Antelope Ridge Adventure Park: A One-of-a-Kind Antelope Canyon Experience
Antelope Ridge Adventure Park offers one of the most unique ways to explore Antelope Canyon near Page, Arizona. It stands apart by allowing visitors to rappel and scale the walls of the canyon.
This is one of several sections of Antelope Canyon you can visit, to see the famous smooth curves carved over time into the orange Navajo sandstone walls.
Let me say right off the bat: I’ve never done any rappelling, and I’m not big on heights. Still, the guides here made me feel secure in my initial attempt. By the third drop, I was really getting the hang of it!
Key Info on Antelope Ridge
- It’s one of several Antelope Canyon experiences in Page, AZ.
- A visit includes rappelling and scaling the rock walls along a via ferrata.
- No experience in rock climbing or rappelling is necessary.
- They provide the gear, guides, and safety lessons.
- A zipline opens in 2026.
Booking Antelope Ridge Adventure Park
Tours must be booked in advance and are limited in size, making this a more intimate experience than other Antelope Canyon tours.
➡️ Click to Book: Antelope Ridge
How to Get to Antelope Ridge Adventure Park
The entrance to Antelope Ridge Adventure Park is located in the small Navajo community of Lechee, just a few miles south of Page, AZ.
Visitors will find a designated parking area along with basic facilities used for check-in and gear fitting before the tour begins.
Guides, Safety, and Gear
Tours are led by experienced guides who are patient and thorough. It’s especially helpful for first-time rappellers (like myself). The owners, Theo and Nicole Martin, provided both the gear … and confidence!
Before entering the canyon, participants go through a detailed safety briefing and hands-on instruction.
All required gear is supplied:
- Harness
- Helmet
- Gloves
- Ropes and safety devices
Three Things to Note
- Groups are capped at eight people.
- The minimum age is 9 years old.
- The minimum height is 52 inches (due to the spacing of the climbing rungs).
Rappelling into Antelope Canyon
The tour includes three separate rappels into different sections of Antelope Canyon.
For beginners, the setup is reassuring. An added safety device is incorporated into the standard rappelling system, making it feel controlled and secure.
The third rappel is the steepest, around 70 feet. By this point, I (as a novice) felt much more comfortable with the process and technique, and much more confident in the layers of security.
The Via Ferrata Experience
Via ferrata is Italian for “iron path.”
At Antelope Ridge, the via ferrata is thought to be the only one in the world inside a slot canyon.
It’s a climbing route that uses permanently installed rungs, ladders, and steel cables to help you move safely through the canyon. You’ll be scaling the walls, suspended over the canyon floor.
At Antelope Ridge, the via ferrata consists of rebar rungs anchored directly into the canyon walls. Your harness includes metal clips that remain attached to steel safety cables throughout the climb, meaning you are never unprotected.
Navigating the Via Ferrata
- Horizontal traverses span narrow slot sections 30 to 40 feet above the canyon floor.
- Other sections involve vertical climbs.
- Several natural chambers provide pauses to admire the canyon’s textures, shadows, and ceiling formations.
The waves carved into the sandstone here are beautifully mesmerizing.
After scaling the rungs through the canyon, you’ll take one of two routes up and out. It involves a vertical climb!
The full route covers about one mile, including the hike back to the trailhead.
The Zipline
Antelope Ridge also includes a zipline component, adding another layer of adrenaline to the experience.
Photography at Antelope Ridge
Photography restrictions are strict at Upper and Lower Antelope Canyon… but not at Antelope Ridge.
Video is prohibited at Lower Antelope, and still photography is often rushed at both locations. Upper Antelope tours, for example, have been shortened to around 30 minutes to accommodate more visitors.
Antelope Canyon X offers a tour for photographers, with an unhurried experience.
At Antelope Ridge, photography presents a different challenge due to the technical nature of the tour. Carrying camera gear through narrow slots and while rappelling isn’t easy.
That said, guides are more accommodating, and you’ll have significantly more time in the canyon to capture photos compared to standard Antelope Canyon tours.
What to Bring to Antelope Ridge
The via ferrata sections can be extremely narrow, leaving little room for extra items.
- Avoid bringing bags if possible
- Secure phones to a lanyard—dropped items may be impossible to retrieve
- Bring water in warmer months, secured to your body
Important Things to Know Before You Go
While the tour is suitable for beginners, it is still physically demanding.
- Those with a strong fear of heights may find the rappelling or vertical climbs uncomfortable
- Claustrophobic visitors should skip this experience
- Some passages are only about one foot wide, which can be challenging for larger body types
This is an active, adventure-focused tour. If you’re looking for a slow-paced or purely scenic experience, traditional Antelope Canyon tours may be a better fit.
The Story Behind Antelope Ridge
Antelope Ridge was created by Theo and Nicole Martin, longtime Page-area residents.
The idea took years to bring to life, with roughly five years spent navigating permitting and construction before opening in summer 2024.
Theo grew up directly across from the park, using the canyon as a childhood playground. His Navajo ancestors have lived on this land for generations.
The goal, according to Theo, was to offer something more adrenaline-driven while still showcasing the same iconic rock formations found throughout Antelope Canyon.
Small group sizes, flexible pacing, and an emphasis on safety allow visitors to take their time and fully experience the canyon … while adding a serious dose of adventure.
More to do in Page, AZ
I love visiting Page, AZ, and finding new things to do and see. When I have first-time visitors come to Arizona, I always recommend Sedona and Antelope Canyon.
In terms of logistics, Antelope Canyon is too far from Phoenix for a day trip, even if you fly into the airport in Page (which has limited commercial flights). The city relies on tourists, so you’ll find plenty of hotels and restaurants in Page.
Aside from the most famous sections of Antelope Canyon, all of which you need a guide to visit, consider Antelope Canyon X, which has smaller group sizes.
Cardiac Canyon provides a non-rushed, full-day experience in the canyon.
You can also choose to kayak through Lake Powell into part of Antelope Canyon.
For hikers, the Page area has a variety of options.
My favorite (and I think the most unique) spot to explore is White Pocket. A warning: it’s beautiful, but remote! There are no fees or reservations needed … at least for now.
The famous “Wave” rock formation is worth trying to visit, though the lottery system is notoriously difficult.
In terms of weather, Page gets hot in the summer (though not as hot as Phoenix). Page is cool in the winter, and it actually snows in this part of Arizona.
