Hiking to The Wave along the Arizona and Utah border is one of the most sought-after adventures in the American Southwest. The trail leads to a gorgeous red sandstone formation in Vermilion Cliffs National Monument with epic views and unique terrain. It’s a stunning natural wonder that is worth the effort to experience.
When I first visited the Wave, I was a little worried that it wouldn’t live up to my expectations because of all the beautiful photos I’d seen. But, instead, it exceeded them and more!
However, it’s important for visitors to know that hiking to the Wave requires a permit and it’s a hard one to obtain. Some people try for years before they land a golden ticket through the lottery system.
To help you plan your hike to the Wave and have the best odds of winning a permit, I share everything you need to know about hiking out to the Wave in this guide. You’ll find information on the advanced Wave lottery, last-minute daily lottery permits, and recommended gear. I also wrote up a trip report from my own hike to help you plan for your visit to the Wave.
Important Reminder: As it goes in all of the destinations we share, please practice good trail etiquette and remember to Leave No Trace. This means packing out all of your garbage (including toilet paper) and following the established rules. In the desert, this also means learning how to protect cryptobiotic soil and how it has a huge impact on our ecosystems.
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The Wave Trail Stats & Map
Before you start planning your hike, here are the trail stats and FAQs for visiting the Wave.
- Trail Type: Out-and-back
- Length: 6.7 miles
- Elevation Change: +/- 400 feet
- Dogs Allowed: Yes, for an additional $7/per dog/per day (They must be under your control at all times and you are required to pack out their waste)
- Best Season: Spring and Fall for the best weather
- Time: 3-5 hours
- Permit Required: YES – see below
- Water Availability: None
The trail out to the Wave is a moderate 6.7-mile trek on sand and red rock. Part of the trail is cross-country so you should have a map and a basic understanding of navigation skills, especially given the harsh, dry desert heat conditions.
The Wave gets its name from the wavy red and white sandstone striations
The Wave Trail Map
Getting to the Trailhead
There are several ways to get to the Wave, but most people access it from Wire Pass Trailhead off House Rock Valley Road. The trailhead is located in the North Coyote Buttes permit area of the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument.
The road to Wire Pass Trailhead is unpaved and minimally maintained. Most high-clearance two-wheel-drive cars should be able to make it unless the roads are wet. If the roads are muddy, a high-clearance 4×4 vehicle is recommended.
Wire Pass Trailhead Google Maps directions
Is the Wave in Arizona or Utah? The Wave formation is in Arizona, but much of the hike is actually in Utah. The Ranger’s Station where you get your permit is in Utah, and the trailhead is also in Utah. You cross into Arizona around mile 2.1.
Best Time to Hike the Wave
The best time to hike the wave is in the Spring (April – June) and Fall (October – November). These months have the most comfortable temperatures and the least chance of rain.
Summer can be very hot due to temperature (usually in the 90s) and lack of shade. If you hike in summer, you’ll want to take extra precautions for hiking in the desert.
Winter at the Wave can be surprisingly chilly with average highs in the 40s and lows below freezing. It can even snow in this area.
In terms of winning a permit, March through November are the most competitive months for Wave permits while December through February have better odds.
It’s important to note, though, that while the odds of receiving a Wave permit are higher in the middle of winter, the odds of poor weather, unpassable roads, and a snow-covered Wave are also higher.
Spring and fall are the best times to visit the Wave for the best weather and conditions
The Wave Permit Process
Getting a permit to hike the Wave can be frustrating. Many people try for years and aren’t successful. Your best chance to win a coveted Wave lottery permit is to be informed about how the process works.
There are two ways to obtain a permit for hiking The Wave in Arizona.
- The advanced online lottery
- The daily lottery (mobile app only)
Only 64 people are issued Wave permits each day. Of this, 48 people are awarded permits through the advanced lottery system while the other 16 people are awarded permits through the daily lottery.
Why is there a lottery system for the Wave? Due to the overwhelming popularity of the Wave, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) limits foot traffic into the Canyon in an effort order to preserve the integrity and beauty of the Wave and surrounding areas.
It may be frustrating to not win a permit, but if the permit process wasn’t in place, the number of visitors at the Wave would not be sustainable.
The Advanced Wave Lottery
To apply for the Advanced Wave Lottery, start at the Coyote Buttes North lottery page on the Recreation.gov website.
Applications for the online lottery open at 12pm Mountain Time on the 1st of the month, four months before your desired hiking month.
Need an example? Let’s say you want to hike the Wave sometime in May. You must submit your online application sometime between January 1st and January 31st.
The table below indicates when you must apply depending on when you want to hike.
The lottery then takes place on the morning of 1st day of the month after the lottery window closes. You will be notified by email whether or not you were successful.
Need to know for the Advanced Lottery:
- You are allowed to enter up to three hiking dates for the month
- You can name up to three specific alternate permit holders when you apply for the lottery in the event that you aren’t able to make the dates for your permit.
- The advanced online lottery costs $9 per application and is non-refundable, even if you are unsuccessful.
- If you were successful, then you have 14 days to confirm and pay for your permit ($7/person) online. If you don’t confirm during this time, your permit will be released back into the system.
- Each individual is only allowed to submit one application per month and Wave permits cannot be sold or transferred. You will be disqualified if you try to submit more than one application per month.
- The permit pickup location is either at the Kane County Office of Tourism in Kanab, Utah or the Lake Powell Hub in Page, Arizona. You will also need to attend a safety briefing when you pick up your permit.
Daily Lottery for the Wave (NEW AS OF 2022)
If you are unsuccessful in the Advance Online Lottery or want to spontaneously hike The Wave, your other option is to enter the daily lottery via the recreation.gov mobile app (no desktop entries area available).
Applications must be submitted two days before your hike during the lottery application window (6am – 6pm).
For the Daily Lottery, you can only apply on the mobile app – a desktop computer will not work.
The daily lottery is only available to people using the app within an intentionally set geographic fence, meaning you must physically be in the vicinity near the Wave. In order to apply for a permit, you will need to be in the following areas:
- Arizona: Page, Greenhaven, Marble Canyon, Vermilion Cliffs, Jacob Lake, White Sage, Fredonia, Moccasin, and the Kaibab Paiute Indian Reservation.
- Utah: Big Water, Paria, Johnson Canyon, Kanab, Mount Carmel, Orderville, Glendale, and East Zion.
The daily online lottery costs $9 per application and is non-refundable, even if you are unsuccessful.
The geographic fence for daily permits | Image source: recreation.gov
What if you don’t get a Wave permit?
Winning a permit for The Wave, whether through the advanced process or daily lottery, is very competitive and only a small percentage of applicants are actually lucky enough to hike The Wave each year.
If you are unsuccessful, you can apply for a Coyote Buttes South Lottery instead. While this permit doesn’t grant you access to the famous “wave”, it does allow you to hike in a geologically similar and more remote area of Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness complete with sandstone bluffs and wave-like formations.
There are two trailheads into Coyote Buttes South and both require a 4×4 vehicle to access.
If you want to apply for this permit, head to the recreation.gov site for Coyote Buttes South.
Also, remember that the Wave is only one of the incredible hikes in this Southern Utah region. For more tripping planning inspiration, check out these Utah bucket list hikes and read our guide to the best things to do in Kanab, Utah.
Recommended Gear for Hiking the Wave
The trail to the Wave travels through a hot, dusty desert environment with no drinking water.
You should be prepared with 3 liters of water at a minimum. I always recommend a daypack with a hydration reservoir for easy drinking. You’ll also want sun protection and good hiking shoes.
The trail is not well-marked and there is no cell phone service. You should be prepared with a good map (you can also get one at the ranger’s station). Due to the fact that the trail is not well-defined, you may also want to download the map to your phone so you can follow the route or bring a GPS and communication device. I recommend the Garmin InReach.
Recommended Hiking Packing List
Below are a few of my favorite pieces of day hiking gear and recommendations:
For more info on finding the right gear check out these posts:
Hiking The Wave: Trip Report
The road out to the Wire Pass Trailhead can be rough and unmaintained, but we were lucky enough to make the drive without any problems, even though it had rained the night before.
Upon arrival, the ranger gives a safety briefing and how to navigate the region.
As I mentioned, be sure to grab a map since the path to The Wave isn’t well-defined like a typical hiking trail.
After getting directions, we laced up our shoes, checked our packs for water/snacks, applied necessary sunscreen, and hit the trail.
To find the main trail you need to cross the road and enter into the river wash, heading back north for a half-mile or so until it winds to the east (where eventually you will see this sign).
After passing the sign to the Coyote Buttes North Area, you will stay to the right (the left goes down to Buckskin Gulch) and you soon find yourself hiking along this sandy/desert terrain.
This is the point in the journey when the map provided by the ranger comes in handy. Here, in particular, we headed toward the first big mound off in the distance, just to the right of the center in the image.
Once we crossed over the ridge, the landscape changed to hard sandstone (which made it much easier to hike along).
There were some signposts along the path leading up to the Wave to help steer us in the right direction.
To head in the right direction, look for these types of buttes in the distance, and head towards the two in the middle, passing them just on the right side.
After the pass, the terrain opens up and you’ll see a large rock face in the distance with a fissure/crack vertically down the face. That’s your destination.
The anticipation and excitement build as you drop down into another river wash and then begin the final climb in the sand to your destination.
With the sun blazing down on us and the sweat building up, we couldn’t wait for the moment to arrive and rest, but as soon as we arrived the last thing we wanted to do was sit down. It was time to play and explore!
Once you reach the Wave, it’s time to play and explore
Thanks to the storm that passed through the night before, there were a number of reflection pools that added to the magic of this place.
After passing by the pool of water at the main entrance to the Wave, we looked back on this series of pools that collected water from the storm. The contrast of the red rock and the blue sky was absolutely stunning!
We were lucky in that it had rained the night before, so many of the depressions were filled with water, creating beautiful reflections
We continued to meander around and through the site for 30 minutes or so before stopping for a rest. We soon found ourselves perched up above The Wave and figured that it was the perfect spot to relax and replenish ourselves with food and water.
Now that we were fueled up we were ready for some more exploring. We headed to the top of the sandstone cliffs to the south, catching the vast landscape of the desert in all directions.
All in all, we probably spent a good 3 hours at the site to gather as many vantage points as possible in this once-in-a-lifetime visit.
Nearing the end of our adventure, we caught an amazing view of The Wave from the south looking north.
This just so happened to be the perfect location for us to drop in and snap some pictures of us surfing this desert wave.
“Surfing the Wave”
All-in-all our trip to The Wave was epic! We haven’t been to any place in the world as remarkable, serene, and uniquely beautiful as this site.
The privacy and exclusivity of the Wave make it all the better.
While it’s tough to get a permit, the lack of crowds makes it that much more enjoyable. In silence, you can admire the awe and wonder of the creative processes of Mother Nature.
Be sure to spend plenty of time at the Wave since you may never have the chance to return
Now, years later, as we look back on this trip we wish we had done more with our time there.
If you decide to venture further past The Wave, there are a bunch of other cool features worth exploring, including Top Rock Arch, Melody Arch, and the South Teepees.
Looking for more great hikes and adventures around the Wave? Check out these blog posts:
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