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Coyote Buttes South An Alternative to the Wave

Coyote Buttes

Up to five or six miles of hiking to see the best. We’ll take you through as much as we can show you in a day, showing you more than other tour companies have the time to do. We’ve done this tour longer than anyone else, we know the area very well and will get you to all the best photo locations at the right time of day. This a great spot for a sunset, especially when really hot, leaving from the Outpost at mid-day. Our guides will offer expertise on the entire area, helping you get the best shots and the best day possible. That being said, unless you have a lot of time to kill, our advice for getting a permit for The Wave would be to stick to playing the advance lottery.

No matter what type of vehicle you drive, the roads will be impassable when wet. Do not attempt to reach Coyote Buttes South , when it has recently rained or rain is in the forecast. We have tried to drive on House Rock Valley Road a few days after a snow storm and had to turn around due to deep mud.

Coyote Buttes North Advanced Lottery (The Wave)

They told us that they are always helping people with Subarus and similar vehicles who get stuck trying to make it to Paw Hole. GPS Device | Cell service is nonexistent in Coyote Buttes South. We always carry our Garmin In-reach Mini in case of emergency in areas without cell service and it gives us peace of mind. You can find more information about permits for Coyote Buttes South on the BLM website. Coyote Buttes South is less popular, and you’re unlikely to see another soul for hours . Permits for day hiking in Coyote Buttes can be obtained from the Bureau of Land Management.

How hard is the hike to The Wave in Arizona?

The Wave hike is moderate in difficulty.

The trail is 3 miles one-way in wilderness land. It's also a low trafficked trail so you won't see a distinct path part of the way unless there is sand or dirt.

The BLM divides the Coyote Buttes into two equally sized sections, North and South . The northern region contains the Wave and most of the other famous sites, and extends from Wire Pass about 4 miles south , while the southern section stretches a further 4 miles. Along here are several sites of interest including Top Rock Spring, a hidden arch, a group of stripy mounds and the tepees of Cottonwood Cove. But after that, heed the signs that tell you to use a high clearance 4X4 vehicle. I don’t think the rental car company would want their car returned without the back bumper.

Alternatives to The Wave if You Don’t Get a Permit

The Wave is the common point on the map where world’s geologists, psychedelics, couples taking engagement photos and Victor Vasarely groupies get together and try to keep their mouths closed. If you forget your camera, no one will believe you. Utah’s only Wave is made of stone, but it’s still, like, epic, bro. Dogs are allowed, but they must be included on the permit and kept under control at all times. https://www.wave-accounting.net/ North permit area is designated day use only.

There is no guarantee that you ever get the chance to hike to this unique place, estimated 190 million years old from Jurassic Time. Spring is a good time to visit, especially April and May when temperatures are moderate and cloud cover is low. However this means getting a permit is more difficult. Although the Wirepass Trailhead for the Coyote Buttes North is located in Utah, most of the Coyote Buttes Wilderness, including the Wave proper, is in Arizona. Note that Arizona doesn’t observe Daylight Savings Time so if you come from Kanab, there will be a 1-hour difference with Page. To make this worse, the area east and south of Page is Navajo Nation land, where DST is observed.

Coyote Buttes North – Melody Arch

The area is divided into two parts, the North Coyote Buttes and the South Coyote Buttes. Both areas require a permit from the Bureau of Land Management which allows only twenty people per day to enter each area. Ten permits are issued by online lottery, three months in advance, and ten daily walk-in lottery permits for the next day. The North Coyote Buttes is famous for The Wave formation but is the most difficult to obtain permits for, due to the lottery process and high demand. It is a six-mile hike to the Wave, three miles in and three miles out. You are required to obtain your own permit from the government.

  • If you follow in our footsteps, we started exploring the area in the far North.
  • There is no guarantee that you ever get the chance to hike to this unique place, estimated 190 million years old from Jurassic Time.
  • It pulls you in with tantalizing possibilities around every rock.
  • Starting times are somewhat flexible according to the heat factor as well as your preference.
  • Interestingly, it is at the end of the Arizona National Scenic trail.
  • Tracks of dinosaurs found embedded on exposed rock.
  • However, only six of us were in the South Buttes lottery.