Antelope Canyon X: the quiet third canyon nobody talks about

Most visitors who plan an Antelope Canyon trip never hear about the third section. Upper and Lower take ~95% of the marketing oxygen — they are the names on every tour aggregator, every blog post, every “best of Page” list. Canyon X sits further east on Highway 98, on land controlled by a single Navajo family, accessed only via a 4×4 shuttle and operated by exactly one company. It is quieter, more expensive, and visually more like Lower than Upper. After visiting it on the July 2025 field trip — the same trip where I did Upper and Lower — this is the deep dive nobody else in the niche bothers to write.

Quick answer: what is Antelope Canyon X?

Antelope Canyon X is the third public slot canyon in the Antelope system on Navajo Nation land — roughly 7 miles east of Page along Highway 98 — separate from Upper and Lower Antelope, accessed only via a 15-minute 4×4 shuttle and operated exclusively by Taadidiin Tours. It is structurally similar to Lower Antelope (a V opening downward into the ground) but sits 5 miles further east along Highway 98. There are no famous vertical light beams here — those are exclusive to Upper Antelope's inverted-V geometry — but Canyon X compensates with what no other Antelope section offers: genuine quiet. On a typical mid-week summer afternoon you may share the canyon with one other small group, or nobody at all.

Why it is called “Canyon X”

The name has a more banal origin than the canyon's mystique suggests. According to our Taadidiin guide on the July 2025 visit, when the Navajo Nation Parks and Recreation Department first opened this section of the canyon system to commercial tour permits — commonly cited as around 2012–2014 — the operator wanted a name that distinguished it from Upper Antelope (already heavily branded) and Lower Antelope (also branded). “Canyon X” was effectively a placeholder — the unknown variable, the new third option.

There is also a visual coincidence: viewed from above on satellite imagery, the canyon system at this location shows two narrow tributaries crossing in roughly an X shape. The marketing leaned into that. The name stuck for both reasons. The Navajo name for the immediate area is not Tsé Bighánílíní(which refers specifically to Upper Antelope, “the place where water runs through rocks”) — Canyon X is part of a different traditional naming system that visitors rarely encounter in tour material.

Canyon X vs Upper vs Lower at a glance

For the full side-by-side comparison of just Upper vs Lower (which is the more common decision point), see the dedicated Upper vs Lower Antelope guide. For an operator-by-operator review including the other five in the system, see the Navajo-authorised operators guide. For the full Antelope Canyon system overview see the complete Antelope Canyon pillar guide.

The 4×4 shuttle and the access

Reaching Canyon X is structurally different from reaching Upper or Lower. Upper is a 5-minute walk from a staging area parking lot on Highway 98. Lower is a descent via metal staircases from a similar parking area further east. Canyon X sits well off the road, on rougher Navajo Nation land that has no paved access — so the only way in is the operator's 4×4 shuttle.

The mechanics on the day:

• You drive to the Taadidiin Tours staging area on Highway 98, about 7 miles east of Page. There is a small office, restrooms, and a dirt lot for visitor cars.
• Check-in 30 minutes before your tour. Confirm permit and tip cash, get the safety briefing.
• The shuttle leaves on schedule — an open-air 4×4 truck or modified passenger vehicle, depending on group size. Typically 6–10 visitors per vehicle (occasionally up to 12 if a family group books together).
• 15-minute ride on dirt and sand. The road is rough and dusty; wear sunglasses, secure hats, keep cameras tucked. The drive itself crosses open Navajo land that you would not see on any other Antelope tour — a small bonus.
• You arrive at the canyon entrance, walk a short ~100 m down a sandy slope to the slot opening, and the guide leads you in.
• Total time on the ground inside the canyon: roughly 90 minutes, of the 2.5-hour total. The remaining hour is shuttle there and back plus check-in.

Taadidiin Tours — the only operator

One operator, one permit, one product. Taadidiin Tours has held the Canyon X concession since the area opened commercially, and the Navajo Nation has not added a second operator to this location at any point since. That makes Taadidiin's position structurally different from the Upper and Lower sections, where 2–3 operators compete on price and tour quality.

What this means for visitors:

• Pricing is what it is. No comparison shopping between operators. The $105–160 range is the market.
• Quality is consistent.Single-operator means no race-to-the-bottom on guide training or shuttle maintenance. Taadidiin's reviews on Viator and Tripadvisor sit at 4.9 (the highest average of any Antelope operator), and the operational reliability matches that.
• Inventory is limited. Single operator + small shuttle capacity + remote location = fewer tour slots per day than Upper or Lower. This is also why the crowds inside Canyon X are so much lower: the system itself caps how many people can be in there at once.

What to expect inside

Canyon X is structurally a downward-V like Lower Antelope — narrower at the bottom, opening toward a slit of sky overhead — but the proportions differ slightly. The opening above is wider than Lower in places, which lets more diffuse light reach the canyon floor. The walls are similar Navajo Sandstone with the same flowing texture, but the colour palette tends a touch more peach/orange and less deep red than the iconic Upper photographs.

What is genuinely different from both Upper and Lower:

• The canyon is split into two main chambers separated by a short narrow passage. Each chamber has its own character — the first is more sculptural, the second is wider and gets more direct light.
• The floor is largely flat sand, not the descending stairs of Lower. Walking is easy throughout — no ladders, no scrambling. This makes Canyon X more accessible than Lower for older visitors or anyone with knee issues, while delivering most of the same “walking inside a slot” sensation.
• Group size is smaller by structural necessity — typically 6–10 people per tour vs the 11–15 common in Upper. You hear the guide, you have time to compose a photo without a queue.
• Silence. This is the headline feature that no marketing copy captures: on a weekday off-peak you can hear your own footsteps. In Upper at midday in July, the canyon echoes with multiple guides talking over each other in three languages. Canyon X is the antidote.

When to go (no light beams to chase)

The single biggest planning advantage of Canyon X over Upper Antelope: timing is much more flexible. Upper Antelope's photography value is concentrated in a 90-minute midday window between late March and early September when the light beams form. Outside that window, Upper drops in photographic interest.

Canyon X has no equivalent peak window. The lighting inside is diffuse and consistent throughout most of the day, with slightly warmer tones in late morning (10 am–12 pm) and late afternoon (3–4 pm) when the sun angle is shallower and side-lights the upper walls. Mid-morning and mid-afternoon tours both work; the standard advice to “book the first slot of the day for fewer crowds” matters less here because Canyon X is quiet at most slots.

Seasonal notes:

• March–May, September–October: best balance. Mild temperatures, no monsoon risk, manageable crowds even at peak hours.
• June–August: hot (35–40°C in the open during the shuttle ride), and from early July onwards the monsoon flash-flood risk applies to Canyon X the same way it applies to Upper and Lower — see the dedicated Antelope timing guide for the full monsoon-window mechanics. Taadidiin cancels tours during active watches without negotiation.
• November–February: quietest of all. Shorter operating schedule (Taadidiin typically reduces to 4–6 tours per day vs the summer 10+) but you can be alone in the canyon. Cold mornings — bring a layer for the open-air shuttle.

Should you pick Canyon X over Upper or Lower?

By visitor profile, the decision tree:

• First Antelope Canyon trip, want the iconic photograph → Upper Antelope (light beams). Canyon X cannot deliver this shot.
• First trip, value-conscious, want the slot canyon experience → Lower Antelope. Cheaper, faster, equally photogenic for non-beam shots. See Upper vs Lower.
• Return visitor who already did Upper or Lower → Canyon X wins. Different geometry, different colour palette, much quieter — actually feels like a new place even though it is the same canyon system.
• Photographer prioritising quiet over the iconic beam → Canyon X. Smaller groups + flexible timing + no queue at each composition = real photographic opportunity.
• Traveller with limited mobility → Canyon X (flat sand floor, no stairs) over Lower (4 metal staircases) but not over Upper, which is the most accessible of the three.
• Travelling with kids under 6 → Upper (Canyon X requires the shuttle ride which most operators do not recommend for very young children).
• Budget-constrained day trip from Las Vegas → not Canyon X. Bus tours from Vegas overwhelmingly visit Lower or Upper, not Canyon X, which is harder to integrate into a same-day round trip — see the Las Vegas day-trip guide.

Frequently asked questions

About this guide

Written by Diego Fresno, travel writer and independent publisher specialising in the American Southwest. This deep dive draws on a July 2025 Canyon X visit with Taadidiin Tours (same week as the Upper and Lower Antelope visits) and current 2026 Taadidiin pricing verified on Viator and the operator website in May 2026. Verified quarterly — last review April 2026. About the author →

Related guides

Pillar

Antelope Canyon: the complete 2026 guide

The full pillar covering Upper, Lower and Canyon X with sections, operators, timing and rules.

Comparator

Upper vs Lower Antelope Canyon: which one to pick

The more common decision point for first-time visitors. Section-level comparison with light beams, staircases and crowds.

Operators

The 6 Navajo-authorised operators compared

Operator-by-operator review including Taadidiin Tours, plus the 5 Upper and Lower operators.

Pricing

How much does Antelope Canyon cost in 2026?

Section-by-section pricing including the Canyon X $105–160 range, hidden costs and tips.