Waterholes Canyon

It’s hard to miss—on your way into Page, the road crosses a quiet bridge just before Horseshoe Bend, and a canyon suddenly opens beneath you. How can you not pull over and look? Water Holes Canyon has been pulling people in from that roadside glimpse for years. Long before permits and guided access, it was the kind of place you couldn’t help but stop for… and once you did, it was hard not to return.

Dropping into the canyon begins with a steep descent from the roadside. It looks a little intimidating at first, but for most people it’s manageable with care—just not ideal if exposure makes you uneasy.

Once inside, the experience softens into an easy, wandering corridor of sand and sculpted walls, with just a few minor obstacles along the way. You’ll encounter a short ladder and a few small scrambles over rock ledges—nothing difficult, but just enough to make the experience feel a little more interactive. The colors are everything you’d hope for here—deep reds, warm oranges, soft pinks, and light that shifts constantly across the canyon walls, giving the whole place a quiet, almost playful energy.

Compared to nearby slot canyons, Water Holes feels more spacious and less rushed. While it’s still a guided experience, small groups and staggered timing often create moments where the canyon feels surprisingly quiet—at times, almost your own. And while the main corridor is beautiful, there’s more to the canyon than what you see at first. Some sections lie farther out, and while they once required a long, sandy approach on foot, there are alternative access points by vehicle—something worth asking your guide about if you’re curious to explore deeper.

A guided slot canyon near Page with glowing sandstone walls, soft sandy passages, and a quieter, more relaxed alternative to Antelope Canyon.

Awe Rating (1-5):

4.5 Length:

< 5 miles

Difficulty:

Moderate

Trail Type:

Out & Back

Time Needed:

Half Day

Highlights:

Slot Canyon, Photography

Landscape:

Canyon, Slot Canyon, Red Rock

Solitude Potential:

Medium

Trailhead Access:

Paved Access

Special Considerations, Best Season to Hike:

Guided access only; small groups and a steep entry with a generally easy canyon walk once inside.

Things to Know

Guided access required: Water Holes Canyon is on Navajo Nation land and must be visited with a permitted guide.
Reservations: Typically easier to book than Antelope, but still worth planning ahead—especially in peak seasons.
Steep entry/exit: The initial descent can feel exposed for some, though most people manage it with care.
Flash flood risk: Like all slot canyons, avoid visiting during storms—even distant rain can be dangerous.
Footing: Expect soft sand and uneven terrain.
Solitude potential: Medium–high for a guided canyon—small groups and spacing often allow for quieter moments.
Guide experience varies: Some guides are highly engaging and offer deeper insight or flexibility—worth asking questions and expressing interest.
Photography: Great conditions for color and reflected light, often without the heavy crowd pressure of Antelope.

More to Explore

If the colors and light of Water Holes draw you in, there are a few other places nearby that offer their own take on sculpted sandstone and deeper exploration.

Wire Pass to Buckskin Gulch – A longer, more immersive slot canyon experience with towering walls and a sense of scale that unfolds gradually.
Buckskin Gulch – One of the longest slot canyons in the world, offering a deeper and more committing journey.
Edmaier's Secret – A completely different kind of sandstone landscape, with swirling formations that feel almost otherworldly.
White Pocket – A remote expanse of sculpted rock and color, where exploration is open and unstructured.