Kayaking to Antelope Canyon (A Detailed Guide)

Are you trying to plan a trip to the famous Antelope Canyon in Page, AZ? Have you seen videos on Instagram of people kayaking to Antelope Canyon but not sure of the details? If so, this is the post for you!

f you’re planning an American Southwest adventure, you’ve likely seen pictures of Antelope Canyon. Towering orange walls that make it look like you’re on another planet… you know the ones! Antelope Canyon is a breathtaking structure that is a must see on any trip to Arizona.

In the height of Covid (2020), the famous Antelope Canyon walking tours were closed to due outbreaks throughout the Navajo nation. During this time, the only way to see Antelope Canyon was by accessing it via water, and kayaking to Antelope Canyon became a very popular activity!

These days, the walking tours are back open, but I STILL recommend kayaking to Antelope Canyon!! And I’m here to share all the details of how to do this!

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Everything You Need to Know about Kayaking to Antelope Canyon in Page, Arizona

Where is Antelope Canyon Located?

Let’s start with the basics.. where is Antelope Canyon located and how do you get there?! Antelope Canyon is located in Page, Arizona, a small town in Northern Arizona, very close to the Utah border! Just 2.5 hours from Zion National Park (check out my road trip guide between the two here!), Page makes the perfect stop for your American Southwest itinerary!

PS: Want to plan an epic one week road trip through the American Southwest?? Check out my Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyon, Zion, And Bryce Canyon Itinerary!

As shown on the map above, Antelope Canyon is located about 10-15 minutes outside of “downtown” Page. within the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area on the shores of Lake Powell. The map has some other significant points (shown in red) for your kayaking to Antelope Canyon journey.

You can see the entrance to Antelope Canyon, as well as the location of Antelope Point Marina (where you’ll be renting the kayaks) .The windy, river-looking path is where you’ll kayak through to get to Antelope Canyon.

If you are planning to stay the night in Page, this map shows you all the available accommodations!

When to Kayak to Antelope Canyon

In the summer months, crowds flock to Page to visit Lake Powell and take advantage of all kinds of water sports to find relief from the heat. If you plan to kayak to Antelope Canyon in the summer, be ready for lots of people!

However, in the fall, the crowds die down, and the weather cools off. During this time, the lake might be a little chilly, but I highly recommend visiting during this time!

Antelope Canyon Walking Tour

Although not part of the geographical limits of the Navajo Nation, the city of Page is just adjacent to the reservation, and all walking tours of Antelope Canyon are offered by members of the Navajo tribe! The Lower Canyon walking tour is right down the road from where you kayak, so you can do both together!

While this post is going to focus on kayaking to Antelope Canyon, below are some options for walking tours you can check out!

What to Pack for Kayaking to Antelope Canyon

Before you start your journey, there are a couple items that will make this trip more enjoyable. First, make sure you pack enough snacks and water for the trip. Once you’re on the kayak, there’s no fresh water or food available! If you’re planning to spend the entire day on this kayak journey, you should also pack a lunch to enjoy once you reach land!

Aside from food and water, I also highly recommend packing the following:

Sunglasses (I recommend these cheap polarized glasses that cut right through the water!)
Sunscreen (Not just if you are visiting in the summer! There is close to no shade on this journey. My favorite sunscreen is Supergoop – it goes on silky smooth, and you will forget you are even wearing it!)
A Hat (Along with the above, a hat is the best protection for your face against the sun. You’ll be happy you have it! I got this cute bucket hat for our trip, but a baseball cap will work too!)
A Go Pro (I clipped my GoPro to the side of the kayak and got some awesome timelapses going through the anyon!)
Dry Bag (Might be overkill but if you are bringing valuables that can’t get wet.. better safe than sorry!)
A Speaker (Like I said, we had the canyon to ourselves, so we played some tunes for the journey which made it even better!)
Portable Charger (If you’re planning to spend the entire day kayaking, I recommend a portable phone charger just in case your phone dies!)
A Day Pack with Water Bladder (I bought this pack before our trip and it was easily the most important purchase. Having a water bladder is the BEST!)
A Blanket (if you are going to have a picnic lunch once you read land!)

Renting Kayaks for Antelope Canyon

As I mentioned, water sports are very common in this area thanks to the gorgeous Lake Powell, so there are tons of companies in Page that rent kayaks! Some require you to pick up your kayak and others will drop them off for you at the boat ramp.

During the summer, I highly recommend trying to rent kayaks in advance of your trip to avoid them selling out.

Where to Rent Kayaks

We rented our kayaks from Antelope Point Marina, which I recommend as they launch them right into the lake for you! There are a few other places to rent from; however, Antelope Point is right on the Lake and has their own launch dock, which is very convent!

All of these places have limited kayaks so it’s important to call in advance and try to book a reservation for your kayak rental!

Note: Antelope Point Marina’s website isn’t great, and I called a few times before finally getting through to someone. When I did, they told me you cannot reserve kayaks in advance, only on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Maybe this is just a seasonal thing and they do let you rent them in advance in the summer – I’m not sure! Like I said, try contacting kayak companies in advance of your trip to secure your kayaks either way.

The address to Antelope Point Marina is 533 Marina Pkwy, Page, AZ 86040. Once you arrive, park your car in the main parking lot and head past the visitor center and down the loooong ramp shown below!

Entrance Fees

This Marina is technically part of the Glen Canyon Recreation Area and there is an entrance fee. However, if you have the America the Beautiful Pass, this is accepted here. I HIGHLY recommend purchasing the America the Beautiful Pass – if you’re visiting more than one national park (or recreational area), it will save you a lot of money and can be used for a whole year!

Kayak Pricing

The Marina opens at 8am, and I recommend starting as early as possible! If you are dedicating a full day to kayaking to Antelope Canyon (which I recommend!), you should book the kayak for the full day, especially if you’re planning to get out of the kayak and hike into the Canyon itself.

Below are the prices for kayak rentals at Antelope Point Marina as of Fall 2021.

Getting Ready to Launch

Once you pay for the kayaks (plus a deposit) and sign the waivers, off you go! The marina will give you life jackets and load the kayaks into the water. This awesome map inside the kayak rental shop shows where the entrance to the canyon is – see below!

You can also see the entrance to the Canyon on your phone GPS (look for Antelope Creek) as marked on the map at the beginning of this post. This was helpful for checking our progress during the actual trip, but the map below was definitely a game changer!

Don’t be fooled though, it might look like the entrance to the Canyon is pretty close to the marina.. It is a pretty far kayak!! If you have never kayaked in your life or don’t like the idea of kayaking for 3+ hours, I recommend doing the walking tour instead of kayaking to Antelope Canyon.

The Journey to Antelope Canyon

Towards the Canyon

Once your kayaks are launched, you’ll start kayaking west towards the big bend on the map (also towards the direction of the Page Airport). Stay to the very left, avoiding the large buoys in the water.

In short time, you’ll pass the public launch site. This is where many of the kayak companies in Page will drop your kayak for you (photo below).

NOTE: You will be kayaking to Antelope Canyon through Lake Powell which is shared with boaters, jet skiiers, and more! In the summer, the lake is VERY busy which will create a lot of wake. This makes the kayak trip a difficult one. Visiting in the fall, there were hardly any boats! But if you’re visiting in the summer, avoid going on Saturday for less crowds, and start as EARLY as possible!

From the time you leave the marina, you’ll kayak for about an hour and half (~2 miles) until you reach the entrance of the Canyon. Again, this time will depend on how busy the lake is and how much wake you experience. You’ll be able to tell when you’re there. It’s the first major opening you will come across on the left side, and there is a buoy at the entrance marking it. Here is a picture for reference!

entrance to Antelope Canyon from Lake Powell

Once you enter the canyon, the views just get better and better. The further into the canyon you kayak, the narrower it gets! We were lucky enough to have the entire area pretty much to ourselves on our trip. It was extremely peaceful and quiet. I highly recommend taking your time in this part and enjoying the views.

Reaching Land

After about an hour of kayaking into the canyon, you will come across a small beach. Here, you can park your kayak (there will probably others there already) and get out and walk.

Check out the picture below to see what I mean! Make sure not to leave any valuables in the kayak (just in case). Pull it far up on the beach so it doesn’t float away!

From here, you can start your hike into the canyon! Unfortunately, we didn’t make it very far, as we were short on time, but the trail goes further and further into the canyon.. As you continue through, the walls of the canyon will start to narrow, showcasing those slow canyons!

Eventually, they will get too narrow to climb through, which is your sign to head back! Keep in mind how far in you go.. you will have to walk that same distance back AND do the return kayak trip.. It makes for a long day so make sure to save your strength!

Kayaking Back

From the beach, it took us about 2.5 hours to paddle back to the marina. Make sure to budget enough time to get back based on how many hours you rented the kayaks for.. Plan for the return journey to take twice as long as the journey there.

Not going to lie, you will be pooped by the end of this adventure! I highly recommend planning this as your only activity for the day so you don’t feel rushed getting back. This will allow you to take your time and take breaks as needed.

When we visited, it was a Tuesday in mid-October.. There were barely any boats on the lake, but it was still tough! Visiting during the summer months means the lake will be busy! This will make the trip even harder – so plan accordingly!

Final Thoughts

I hope you enjoyed this detailed guide on How to Kayak to Antelope Canyon! This was one of our favorite days on our American Southwest adventure. Like I mentioned, we combined this kayaking trip with a walking tour of Antelope Canyon which made for a very long day! I highly recommend giving yourself two days in Page if you want to do both the walking tour and kayaking. But, if you’re trying to fit in as much as possible, it is doable to do both activities!

Don’t forget to check out my National Parks Road Trip Itinerary and my guide to Antelope Canyon Walking Tour (coming soon!)

Don’t forget to pin this post for future planning!

Kayaking to Antelope Canyon: A Detailed Guide