Antelope Canyon Weather and Flash-Flood Closures

The short answer: Antelope Canyon is open year-round, but storms can close it at short notice, mostly during the summer monsoon season, from about June 15 to September 30. A storm miles upstream can send water into the slot under a clear sky, so guides cancel or pause tours when there is any risk. If the operator cancels before your tour leaves, you are entitled to a refund.

Why rain you can’t see closes the canyon

Antelope Canyon is a drainage channel: it was carved by floodwater, and it still carries it. The danger is that the rain doesn’t have to fall where you are. On August 12, 1997, a flash flood swept through Lower Antelope Canyon and killed eleven hikers after a storm far upstream; very little rain fell at the canyon itself. Guided-only entry and the fixed stairways in Lower came after that day, and guides still watch the upstream weather closely.

The monsoon season

In northern Arizona the monsoon runs from about mid-June to the end of September. It brings short, heavy storms, lightning, strong winds and dust storms, often in the afternoon. Tours can be delayed or cancelled with little warning, and safety rules are stricter during these months. If you are travelling then, book a morning tour if you can, keep the afternoon free as a back-up, and check messages from the operator on the day.

What happens to your booking

• The operator cancels before departure: you get a full refund (Ken’s Tours, for example, states this in its terms).
• You want to cancel yourself: on the best-selling Lower tour on GetYourGuide, free cancellation runs up to 24 hours before; on Ken’s own bookings, refunds stop 72 hours before.
• Weather changes after the tour has left: operators may not refund a tour that has already started, so read your tour’s terms.

The tour supplier can also move a booking for weather or operational reasons and sends final confirmation within three days of purchase, so keep an eye on your email.

Heat and cold

Summer afternoons in Page are very hot, and you stand and walk in the sun before and after the canyon. Drink water, wear sunscreen and a hat, and pick a morning tour in July and August. Winter mornings can be below freezing, but the canyon floor is sheltered from the wind, and the tours are quieter.

Is Antelope Canyon safe right now?

Yes, on a guided tour. The guides decide each day whether it is safe to go in, and on the rare days when it isn’t, tours don’t run. Check the forecast for Page and the wider area, and your booking messages, on the day you go.

Book with a flexible ticket

The best-selling Lower tour below includes the $15 Navajo permit and can be cancelled for a full refund up to 24 hours before, which helps if storms are forecast. (From $75, checked in October 2026.)

When to go for the best light, and the best months overall, are in our best time guide.