BACKGROUND
About Nate Loper
Guide, teacher, researcher, writer, photographer, and traveler based in Flagstaff, Arizona.
Most of my work involves going to the places I’m teaching about. At Grand Canyon, that means standing on the rocks and hiking the trails. In Egypt, it means walking through temples and archaeological sites. In museums, it means looking closely at the objects themselves. I learn best that way, and I enjoy bringing other people along for the experience.
That has taken me from more than 1,200 days of teaching at Grand Canyon to museums, archaeological sites, historic churches, classrooms, river camps, and research trips around the world.
1,200+
Days teaching at Grand Canyon
50+
Multi-day river expeditions
25+
Years speaking & teaching
Worldwide
Museums, archaeological sites & historic places
THE LONGER STORY
Background & experience
Teacher & Pastor
I spent twelve years as a pastor and teacher, with much of my teaching focused on Scripture, apologetics, archaeology, astronomy, geology, and the historical world of the Bible. That background still shapes the way I communicate: complex ideas should become understandable without becoming shallow.
Grand Canyon Guide
I joined Canyon Ministries in 2014 and have since spent more than 1,000 days guiding and teaching in Grand Canyon National Park. I have led more than 50 multi-day river expeditions and spent hundreds of nights along the Colorado River. That work spans rim overlooks, trails, river camps, and teaching from rafts.
Archaeology & Egyptology
My academic work has included archaeology and Egyptology study through the University of Oxford and graduate research in Ancient Civilizations through the University of Wales Trinity Saint David. I’m especially interested in Egypt, the Ancient Near East, biblical archaeology, museums, and the geography behind historical events.
Travel & Photography
Guiding naturally turned into photography, and photography turned into an enormous visual record of the places I have worked and traveled. I photograph landscapes, artifacts, museums, ruins, architecture, wildlife, and the small details that make a place memorable. Over the years that archive has also become useful for teaching, publishing, media projects, and simply keeping a record of the places I’ve been.
CURRENT WORK
What I’m doing now
I serve as Director of Ministry Outreach with Canyon Ministries, where my work includes speaking, partnerships, field teaching, and ministry outreach. I also lead tours in England and Egypt and keep working on research, writing, video, photography, and a handful of book and museum-related projects.
PROFILES & PLATFORMS
Profiles & links
If you want to dig further into publications, professional history, videos, or current work, these are the main places to find me.