Arizona-So Many Choices!
I have only made one trip into Arizona so this page will only cover the areas I have visited. If you have any comments regarding any other areas with photo opportunities, I would love to hear them. Please use the contact link and send me your suggestions.
Page, AZ-The Antelope Canyons-Lees Ferry
Click image to enlarge.
Page/Antelope Canyons
How to get there:
| Denver to Page | ||
|---|---|---|
I-70/US 191 |
N38.9426° | W109.8166° |
| US191/US160 | N36.9255° | W109.5917° |
| US160/SH98 | N36.4611° | W110.6921° |
| Page,AZ US89/SH98 | N36.8963° | W111.4893° |
From Denver, take I70 west into Utah and continue on to Exit 182/US191. Turn south on US191 and continue for 160 miles crossing into Arizona. Turn right onto US160 for 75 miles, and then turn right onto SH98 for 65 miles to reach Page.
| Slot Canyons | ||
|---|---|---|
Upper Antelope Canyon |
N36.8578° | W111.3722° |
| Lower Antelope Canyon | N36.9033° | W111.4124° |
| Stateline Slot Canyon | N36.9967° | W111.5423° |
| Upper Water Holes Canyon | N36.8324° | W111.5024° |
Photo Ops: 
Page is where the dam for Lake Powell is located and I’m sure a houseboat trip on the lake would yield countless photo opportunities. Just a few miles east of Page are located two slot canyons that offer once in a lifetime, simply spectacular, photo ops.
Entry to the Antelope Canyons is restricted to guided tours led by authorized guides, in part because rains during monsoon season can quickly flood the canyon. On August 12, 1997, eleven tourists were killed in Lower Antelope Canyon by a flash flood.
Upper Antelope Canyon
The entrance and entire length are at ground level, requiring no climbing. Shafts of direct sunlight radiating down from openings in the top of the canyon are much more common in Upper than in Lower. Light beams start to peek into the canyon March 15 and disappear October 7 each year.
Lower Antelope Canyon
Lower Antelope Canyon (sometimes called Corkscrew Canyon) draws a considerable number of photographers, and casual sightseers are much less common here than in Upper Antelope.
The entrance is at ground level, but you must climb down a series of staircases to reach the floor of the canyon. There are numerous formations in this narrow canyon (sometimes requiring you to twist your torso to slip through) that are nothing short of amazing. Arches you can walk through, holes cut into the twisted looking rock, odd formations you walk beneath. I spent many hours in this canyon, most of the time wondering “How in the heck did it do that!” It is a must see for photographers.
There are several other slot canyons in the area. Some of note are Stateline, Upper Water Holes, Wire Pass, and Buckskin. Most are located on the Navajo Indian reservation and hiking permits are required. These may be obtained at the Tribal Parks Office next to the Leche-e Chapter House, 3 miles south of Page along the Copper Mine Road; it can be purchased at the office on the day of the visit, or in advance by mail.
Water Holes Canyon is a beautiful slot canyon that cuts through the red Navajo sandstone. Located only a few miles south of Page on US89 it extends on both sides of the highway and becomes much deeper downstream, with a number of sheer drops. Narrow passageways both west and east of the road have exceptionally pretty rock formations with the curved, delicately colored rocks characteristic of this region.
Wire Pass. From the juncton of US89/SH-98 in Page, travel west on highway 89 about 36 miles to an unmarked gravel road on the left (south) at 0.8 miles past mile marker 25. known as the House Rock Valley Road. After turning south from 89 You'll reach the Wire Pass trailhead in about 8.4 miles. The Wire Pass trailhead is the shortest and most popular route to reach Buckskin Gulch. Wire Pass is also an interesting portion of the hike that you'd miss taking other trailheads.
It's about a 3.4 mile round trip from the trailhead through Wire Pass to Buckskin Gulch. It's up to you how much distance you'd like to add hiking Buckskin Gulch from here. Buckskin Gulch is 12.5 miles long eventually reaching the Paria river.
Lees Ferry
How to get there:
Page,AZ US89/SH98 |
N39.4567° | W105.7215° |
| US89/US89A | N36.6353° | W111.6508° |
| US89A/Lees Ferry Rd | N36.8170° | W111.6364° |
| Lees Ferry | N36.8663° | W111.5874° |
From US89/SH98 in Page, drive south on Highway 89 for 22 miles. Continue straight (west) onto Highway 89A and continue for 14.3 miles to the Lees Ferry Rd. Turn right (north) and continue for 5.7 miles to the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.
Photo Ops:
Spencer Trail: Although a short hike distance-wise, the trail climbs 1,500 feet in only 1.5 miles. The top offers spectacular views of the Colorado River and the surrounding red rock desert. Walking a short distance north at the top offers views into the Glen Canyon. Along the trail going back down, look for a vantage point to take a shot of the river's bend below you. This will probably depend on just how wide an angle lens you have.
The Grand Canyon
Click image to enlarge.
Grand Canyon NP Visitors Center
How to get there:
I-70/I-25 Denver,CO |
N39.7801° | W104.9408° |
I-70/US191 |
N38.9435° | W109.8105° |
| US191/US163 | N37.2656° | W109.6274° |
| Us163/US160 | N36.7077° | W110.2472° |
| US160/US89 | N36.0760° | W111.3919° |
| US89/SH64 | N35.8555° | W111.4244° |
| SH64/S Ent | N36.0539° | W112.1048° |
| Visitors Center | N36.0553° | W112.1219° |
The Grand Canyon Visitors Center is approximately 680 miles (about 14 hours) from Denver.
From the intersection of I-25/I-70, drive west about 327 miles to US191 and take it south towards Moab.Stay on US191 for about 136 miles where you will keep right onto US163. Continue on US163 for about 65 miles and turn right on US160. Follow US160 for about 82 miles and turn left onto US89. Stay on US89 for 15.5 miles and turn left onto SH64. From there it is about 53 miles to the south entrance road and a couple more miles to the Visitors Center.
Photo Ops: 
The photo opportunities of a natural wonder such as the Grand Canyon are beyond the scope of this single page, for sure! However, let me mention a few.
There are many overlooks along the Hermit Road which travels along the South Rim for about 7 miles. I have flagged them in the map above and they are all worth a visit. There are also a few along SH64 which are outside of the map above.
Best times for photography are certainly sunrise and sunset. The dramatic lighting and heightened contrast enhance nearly any photo.
Hiking on one of the many trails would certainly provide countless photo ops. I would recommend looking for information at the Visitors Center regarding hiking.
One of the highlights of my trip was travelling about 20 miles down a primitive dirt road and ending up at a camping spot that is still unrivalled. I don't believe there was anyone within 20 miles of me except for the people I could occasionally hear in the canyon nearly a mile below me! the solitude and the sheer grandeur of the site would be nearly impossible to match.
The photo to the left (taken at sunrise) doesn't quite do the spot justice. If you were standing to the left of the truck you would feel you were about two steps away from a drop of several thousand feet. Spectacular!
Fifteen years later, I cannot state with certainty my exact location. However, if you are really interested, contact me and I will provide you with a probable gps location and trace the route you would take to get there.
All maps on this page © 2007 DeLorme (www.delorme.com) TOPO USA®