Lower Antelope Canyon near Page, Arizona

Waves of stone. Lower Antelope Canyon, Arizona

Today we're peering up from the depths of Lower Antelope Canyon, located in Lake Powell Navajo Tribal Park near Page, Arizona. This tall, narrow channel is an entry point into Antelope Canyon, a slot canyon that was created over millions of years by flash floods carving away at the soft Navajo sandstone.

The Navajo name for Lower Antelope Canyon is Hazdistazí (spiral rock arches), but hikers have nicknamed it the Corkscrew for its twists and turns. Visitors shimmy through tight passages and climb up and down ladders to reach the bottom of the chamber. There they find themselves in an almost otherworldly environment, where sunbeams break through to the canyon floor, making the stone walls glow.

Tour guides, managed by the Navajo Nation, are mandatory for visitors to the canyon.