Antelope Canyon is a canyon in Coconino County, Arizona at about 1,232 m (4,042 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is LeChee, about 6.1 km (3.8 mi) away (Antelope Canyon lies E of town).
Navajo Upper Antelope Canyon is a slot canyon in the American Southwest, on Navajo land east of Lechee, Arizona. It includes six separate, scenic slot canyon sections on the Navajo Reservation, referred to as Upper Antelope Canyon (or The Crack), Rattle Snake Canyon, Owl Canyon, Mountain Sheep Canyon, Canyon X and Lower Antelope Canyon (or The Corkscrew). It is the primary attraction of Lake Powell Navajo Tribal Park, along with a hiking trail to Rainbow Bridge National Monument.From the Wikipedia article “Antelope Canyon”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Antelope Canyon the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 77° in summer but only 30° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:30 AM | 90° E | 6:38 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:07 AM | 60° ENE | 7:49 PM | 301° WNW | 77° | 14h 41m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:14 AM | 89° E | 6:24 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:35 AM | 119° ESE | 5:13 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 38m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Canyons need light from above: rims glow at sunrise and sunset, while deep or narrow sections are brightest near midday when reflected light bounces off the walls.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:10 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:17 AM | 4:54 PM | 5:33 PM | 6:01 PM | 9h 55m |
| February | 6:48 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:30 PM | 6:06 PM | 6:33 PM | 10h 51m |
| March | 6:11 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:12 AM | 5:59 PM | 6:33 PM | 6:59 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:25 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:27 AM | 6:25 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:27 PM | 13h 08m |
| May | 4:50 AM | 5:19 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:56 PM | 14h 08m |
| June | 4:36 AM | 5:07 AM | 5:45 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:18 PM | 14h 40m |
| July | 4:49 AM | 5:19 AM | 5:56 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:15 PM | 14h 27m |
| August | 5:16 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:46 PM | 13h 35m |
| September | 5:43 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:43 AM | 6:01 PM | 6:35 PM | 7:01 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:07 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:09 AM | 5:15 PM | 5:50 PM | 6:16 PM | 11h 17m |
| November | 6:37 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:43 AM | 4:39 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:45 PM | 10h 13m |
| December | 7:03 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:12 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:11 PM | 5:40 PM | 9h 39m |
Local time (America/Phoenix), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Antelope Canyon, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 5:13 AM – 5:43 AM | 0.5 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:29 AM – 5:09 AM | 1.7 | 21° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:21 AM – 4:11 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 11:28 PM – 3:28 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:38 PM – 3:08 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:32 PM – 1:42 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:53 PM – 11:43 PM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:02 PM – 9:42 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:16 PM – 7:46 PM | 0.5 | 14° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.7 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 30% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (50%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 62 | 67 | 79 | 86 | 96 | 102 | 103 | 100 | 98 | 87 | 77 | 63 |
| Low °F | 2 | 0 | 15 | 20 | 26 | 38 | 50 | 49 | 32 | 16 | 15 | 4 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.8 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this canyon
- From the rim, sunrise and sunset side-light reveals layers; a telephoto picks out buttes and shadows.
- In narrow canyons, reflected light creates orange and purple glows; avoid including bright sky in the frame.
- Check flash flood forecasts before entering slot or narrow canyons — rain miles away can flood them.
- Dust and sand are hard on gear; change lenses in a bag or with your back to the wind.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
Season: Spring and autumn are comfortable; summer monsoon storms bring dramatic skies but higher flood risk in the Southwest.
Suggested gear: Tripod, Wide and telephoto lenses, Lens blower, Weather radio or app. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Antelope Canyon, closest first.
Rock Formation
Canyon
Natural Arch
Scenic Viewpoint
LakeScenic Viewpoint
Rock Formation
Ghost TownNatural ArchCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Antelope Point Rv Park12.1 km (7.5 mi)
- Beehives Primitive Campground14.2 km (8.8 mi)
- Colorado River Primitive Camping Between Glen Canyon Dam And Lees Ferry19.1 km (11.9 mi)
- Wahweap Campground & Rv Park19.1 km (11.9 mi)
- Lees Ferry Campground21 km (13 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Antelope Canyon?
What time is golden hour at Antelope Canyon?
Where does the sun rise and set at Antelope Canyon?
Can you see the Milky Way from Antelope Canyon?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Antelope Canyon?
How far is Antelope Canyon from LeChee?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.