What The Wave is
The Wave is a Navajo sandstone rock formation in North Coyote Buttes, within the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument in northern Arizona. It's famous for a specific visual characteristic: concave, flowing channels of cross-bedded sandstone that look like frozen waves in orange, pink, and white layers. The formation is roughly 100 feet wide and sits at the end of a 3-mile route from Wire Pass Trailhead.
The quota system exists because the site is fragile. The sandstone is relatively soft, and concentrated foot traffic would erode the formations quickly. Twenty permits per day is the number the BLM settled on to keep visitation sustainable — and the reason those permits are difficult to get.
The Wave is genuinely beautiful and worth seeing if you're in the area. It is not worth building an entire vacation around trying to get permits, because the advance lottery acceptance rate runs around 1–3% in peak season. Build your Kanab trip around destinations you can actually access — White Pocket, South Coyote Buttes, Toroweap — and apply for The Wave as a secondary goal.
The permit system explained
The BLM issues 20 permits per day for North Coyote Buttes, which includes The Wave. These are split into two pools: 10 advance permits and 10 walk-in permits.
Advance lottery (online, 4 months out)
Apply at recreation.gov. Applications open 4 months before the date — so for a May 15 trip, you'd apply January 15. Each application costs $9 regardless of outcome. If selected, you pay $8 per person (maximum 6 people per permit).
Acceptance rates for the advance lottery in peak season (March–May, September–October) run around 1–3%. Weekday dates slightly better than weekends. Off-season (January–February, November–December) acceptance rates can reach 10–20%, though those dates come with uncertain road conditions and cold temperatures.
Walk-in lottery (online or in-person, day before)
This is the option most people underutilize. Starting at midnight the night before your desired date, apply through recreation.gov. You can also apply in person at the BLM Kanab Visitor Center (745 US-89 North, Kanab, UT 84741). Walk-in results are announced the same day — typically by noon online.
Walk-in odds vary more than advance odds. In October, you might be competing against 30+ applicants for 10 spots. On a random Tuesday in February, you might be one of 3 applicants. If you're flexible about dates and willing to spend a few days in Kanab waiting for a permit, your walk-in odds improve significantly.
Permit rules
- Maximum 6 people per permit
- Permits are non-transferable
- No check-in station — carry your permit on the hike
- Permit is for the specific date only; no flexibility
- Dogs are not permitted in the Coyote Buttes North permit area
The hike
The route from Wire Pass Trailhead to The Wave is approximately 3.1 miles one-way. The BLM provides a detailed map and GPS waypoints with every permit — this is the navigation tool most groups use. There is no trail, no blazing, no cairns. The route crosses sandy washes, slickrock, and open terrain.
Elevation gain is modest: about 250 feet over 3 miles. The difficulty is not physical but navigational, particularly on the return when people are tired and can drift off-route in similar-looking terrain. Stay with your GPS. Groups that get into trouble at The Wave usually do so on the way back, not the way out.
Most groups take 4–6 hours total, including time at the formation itself. Start early — by 10am the formation gets crowded relative to the 20-person limit, and the heat builds fast.
What's worth exploring beyond the main formation
Most people go to The Wave, spend an hour, and come back. The permit area is larger than that. The Second Wave (a smaller similar formation nearby), the Alcove (behind the main Wave), and the broader butte landscape are worth exploring if you have time. Your permit covers the entire permit area, not just the main formation.
The Wave vs. White Pocket
| Factor | The Wave | White Pocket |
|---|---|---|
| Permit | Required (very competitive) | Not required |
| Vehicle | High-clearance recommended (first 8 mi dirt passable) | High-clearance 4WD required (deep sand) |
| Hike distance | 6.2 mi roundtrip, no marked trail | Minimal — wander among formations |
| Single signature image | Yes — very specific | More varied, less iconic |
| Geological variety | Moderate | High |
| Crowds | 20 people max (very controlled) | Moderate (no quota) |
| From Kanab | ~45 mi / ~1 hr | ~70 mi / ~1.5–2 hrs |
What to do if you don't get a permit
This is worth thinking about before you arrive, because the odds are that you won't get one on a given attempt.
- White Pocket — Comparable geological interest, no permit required, harder to drive to. Do this instead.
- South Coyote Buttes — Permit required but easier lottery, different color palette, less visited.
- Wire Pass slot canyon — The trailhead for The Wave also accesses Wire Pass, a short, beautiful slot canyon that requires no permit. About 1 mile in, 2 miles round trip.
- Buckskin Gulch — The longest slot canyon in the American Southwest. Requires a day-use permit ($6/person), also from the Wire Pass Trailhead parking area.