And some spots it was so wide and long that you could see where you were headed from pretty far away. One thing that did not change no matter where we were, was how deep this canyon was. The canyon walls went up hundreds and hundreds of feet. At times it was towering over you, others you could actually step back and admire the details of the wall. It was really obvious water had once traveled through here and carved out this canyon.

As we were on our way back we encountered A LOT of people heading in for a late morning and early afternoon start. We even encountered a couple full sized ski boats which managed to come all the way back to where the water stopped. Clearly showing how deep it was even back thus far. So I definitely recommend going as early as possible if you want to have more of the canyon to yourself. Especially if you like capturing photos with no one in them, expect nature itself. After we started paddling back out we also noticed there people on jet skis as well! So we learned it wasn’t just paddle boards and kayaks you could use to reach the canyon. If you want to save time, or just not into paddling yourself in, then check out the rentals for motorized vessels. (no recommendation as we prefer to paddle in).

This was one of the coolest slot canyons I have ever been to and I hope to check out the other section of it one day when it is re-opened. As far as I know you cannot hike to the other section from where we paddled in. Mostly due to the Navajo Land being closed and only the National Park section is accessible. But also unsure if both Upper and Lower Antelope Canyon connect in normal life. From my knowledge you must do a tour and it is far enough away from this water entrance, we may have to wait for the Navajo Land to open up again in order to visit the other parts. As I am currently writing this in August 2021, it is still unclear when they may open up again. So for now entering the National Park section via SUP, kayak, JetSki or boat may be your only opportunity.

As for everything else if you do not feel comfortable going somewhere like this without a guided tour then I recommend you wait for to re-open and take the guided tour in.

If I could go back again I would definitely go at a different time of the day so we can see the sun rays striking through. As I've seen some really cool photo opportunities, we were unable to catch.

Also would you please inform everybody you know to NOT take the mud and write on the walls NOR carve into the sand. This is vandalism and looks very tacky. RESPECT NATURE and leave it how you found it. Thanks!