Antelope Canyon is a narrow sandstone slot canyon on Navajo Nation land near Page, Arizona, carved into flowing wave-like walls by flash-flood erosion. Toggle the midday light beam to see the effect that makes the canyon famous, or toggle the sandstone cross-bedding bands to see the wind-blown dune layering preserved in the rock.
Published figures: Upper Antelope Canyon walls reach about 37 m (120 ft); the canyon is carved into Navajo Sandstone deposited about 190 million years ago as wind-blown dunes.
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Antelope Canyon 3D Explorer
This browser explorer shows Antelope Canyon in cross-section: a narrow, winding sandstone slot with smooth, flowing walls that pinch and widen along its length, carved by flash floods rushing through Navajo Sandstone. Unlike the mile-wide Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyon is often just a few feet across at floor level while its walls tower up to about 37 m overhead.
The canyon sits on Navajo Nation land near Page, Arizona, and is split into two sections: Upper Antelope Canyon ("Tse bighanilini", place where water runs through rocks) and Lower Antelope Canyon ("Hazdistazi", spiral rock arches), reached by descending metal stairways. The rock itself is Navajo Sandstone, laid down as wind-blown desert dunes roughly 190 million years ago in the Jurassic; the canyon's flowing shapes were carved much more recently by repeated flash-flood erosion and are still slowly changing today. From roughly late May to early September, near midday, sunlight can reach straight down through the narrow openings and produce a visible beam inside the slot - the effect the canyon is best known for. Only accessible with a Navajo guide, both sections are managed by Navajo Parks and Recreation.
- Toggle the midday light beam to see how sunlight enters the narrow slot
- Toggle the cross-bedding bands to see the wind-blown dune layering preserved in the sandstone
- Read height, length, and formation figures in the panel
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| Figure | Published value |
|---|---|
| Wall height (Upper) | about 37 m (120 ft) |
| Length (Lower) | about 400 m (1,335 ft) |
| Rock type | Navajo Sandstone - wind-blown dune deposits |
| Sandstone age | about 190 million years (Early Jurassic) |
| Carved by | flash-flood erosion, still actively shaping the canyon |
| Best light-beam season | roughly late May to early September, near midday |
| Location | Navajo Nation, near Page, Arizona, USA |
For a canyon on the opposite scale - nearly two kilometres deep and hundreds of kilometres long - open the Grand Canyon 3D Explorer, or see a waterfall-carved gorge in the Iguazu Falls 3D Explorer.
Everything renders on your device with WebGL. The 3D engine loads once (about 0.7 MB) and is cached.
This is an educational approximation - the wall shapes, light beam, and cross-bedding bands are schematic teaching cues, not survey geology.
Frequently Asked Questions
How deep is Antelope Canyon?
Upper Antelope Canyon's walls reach about 37 m (120 ft) high, while the floor-level slot can narrow to just a few feet across in places.
What causes the famous light beams?
Roughly from late May to early September, near midday, the sun sits at an angle that lets direct rays reach down through narrow openings in the slot, creating a visible beam - a seasonal and time-of-day effect, not something present year-round.
What is the difference between Upper and Lower Antelope Canyon?
Upper Antelope Canyon ("Tse bighanilini") is mostly walked at ground level with tall, wide openings good for light beams. Lower Antelope Canyon ("Hazdistazi") is narrower and deeper in relative terms, requiring metal stairways to descend.
How did the canyon form?
It is carved into Navajo Sandstone - wind-blown dune sand deposited about 190 million years ago - by repeated flash floods that erode the soft rock into smooth, flowing shapes. The process is ongoing; each flash flood can subtly reshape the walls.
Can visitors go on their own?
No. Both canyons sit on Navajo Nation land and are open only through a guided Navajo tour, managed by Navajo Parks and Recreation.
Is this a scientific terrain model?
No. It is an educational explorer using published figures - the wall shapes, light beam, and cross-bedding bands are schematic teaching cues, not survey geology.