Antelope Canyon is Shutting Down Its Photo Tours Due to Overcrowding and Negative Reviews: "According to Navajo National Parks, they have made the decision to stop running photo tours...

Ed Chu Loc: Las Vegas NV

"According to Navajo National Parks, they have made the decision to stop running photo tours in Upper Antelope Canyon following the negative reviews and feedback from many attendees.....The last official photography tour will go out on December 20th, 2019. After this, people will still be able to take pictures during the regular tours, but these groups are larger and you are not allowed to bring tripods or monopods."

Kept putting off the trip, and now...

fantom Loc: Colorado

Upper Antelope is great but there are many, many others in the area.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

Ed Chu wrote:

"According to Navajo National Parks, they have made the decision to stop running photo tours in Upper Antelope Canyon following the negative reviews and feedback from many attendees.....The last official photography tour will go out on December 20th, 2019. After this, people will still be able to take pictures during the regular tours, but these groups are larger and you are not allowed to bring tripods or monopods."

Kept putting off the trip, and now...

They want to increase the number of folks going through to maximize profits. Photo groups go too slow, again, they shut it down to stuff more sardines into the can.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

One needs to face the situation that these tours are run as a business. The concept of any business is to maximize profit. Thus, remove those factors that reduce profit.

If I were to take a tour of the canyon, I would not want to bring a camera. What am I going to photograph that hasn't been photographed already?
--Bob

Ed Chu wrote:

"According to Navajo National Parks, they have made the decision to stop running photo tours in Upper Antelope Canyon following the negative reviews and feedback from many attendees.....The last official photography tour will go out on December 20th, 2019. After this, people will still be able to take pictures during the regular tours, but these groups are larger and you are not allowed to bring tripods or monopods."

Kept putting off the trip, and now...

Jeffcs Loc: Myrtle Beach South Carolina

The canyons were on my photography bucket list
It’s a shame to see it shut down as a photo tour
I and other photographers well just have to get creative when shooting in the canyons

Jeffcs Loc: Myrtle Beach South Carolina

The canyons were on my photography bucket list
It’s a shame to see it shut down as a photo tour
I and other photographers will just have to get creative when shooting in the canyons

wireloose

https://www.antelopecanyon-x.com/. Still running and there were no crowds last year, we were by ourselves until the end of the tour- though that will no doubt change now.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

More information posted to UHH this month:
https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-622978-1.html

https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-621583-1.html

.

bbrown5154 Loc: Baltimore, MD

Ed Chu wrote:

"According to Navajo National Parks, they have made the decision to stop running photo tours in Upper Antelope Canyon following the negative reviews and feedback from many attendees.....The last official photography tour will go out on December 20th, 2019. After this, people will still be able to take pictures during the regular tours, but these groups are larger and you are not allowed to bring tripods or monopods."

Kept putting off the trip, and now...

I guess I'm not surprised, well maybe I am about the negative reviews. Most of what I've seen online has been pretty positive. The negatives start with the amount of people and crowds.
Just a gut feeling that a lot of these places are going to go the route of "The Wave" with a daily lottery of
getting to go in.
It stinks but after seeing the crowds it Antelop Canyon and the general overcrowding, in many National Parks some drastic actions have to be taken.

jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

One can take stunning photos in the canyon without a tripod—it isn’t necessary.

TGanner Loc: Haines, Alaska

Across the board, tourism is becoming a crush that compromises the experience that people come to enjoy. As a photo guide in SE Alaska, I am happy to be situated in one of the quiet corners, but even we have our issues in Haines. Meanwhile, in Skagway, Juneau, and beyond >> http://timenspace.net/2017/08/05/quality-tourism-experience-alaska/

ltj123 Loc: NW Wisconsin

Good! On regular tour these Pros (loosely noted) setup with lights and tripods in best areas, often on our tour would not move so everyone in normal tour could get best shots. I actually asked two people to move, neither spoke English and even gesturing wouldn't move. Also asked guide and said these had more rights in area occupied. ARRGH!

redtooth

Its the same old story "Mankind will destroy what he went there to find"

DebAnn Loc: Toronto

rmalarz wrote:

One needs to face the situation that these tours are run as a business. The concept of any business is to maximize profit. Thus, remove those factors that reduce profit.

If I were to take a tour of the canyon, I would not want to bring a camera. What am I going to photograph that hasn't been photographed already?
--Bob

Interesting comment Bob. If you weren't going to photograph anything that had been photographed before, your camera would quickly gather dust!

Smudgey Loc: Ohio, Calif, Now Arizona

My son and I did Cardiac Canyon which is in the same area. It is a much more extensive hike that required 2 Navajo guides. They drove us to the trail head, once we were on the trail we never saw another human being the entire day. It was absolutely amazing, beauty beyond belief. We did Antelope canyon the day before we did Cardiac canyon and I must tell you there was no comparison at all. Antelope canyon was nice, but to many people for good photography. Be aware that they call it Cardiac Canyon for a reason. It is somewhat strenuous using ropes and ladders to reach some of the most beautiful Slot Canyons that I have ever seen. It was more costly for sure, but worth every penny (i say that as I didn't pay anything, as it was a wonderful gift from my son). They told us that very few people have done the hike, which I believe as we didn't see anyone else on the trail. I have been in photography all my life and this was truly a photographers hike.