Photography Tour of Antelope Canyon, Monument Valley, the Wave- Paria Wilderness, Horseshoe Bend- Colorado river, Grand Canyon

By twhetten, on January 6th, 2009

My Northern Arizona Photography Tour from April 28 to May 1, 2009, covers a lot of ground in Arizona. This Photography Tour and Workshop in Antelope Canyon, Monument Valley, the Wave in the Paria Wilderness (subject to permits), Horseshoe Bend on the Colorado river, and the Grand Canyon.

Upper Antelope Canyon-Heart 19076

Antelope Canyon is a small but spectacular canyon cut through sandstone over thousands of years, by rushing water flooding into Lake Powell (Colorado River). This geological formation is located in northern Arizona on the Navajo Nation and is one of their tribal parks.

Tours through Upper Antelope Canyon take about an hour of easy walking. You are dropped at the entrance by 4X4 vehicles for your tour. A guide will lead you through the canyon. It is breathtaking to say the least. As a photography tour we are allowed to stay in the canyon for four hours and guide ourselves.

Upper Antelope Canyon

Walking through Lower Antelope Canyon is another proposition altogether. You are required to climb up and down steel ladders throughout the canyon. This portion of the canyon is a moderate to hard walk and climb.

If you can only do one canyon, definitely do the Upper Canyon. Most of the famous slot canyon photographs come from Upper Antelope Canyon.

Photography tours to Monument Valley is a must for the serious photographer. Located in both Arizona and Utah, the Valley is a Navajo Nation Tribal Park. The Valley contains some of the most striking and recognizable sandstone buttes, mesas, monoliths and spires in the southwest.

Hunt's Mesa, Monument Valley 8390

Few people lead Photography Tours to Hunt’s Mesa on the southern end of valley. Visitors to the valley are allowed to drive themselves without a guide, while Hunt’s Mesa requires a guide with a four-wheel drive vehicle and a 2 hour 4×4 drive to reach.

Totem Poles, Monument Valley 8065

The Wave, Paria Wilderness Area

Paria Wilderness Area requires a $7 permit and a 2+ mile moderate hike. The wilderness area is managed by the BLM who only allow 20 permits a day for the area, ten on line and ten walk-ins. Getting a permit can be extremely difficult. On my last Photography Tour to the Wave there were 82 applicants for the ten walk-in permits. I’m happy to announce we were successful.