Hiking to the Wave Arizona
- Vinita Bennett
- Jan 8, 2018
- 7 min read
Back on January 3, 2018 I was one of the lucky ones to hike to the Wave, Coyote Buttes North in Vermilion Cliffs National Monument. Why lucky? Due to the fragile nature, the only way to visit this magnificent site is to win either an online lottery permit or walk-in daily lottery system at the BLM. In my case, I won it online in October. It has gotten so difficult to get a permit now. I was spoiled. With that being said, I was dreaming to visit to the Wave for a very long time. We drove to Page, AZ and stayed one night ahead to prepare ourselves to be sure our backpack was filled with water, protein bars, and most importantly the official map!
It’s the day! After driving 35 miles or so on a dirt road then we hit the Wirepass Trail head. We signed up both names, car details, and the permit number on the brown box at the trailhead and then the adventure began! There is virtually no trail. The hike is a strong challenge, the trail is NOT well marked. I should have studied thoroughly and researched from other professional hikers who had been to the Wave so that I would be more well-prepared. With my experience, bringing the GPS along with the map or hiring a native guide would make life much easier (according to the records of the year 2013, 3 people were dead while hiking to the Wave). I mean the map itself that BLM sent to us, some said it was very accurate? really? The pictures that the map displayed looked different, the view look pretty much all the same to me and every time we turned around seemed like a different perspective. These pictures must be 5 years ago or what? the BLM needs to update the map.
Okay we got lost! for almost 2 hours and we got concerned that if we kept going any further it would get worse so we walked back and tried to follow the footprints to the Point 2 sign where we came to the plateau area where we rested a bit and were pretty sure this was the direction we passed by earlier. While resting and with the benefit of a view, we kept hearing some people’s noise from the other side of the mountain until the noise started to fade away. We continued on our way and found the point 2 sign which indicated “Coyote Buttes North permit only” but what next? there’s no path except having to climb up those slick rocks to the other side?… Sure enough that was it. We climbed up the rock hill and met a family from Chicago that was lost and didn’t know where to go next. After not too long, we found a couple who climbed down on the other side of the hill towards us. The couple came from the Wave and they said that from this point to the Wave was about another 1 hour and to follow the footprints in the dry wash. Fortunately some generous hikers marked an X on the rocks to help guide us. On the other hand, my husband’s ankle and knee started to have very sharp pain and we were afraid that if he made it there, he would not make it back before the sun went down. My dear husband spoke up to me that he would wait for me right here and supported me to continue this adventure if I could join the group from Chicago since one of them had a GPS and I had the lousy map so we all could help each other out and find our way back. Besides, every hiker would pass by to where he waited. I felt like I needed to do this on my own?? I was nervous but my gut was telling me I needed to do this. I have to challenge myself and gain some self-confidence. So, I went off with the folks from Chicago and waved goodbye to my husband on the far side of the hill.
1 hour more to the Wave, I faced many steep and slick rocks, but was able to ease my legs on the flat terrain and again walked through in the deep sand wash for a number of miles. It drained out my energy. We kept pushing ourselves and we finally made it to the Wave! Was it worth it? It was totally worth it! I spent an hour just sitting on the Wave silently and started to appreciate the astounding beauty mother nature has offered to us. The formation is well–known among hikers and photographers for its colorful and undulating forms. It’s surreal and truly a geological wonder. It’s my greatest lifetime experience ever. I learned about myself that travel and seeing the world are a big part of my life and I will continue to do so until I physically can’t. I do feel that this hike is not for everyone. The hike is difficult to reach in and there is no shade at all. I wish that my husband would be right here with me but the thought of how proud he would be of me made me smile. This was an immense event for me. I took lots of pictures to show him and I met some other hikers that were at the Wave who asked me how I knew about this place? Honestly, I recognized this majestic beauty from the Microsoft desktop wallpaper, which I believe is Windows 7. I couldn’t believe that this place does exist until I relocated to Arizona and researched places to visit. Voila!
Time goes by, I spent an hour there and then continued my way back to my husband. We said goodbye to the Chicago folks and went off on our own to the parking at the trailhead. The total journey was over 6 hours. The most important thing is that we arrived safe and sound! We don’t want to think about tomorrow and what our calf pain would be like. My gosh.
From one lucky person to other lucky ones. Here is the very informative sources and accurate information about everything you need to know for this hike;
The Wave Hike Details
Distance – 5.2 miles round trip
Approximate hiking time – 2-4 hours
Elevation at the trailhead – 4807 feet
Elevation at The Wave – 5225 feet
Elevation gain – 418 feet
Difficulty – Moderate
Trail – None
Amount of water recommended – At least 2-3 liters
Bathrooms – Located at Wire Pass Trailhead
Season to hike – Permits available 365 days a year
Permits – Must have a permit for Coyote Buttes North. Only 20 are given out each day. Ten permits handed out in person at the BLM office, and ten permits online. All permits are chosen via lottery. Must display the permit on the outside of backpack. Do not go without obtaining a permit. Trespassers will be prosecuted, and BLM rangers frequent the area. To obtain a permit go to BLM website, https://www.blm.gov/visit/coyote-buttes-north-the-wave
You’ll want to apply for a permit for Coyote Buttes North, since that is where The Wave is located. You will pick three dates four months in advance for the lottery. If you are lucky enough to get your number drawn, you’ll be granted the number of passes that you requested. Here’s a tip: The smaller the number of your group, the better chance you have.
Pets allowed – Permitted
How to get there:
From Kanab, Utah take US-89 east for 39 miles, and the road will take a sharp curve to the right (south) and then make another sharp curve to the left (east). House Rock Valley Road is a gravel road that turns off and goes straight instead of taking the tight curve that goes east. There should be a sign to help you make the turn off.
If coming from Page, Arizona, take US-89 north/west for 33 miles from the Glen Canyon Dam. At about 32.5 miles from the Glen Canyon Dam on US-89 the road will make a tight curve to the north, when you nearly completed the curve the turnoff onto House Rock Valley Road will be on the left side of the road.
Once on House Rock Valley Road, you will continue south for 8.3 miles to the Wire Pass Trailhead. It is a dirt road, but is passable with a passenger car.
The adventure begins!
The Wire Pass Trailhead is the starting point for two of the most amazing hikes in the world: Buckskin Gulch, and The Wave. Both are located in what is called the Coyote Buttes North area. After signing in at the trail registry and paying your parking fee at the self-pay box, cross House Rock Valley Road, and follow the trail into the dry wash to the east. Hikers for both Buckskin Gulch and The Wave walk along this wash for about 0.5 mile, before the trail splits. Those going to Buckskin Gulch will continue in the dry wash of Wire Pass for another 1.2 miles to the confluence of Wire Pass and Buckskin Gulch. The trail for The Wave will break off to the right, rapidly climbing above the wash you were just in. At this point, there is a “No Trespassing with out permits” sign. The trail will climb for about a quarter-mile until you reach the top of the mesa. From here there is no reliable trail. The BLM (Bureau of Land Management) is very stringent on having the proper permit for this hike, and they want you to secure your permits to the outside of your backpacks while hiking in the area. I would encourage you to bring and use your GPS from this point of the hike forward. It will make returning much easier, especially if you’re traveling back after sunset.
The only official map to The Wave is mailed to you by the BLM once you’ve been selected in the permit lottery. There are also rumors that the BLM routinely monitors the trail from Wire Pass to The Wave on a daily basis, and if you are caught without the proper permit, you will be prosecuted for trespassing. It’s also said that any cairns (trail markers) are knocked over so that only individuals with the permit maps can find your way.
It’s only a 2.6 mile hike to The Wave, and the terrain is pretty flat and easy to cross. The only problem that most people have is actually finding The Wave. After the initial climb out of the Wire Pass wash, there is virtually no trail, and your map reading skills and orientation abilities will be tested. It’s been said that as many as 30% of hikers that obtain permits never end up even finding The Wave. That number may be a bit inflated, but I can see how it could happen since you are in the middle of the desert and there is no marked trail along the sand and slick rock.
The hike to The Wave is in and of itself beautiful, and there are several rock formations in and around The Wave for you to check out, so don’t make it a one stop trip. See everything you can. Your permit is for the whole day, and I recommend using all of it in and around The Wave.
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