Can you paddle into Antelope Canyon?
Antelope Canyon is a breathtaking natural wonder located in northern Arizona that attracts millions of visitors every year. While taking a tour of the lower canyon is a popular choice for many tourists, packrafting through the canyon offers a unique and unforgettable experience.
What is so special about Antelope Canyon?
Antelope Slot Canyon is a narrow, twisting slot canyon located in Navajo land near Page, Arizona. It is known for its stunning red rock formations and long, narrow passageways that create a unique and mesmerizing experience for visitors.
The canyon was formed by erosion from flash floods and wind over the years, and its walls feature intricate patterns and textures that easily make this one of the most popular and photogenic canyons in the US.
If you haven't seen Horseshoe Bend (which is no longer free for public access), I'd highly recommend booking a tour to see both the iconic Lower Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend while you're near Page, Arizona - it's only a half-day adventure with many photo ops!
Why you should paddle to the photogenic Antelope Canyon instead of taking the traditional Lower Antelope Canyon tour?
Each adventure into Antelope Canyon explores different parts of the slot canyon and are both worth visiting, but if you only have time for one, let me tell you why you should consider a self-guided paddle + hike experience.
With a packraft, you can navigate the narrow waterways and experience the canyon from a completely different perspective. Not only does packrafting offer a more adventurous and thrilling way to explore Antelope Canyon, it also allows you to escape the crowds and fully immerse yourself in the natural beauty of the canyon.
New to packrafting? Learn more on packrafting for beginners here.
First off, packrafting a lake is a lot harder than standup paddleboarding or kayaking on a still lake. Packrafting is designed for moving water but I personally love lakes and the convenience/ packability of my packraft so I opt for this route.
Where to launch in Lake Powell
Antelope Canyon is located in the Glen Canyon National Park. There are several launch points into Lake Powell but for this specific trip, you’ll choose Antelope Marina as your launch point due to the close proximity. When you pull up to the loading dock, stay on the left side of it – the right side is for the tours. After unloading your raft (or kayaks/ SUP), park your car just up the street at the designated lot.
Best Time to Paddle Antelope Canyon
We made the mistake of going on a ridiculously windy day… which seems like a common mistake. I was told that some locals will go out with a boat in the late afternoon specifically to scoop up paddlers stuck on the water. Also, start in the early mornings since the winds tend to pick up later in the day.
Time needed for this adventure: half day
Water distance: about 2 miles one-way
Hike distance: about 1 mile but you can go farther if you have the time
Looking to explore Antelope Canyon from the water without having the paddle? You can book a boat tour to enjoy the views without putting in any of the work – however; boats are limited in how far they can enter into the narrow canyons.
What to Pack:
- Packraft (or you can rent a kayak or stand-up paddleboard locally)
- Sun hat
- Small quick-drying towel – in case you want to dry off
- Sun shirt – there’s no shade on the water so cover up!
- Windbreaker
- Water shoes (optional) – for easy transition from paddling to hike
- Swimsuit – if you want to jump in the water or tend to get wet in your boat like me
- Small daypack
- Sunscreen
Navigating and Paddling Lake Powell to Antelope Canyon
When departing from Antelope Marina on Lake Powell, hang left around the bend (it helps to download a map beforehand so you know the route and which canyon to turn, but there will probably be tour groups from local guiding companies on the water you can follow as well). Please note that there are boats on this water that create tiny, choppy waves but they should be going slow so beginners can still enjoy it – staying on the edge (left side) helps.
Follow the main section of Lake Powell and turn left into the first big canyon you see – this is Antelope Canyon and you can’t miss it! The water is calmer and more enjoyable here since it is less open, but with the winds, it can still be a bit brutal to paddle at times. The morning winds were 8-10 mph which still creates a bit of a struggle for me. There are some spots you can pull over to jump into the water too!
Hiking Antelope Canyon
We hiked for about 20 mins and 1 mile one-way, took our time and took some photos, and turned back around because the winds were supposed to get even more treacherous! Remember that most of Arizona does not use daylight savings, except Navajo Nation, so your clock may jump back and forth an hour on this trip.
On the map, the canyon connects all the way to Lower Antelope Canyon where the paid tours are offered but we didn’t hike that far back. Exploring just one mile offers many beautiful sceneries of the sandstone slot canyon and although it’s a different (some may say less photogenic) experience than the common Antelope Canyon tours, it was beautiful in its own way with little much crowds.
When you do the tours, you usually wait in line to take a photo in the canyon so this adventure offers a unique experience. You get to move through the canyon at your own pace and we had it mostly to ourselves to take photos and enjoy, excluding when groups passed by.
Booking travel soon?
Please consider using my affiliate links below. It costs nothing additional for you but helps me maintain the ever-increasing costs of running a travel blog:
General travel through Tripadvisor here.
Book your flights here.
Book your accommodations here on Expedia, Booking.com, Hotels.com, and VRBO.
Book your car rentals here.
Book your tours here.
Book your travel insurance here.
Fighting the Winds on the Paddle Back
We headed back on the water just after noon and the winds were 14-18 mph around noon/ early afternoon with gusts up to 28 mph! That makes for a very unpleasant paddle. I struggled… a lot. The winds got so bad that while paddling against it, I either did not move or even moved backward! Safe to say, I felt defeated and pulled over to the edge of the canyon to wait for a boat to scoop me up. It was disappointing to not finish the paddle all the way back at first, but I soon realized it was the smart decision as the rest of my group and other paddlers got picked up too.
More Packrafting Trips You May Like
Thanks for reading!
I’d love to hear your thoughts, comments, questions below!
Happy adventuring & please don’t forget to practice leave no trace!
Tiff, the owner and author of Follow Tiff’s Journey, is a California/ Colorado-based adventurer and outdoor connoisseur who divides her heart between the Eastern Sierra Mountains and the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Despite her fear of heights, she’s become a seasoned mountaineer, ultralight hiking and backcountry camping enthusiast, expert road trip planner, and a fervent explorer of alpine lakes, natural hot springs, and sandstone canyons.
With 10 years of experience exploring the outdoors, her blog is your go-to source for all things wilderness, offering invaluable insights and pro tips, essential gear recommendations, and awe-inspiring stories from her adventures.
Join Tiff on her quest to share the wonders of nature and inspire others to follow their own path in the great outdoors.
Whew! Thank goodness for those motorboats! Great guide to such a neat way to experience an incredible place.
Thanks, Chris! That boat was certainly a lifesaver! So glad to finally experience Antelope Canyon in a different and unique way 🙂
I loved reading about your experience in Antelope Canyon. Your descriptions really made it come alive for me. Happy travels!
That makes me so happy to hear, thank you! 🙂