It can be said that the American West is the real representative of American civilization. Wave Valley in Arizona, Saguaro in Utana, and Monument Valley on Route 163 all show us a different kind of America. So, what we are talking about today is also a canyon in the western United States - Antelope Canyon.

Antelope Canyon, located in northern Arizona, is one of the most famous slot canyons in the world. It is topographically divided into two parts, the Upper Antelope Canyon and the Lower Antelope Canyon, two completely independent canyons. The Antelope Canyon is called this name because it used to be the habitat of pronghorn antelopes, and antelopes can be seen roaming everywhere, so it is named Antelope Canyon.

The formation of Antelope Canyon is similar to other slot canyons, which are formed by the erosion of soft sandstone over millions of years.

Chief among them is flood erosion. For millions of years, flash floods caused by heavy rainfall in the plateau have been the main force behind the formation of Antelope Valley. Due to the perennial drought here, the extremely dry surface has extremely poor water absorption. Once a flash flood occurs, the power of the flood will be extremely amazing. In the long run, the landscape here can undergo earth-shaking changes.

In addition, the monsoon often accompanies flash floods into the canyon, making the flow rate of flash floods very fast, and the erosive force on the river channel is relatively large, which forms a smooth corridor at the bottom of Antelope Canyon. At the same time, when the dry season wind blows into the valley, it also causes some erosion of the sandstone.

The Upper Antelope Valley, when viewed from the air, looks like a small ditch rushing out of the surface of the water after being blocked by a section of sand. The canyon has different shades of red, because the rocks here are made of red sandstone and formed by the sunlight from different angles.

The Lower Antelope Valley is even more inconspicuous from the outside. If you don't pay attention, it is difficult to find a deep canyon hidden in the cracks under your feet. Some places are spacious and others are so narrow that only one person can pass through. Every step you take here will allow you to see a new beauty, the rock wall washed by the flowing water, smooth and textured, and fascinating in the sunlight.

Antelope Canyon does not have any artificial lighting! The light you see here is the light from the "skylight" at the top of the canyon.

After the repeated refraction of the rock texture and entering the valley bottom, dreamy and irregular color changes are produced in the middle, and the rocks with clear lines and different shapes are also accompanied by these changes.

It’s really hard to be sure that these changing lights come from a single natural light source unless you are there yourself.

Although Antelope Canyon is a slot valley, when people go deep into the valley, they will find it like a wonderful art palace. The valley walls appear to be soft, but they are actually very hard, and the rock surface looks like it has been carefully polished. When the sunlight enters from the top of the canyon and shines in through the small gap above the head, the formed beam and the magical bright colors turn into fantastic colors, just like the strange world imagined in a dream, so some people say that Antelope Canyon It is "a place touched by God".

Today Antelope Canyon is a major source of tourism revenue for the Navajo Native Reservation. In addition to tourists, there are also photographers from all over the world who come here. It is said that many people can capture the fascinating light and shadow when they shoot here. This is the magic of Antelope Valley.

If you are going to Antelope Canyon, be sure to pay attention to the weather here. Although the temperature is not very high, it is very hot, very dry, and the flying sand is very large. When entering the valley, take protective measures, bring enough water, apply sunscreen, wear sunscreen clothing, and avoid sunburn on your skin. Once you've done that, you're ready to go and enjoy the magnificent scenery.