Route to Blue Canyon
From Page drive south on Highway 89 until you reach the intersection with route 160 (road to Tuba City). Drive 32.6 miles on Route 160 till you reach a small group of buildings on the right (GPS location 36.321892 N,110.939904 E). Turn right and pass the buildings on their right side. Follow Indian Routes 21 and 7 for 14.6 miles to reach Blue Canyon. There is a myriad of good dirt roads in the area so I suggest you follow the map below carefully, I had many false starts on my first trip in. You will need a 4WD vehicle to drive on these roads. The USGS 24K topo map Begashibito Canyon contains Blue Canyon.
Permits
Blue Canyon is in the Hopi Nation and, as of late 2011, a permit is required to visit it. Unfortunately I believe the Hopi Nation is not giving out permits at this time. For the most recent status you should contact
Hopi Cultural Preservation Office (CPO)
P.O. Box 123
Kykotsmovi, AZ 86039
(928) 734-3619
It is possible to visit Blue Canyon if you go with an authorized Hopi Guide. The best contact information for a guided tour is Micah Loma'omvaya 1 800-774-0830, or visit www.hopitours.com. http://www.experiencehopi.com/faq.html has some additional information about hiking in the Hopi Nation. Even if you go with a guide you should have driving directions to Blue Canyon as some guides may not be familiar with Blue Canyon.
Please observe all Hopi regulations concerning driving, hiking, and photographing on Hopi land.
Photography
Both sunrise and sunset work well in Blue Canyon with sunset being a bit better since the best formation (the first one you reach driving in) will be lit then. Blue Canyon is a superb location for photographing the full moon. Michael Fatali has an excellent photo called Happily Ever After with the full Moon rising over the first formation in Blue Canyon. This formation faces East and makes a good full moon location at sunset. The top of the rock formation on the left no longer exists. I have a similar B&W photo in my gallery, this photo is a composite. If you want to get a full moon photo you should be in Blue Canyon one day prior to the full moon and should shoot 30-60 minutes before sunset. You may also be able to get a good image during the "Blue Hour" as well. Expose for the foreground but bracket/HDR to make sure the moon is not overexposed. Check the histogram in your LCD after shooting and zoom in on the moon to make sure it is in focus and not overexposed. The moon is best shot at focal lengths of 200mm or more (the longer the better) so you may need to stand back from the rock formation to get the required focal length. Shoot at f16 or f22 to get the full image in focus. The moon will move during the exposure so keep your shutter speed as fast as possible (boost the ISO if needed). Before going to Blue Canyon you should use TPE (The Photographer's Ephemeris) to get a good idea of whether the rock formation will be in shadow at sunset, and how long it might take for the moon to rise over the formation and get in the frame.
The Hopi Nation, like the state of Arizona, does not observe Daylight Savings time. The Navajo nation does observe Daylight Savings time, but the Hopi Nation does not.
Caution
As of February 2011 there were two pairs of female mountain lions in the area, so you should go with a guide or in a group. If you go alone bring a weapon (if legal).