The American Southwest is the “canyon capital of the world,” and Antelope Canyon is the most photographed slot canyon. Made up of two canyons - Upper and Lower - shaped by millions of years of water and wind erosion, the canyon was named for the herds of antelope that once roamed the area.

Antelope Canyon is open daily and located on the Navajo Reservation. Guided tours are generally required to visit Antelope Canyon, but more on this in a bit. The Upper Antelope Canyon tour is the more popular tour because more sunlight enters the canyon and the walls reach up to 120 feet. The Lower Antelope Canyon is equally impressive and attracts the more adventurous, who navigate a longer sandy hike to get to the canyon and maneuver several elevation changes with stairways and ladders to get into the canyon. Hikers can find more trail time on the 9.8-mile Page Rimview Trail.

But this post is about kayaking to the canyon not taking a tour.

When the pandemic hit, we started seeing several of our adventure friends on Instagram posting about kayaking to Antelope Canyon. Antelope Canyon had been on our travel bucket list, but it was never towards the top because the guided tours are not dog friendly. But, to our surprise, the canyon itself IS dog friendly. Tours were shut down for the better part of 2020, so water access was being promoted as a way to still visit the canyon since this is a big attraction for Page, AZ.

Tip: As things start re-opening and you’re planning your trip, make sure you research what current protocols are for visiting Antelope Canyon to understand all your options.

We were already planning a road trip around AZ and UT, so Page was a perfect addition along our route so we could cross this adventure off our list and also see Horseshoe Bend.

HOW TO KAYAK TO ANTELOPE CANYON

Since you’ll be traveling by water on Lake Powell to Antelope Canyon, you’ll need to make a reservation for a boat, jet ski or kayak with Antelope Point Marina. At the time, a double kayak sounded like a good idea. We weren’t sure they’d allow a dog on the jet ski with our backpack and a boat seemed too expensive for just the three of us. A double kayak would allow us all to stick together and give Ruby room to lay down while we paddled. So, we reserved one double kayak for the day at $58. You’ll definitely want to book your watercraft in advance online, especially if you’re traveling during the summer months. You’ll also want to plan for an early start to try and beat the wake on the lake, especially during the summer. The marina opens at 8am and we were there at opening. We visited in May and despite starting early we still got crushed on the 2.5mi kayak journey to the canyon entrance.

If you do rent a double kayak like we did, make sure you research how to properly paddle and work with your partner. You’ll also want to ensure that your dog is comfortable laying at your legs on rough water. We’ve canoed together before and thought it was the same concept, but it is NOT. After not really getting anywhere at the start, we had to google how we were supposed to be paddling so we could actually make it out of the marina.

Our lack of experience plus the rough water made the start to the adventure pretty undesirable, and then pretty comical on the way back to the marina. Ruby did really well in the kayak when we were off the channel in the no wake zone, but when the water was really rough she wanted to sit high up on my lap against my chest, which made my paddling a little erratic and hard for Mike to keep pace with, which is imperative when double kayaking. The photo above really depicts how I paddled, or rather didn’t, for most of the way back to the marina.

It’s 5 miles roundtrip from the marina to the canyon entrance. When you check in for your rental, the marina will give you a paper map that outlines your paddle trail and they’ll advise that you stay to the left of the channel and close to the perimeter. The last mile of kayaking is thankfully calm as you steer off the main channel of Lake Powell where no wake is allowed. This was a welcomed surprise after battling the channel for over an hour.

Tip: Make sure all your belongings are in a waterproof bag in your kayak, pack snacks, and also ensure your clothes are waterproof/quick drying. I also recommend wearing water shoes that are comfortable to hike on sand/rock in. If you’re visiting in the summer, you’ll also want to pack sunscreen and we also enjoyed our waterproof speaker when we were kayaking. You’ll also want to pack plenty of water for you and your dog, treats and a life jacket (life jackets are required in the kayak).

Once you get to the entrance, you’ll see a sand barge where you’ll dock your kayak while you hike. Be prepared to hop out of your kayak into the water (could be waist deep) to pull your kayak up on the sand and do not plan to leave anything in your kayak.

Kayaking to Antelope Canyon means way less crowds, exploring on your own at your own pace with no time restrictions, and is more cost effective than a tour. But, it is definitely a work out!

The most interesting slots in the lower canyon are along the first 1 to 1.5 miles of the sandy hike. There are a few instances where you may need to assist your dog along the hike, but overall it’s an easy, enjoyable, amazingly beautiful hike. If you plan to go further than that, make sure you research the trail. You’ll come to a fork around 2 miles where the trail really opens up. We walked down each path a little ways but turned around because there were no slot canyons. We enjoyed a snack at the fork and then headed back to the kayak. We spent around 2 hours exploring the first 2 miles of the trail and really took our time capturing a lot of photos and videos. Everywhere you look is a new angle to admire. Keep scrolling for proof. :)

After a day of kayaking and hiking, expect to be exhausted. There is a restaurant on the marina if you’re hungry for a bite, otherwise prepare yourself for the hike up to the parking lot and enjoy relaxing for the rest of the evening.