A Guide to Antelope Canyon and Arches National Park: Road Trip on Day 6
- thurlizejeankohler
- Apr 19, 2024
- 7 min read
Welcome back friends, for another day on our Road trip!
Today is the 6th day and marks halfway. So far, we have visited four out of six states, explored 3 national parks, seen cultural landmarks, and dove right into all kinds of adventures. And yet, so much is still to come.
I have shared about all of the best aspects of traveling and road tripping. However, you might be wondering whether the whole trip was smooth sailing? The answer to this question is a resounding “No!”. The end of Day 5 and the start of Day 6 is a true testament to this statement. Road Trips are unpredictable, and things change in the blink of an eye. After our long drive on Day 5, we decided to rent a motel for the night. Motels come in very handy when you enter a town near midnight and everywhere else is closed.
As you can imagine, after driving nearly 10 hours, setting up a tent in the dark did not sound too appealing. So, a motel it is. It is so great that nowadays there is an app for everything, isn’t it? A couple minutes later we were all booked and ready to drive the 4 hours to get to Page, Arizona where we would be spending the night. Well, much to our surprise, certain booking apps are not as dependable as they claim to be. We got to our booked motel at nearly one in the morning. The receptionist, without even blinking, informed us that they were simply overbooked and could not house us for the night. Her explanation for this whole ordeal was that they had to overbook in case someone does not show up. However, she had no answer to my question of what happens if everyone shows up!
Needless to say, a tired Thurlize and Justin did not exactly receive this news very well. Nevertheless, after another hour of searching, we found another motel.
Even though our late-night welcome to Page, Arizona was anything but warm and inviting, we woke up on Day 6 excited for the day ahead. Little did we know we had one more hurdle to overcome. A week prior, we had booked a tour online that would take us through one of the world's most famous canyons.
We were so excited to go on this tour!
After dragging ourselves out of bed, slightly sleep deprived and groggy early in the morning, we were up and ready, waiting in the parking lot for our tour guide to arrive. Another shocking surprise came when 45 minutes later, no one had arrived yet. This tour, which we will talk about in more detail later, was supposed to be with a licensed tour guide and a group of about 20 people. However, the parking lot was still empty and a sign on the door to their offices said ‘we do not open until 11:30am’. Our tour was supposed to start at 8 am. Come to find out, the website of the touring company listed the wrong location for where the tour meets. Honestly, I still have no idea whether we were scammed or not.
After spending about an hour on the phone rushing here and there, trying to get to another location in time, we made it. Unfortunately, we did miss our tour group.
Luckily for us, our luck was about to turn.
Justin talked to someone about our situation and luckily for us, there were two openings on the next tour, so we hopped on. Needless to say, while we were very happy to have avoided another mess, neither Justin nor I was very impressed by the town of Page. To this day we still make jokes about our experiences in this town. So much so, on Day 7 when we headed out of Page, we refused to stop within the town borders for gas. We needed to get out of that town before any more hurdles came barreling for us.
Nevertheless, let’s get to more of the fun stuff! We did face some challenges, but we still made some amazing memories on Day 6.
Let's dive right in, shall we…
Upper Antelope Canyon Tour
Distance: 0.8 miles (1.2 km).
Time needed: roughly 1hr 45 min.
Type of Trail: Walking tour through the canyon, some stairs.
Difficulty: Easy.
Elevation Gain: 100 ft. gain.
Antelope Canyon gets its name from the local Navajo people who named the region after antelopes frequently grazing along the canyon’s surface in the wintertime. Antelope Canyon is considered one slot canyon in the Navajo Tribal Park, which is part of Lake Powell. The Canyon is more or less 10 minutes east of the town of Page, AZ. This slot canyon is actually divided into two parts, upper and lower canyon. The Canyon on either side has distinctive rock formations made up of Navajo sandstone, formed by wind, flowing water, and created over countless years of nature carving out the canyon. With its wave-like structure, Antelope Canyon has become the southwestern United States’ most photographed slot-canyon.
A good practice to follow is to leave no trace behind in honor of the Navajo peoples' sacred ground.
We chose to tour the upper canyon, as it is a leisurely walk when compared to its counterpart. Lower Antelope Canyon involves hiking down several flights of stairs and ladders, and then back up. Exploring the Antelope Canyon, from any side, must be done through a tour company. Why? you might ask. The Navajo people still consider Antelope Canyon to be sacred ground. The Canyon can also become dangerous as it is prone to flash flooding.
There are many touring companies to choose from online and prices range anywhere from less than $100-$150.
After our fascinating tour, we drove the 4 and a half hours to our next destination:
Arches National Park:
Arches National Park is known for over 2000 stone arches sculpted by wind and water, hundreds of soaring pinnacles, massive rock ‘fins’, and giant balancing rocks. The park’s rich indigenous history and beautiful sandstone sights make this national park a must-see sight for any visitor.
If you are planning to visit this park, visitors need to be aware that a timed ticket entry is required for entry. This is due to the high traffic the park experiences at certain times during the year. But fear not, this ticket is easily acquired through the NPS website and is well worth the effort to get.
Timed ticket entries are required from April 1- October 31.
There are certainly a number of spots to add to your list if you are planning to visit the park. With how big the park is, a little planning is needed ahead of time.
Let me share some of our favorite spots with you:
1. Delicate Arch:
Distance: 3 miles roundtrip (4.8km).
Time needed: 2-3 hours.
Type of Trail: Uphill with steep final ascent.
Difficulty: Strenuous.
Elevation Gain: 538 ft.
At the top of the list of attractions, by far the most well-visited spot is the Delicate Arch. Listed as one of the most famous geologic features in the world, standing at 46 feet high and 32 feet wide, Delicate Arch is the largest free-standing arch in the park.
This sight is not easy to see from the road and requires a strenuous hike.
Once at the top, the Delicate Arch makes for the perfect spot to stop and watch the sunset or even have a picnic with the most breathtaking view.
2. Balanced rock:
Another miracle sight in this park is Balanced Rock, which, sorry to ruin the surprise, but unfortunately this rock is actually not balancing.
At 128 feet (29m) tall, this only looks like a balancing act, when in reality the slick rock boulder of Entrada Sandstone sits attached to its eroding pedestal of Dewy Bridge mudstone. The exposure of these two rock strata layers is ideal for the formation of arches and balanced rocks.
Possibly the most mesmerizing part of this sight is that it is certain that one day in the future, this rock will fall. You know the saying, what goes up must come down right. In the winter of 1975-76, this rock’s smaller sibling Chip-Off-The-Old-Block fell and, on its way, down amazed onlookers.
This sight you are able to view from the road and no hike is required.
This location is also ideal for stargazing and night photography.
3. Devil’s Garden:
One of the premier locations of the park, Devil’s Garden is comprised of arches, spires, large concentrations of narrow rock walls that were dubbed the name ‘fins’. At the sight of this location, it is not difficult to see why this is called a ‘garden’; as far as the eye can see are rock formations protruding from the ground up resembling the blooming of flowers or the growing of a forest.
These fins are actually formed when rainwater erodes parallel fractures caused by the uplift of salt deposits below the surface. Fins eventually erode and give way to the formation of arches like Landscape Arch, the crown jewel of Devil’s Garden.
Devil’s Garden Campground is available by reservation from March through October and first-come, first-served in the winter months.
4. Landscape Arch:
Located within Devil’s Garden, Landscape Arch is the longest arch in North America with a light opening of 306 feet (93.3 meters). This awe-inspiring expanse is only 6 feet (1.8 meters) in diameter at its narrowest. Large segments of the arch came crashing down in the 1990s – proof that the park’s landscape can change dramatically in an instant. Although other arches have fallen, Landscape Arch still hangs on by a very thin thread.
Devil’s Garden offers breathtaking views, camping, backpacking, stargazing, and hiking of all skill levels.
There is truly something for everyone in this popular area of the park. Devil’s Garden is located at the very end of the park road, 18 miles north of Arches Visitor Center. The drive time from the visitor center is approximately 45 minutes. Parking lots can be very busy during peak season and during holiday weekends.
A day-use picnic area is located just south, within walking distance of the campground entrance.
With the ever-changing nature of Arches National Park, I can see myself going back time after time to experience the park anew and I hope you will one day be able to experience this park too.
The sixth day of our road trip ended with Justin, and I, amazed at the experiences and memories we were able to create on this day.
Come back next time, to see where we are now.
It's amazing to read.... Such wonderful photos. Excellent