It was time for a fall desert trip, so a group of us headed down to Page, Arizona, with a list of canyons and slots to check out. We started with Antelope Canyon.

Located within the Navajo Nation, Antelope Canyon is more of a tourist hike than a slot canyon adventure. But it has always had status as a famous slot and is a bucket list destination for desert photography so we felt we had to check it out.

Mostly due to its easy access and flat hiking, the canyon is really busy. The Navajo have been running tours here for years, loading trucks with willing tourists and shuttling them to the slot entrance with a local Navajo guide for $25. It may not be the desert solitude experience you find elsewhere, but if you like the desert, you need to see this place, and these guided tours are the only way to do it.

So we made the best of it and considered it a great first day desert outing. The rest of the trip would offer plenty of adventure.