The Wave (Coyote Buttes North)
The Wave
A wave-like sandstone wonder in Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, with layers rising and falling in flowing curves. Daily permits are limited and allocated by lottery, making it a dream destination for photographers.
The Wave lies in the Coyote Buttes area on the north side of Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, on the Arizona–Utah border. Red and white sandstone layers have been eroded by wind into flowing, wave-like surfaces. To protect this fragile landscape, the Bureau of Land Management issues only a small number of permits each day, through an online lottery held months in advance and a lottery held locally the day before. The round trip from the Wire Pass trailhead is about 10 km, with no obvious trail, so navigation equipment and plenty of water are essential. The trailhead is reached by a dirt road that becomes difficult to travel after rain.
Opening hours
Daytime (permit by lottery required)
Nearby sights
- Buckskin Gulch & Wire Pass
- White Pocket
- Toadstool Hoodoos
- Navajo Bridge
- Lees Ferry
- Lone Rock Beach
- Wahweap Overlook
- Horseshoe Bend