Formed over hundreds of years of water running through sandstone, Antelope Canyon is both a sacred site for the Navajo and a favorite destination for tourists from all over the world. Upper Antelope is at about 4,000 feet elevation, and the canyon walls rise 120 feet above the streambed. Located within the LeChee Chapter of the Navajo Nation, Antelope Canyon is a popular location for photographers and sightseers. It has been accessible by permit only since 1997, when the Navajo Tribe made it a Navajo Tribal Park. The canyon's entrance and entire length are at ground level, requiring no climbing. Beams or shafts of direct sunlight radiate down from openings in the top of the canyon. These beams occur all year long, but are more common in the summer months when the sun is higher in the sky.