Hiking to the Wave in Coyote Buttes, Arizona is like jumping into a desktop background. The surreal experience is made even more special because of the exclusivity of it. Only 20 permits are given out per day. 10 are available in advance through an online lottery system and 10 are given out the day before at an in person lottery.

How to obtain a permit to hike “The Wave”:

Enter the lottery online in advance-

• Go to the BLM Permit Page four months in advance of the month you’d like to hike.
• You have one month to enter the lottery for up to 3 dates. IE: If you wish to hike in April you have from Dec 1st till Dec 31st to enter the lottery and can select 3 days in April.
• If you win you will be notified via email the day after the lottery closes and will be authorized to hike only one of the selected days.
• There is a non-refundable $5 fee for entering the lottery. If you win you will have 14  calendar days to pay $7/person for the permit.
• You’ll receive the permit in the mail 4-6weeks after paying the fee or you can chose to pick it up in person.
• The odds vary depending on the season. High season April-June and September-November are said to have about a 4-5% chance of winning. Slower months have 8-25% chances.
• If you missed the advance window you can check this calendar to see if on the rare occasion there were any cancellations that you may be able to jump on.

Enter the lottery in person the day before you plan to hike-

• 8:30-9am Mountain Standard Time at the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Visitor Center in Kanab, Utah. 745 E. Highway 89.
• I advise getting there early to ensure you have the application filled out and turned in on time. The lottery starts promptly at 9am.
• Each group (6 people or less) enters one application. Before pulling numbers they read off every group to ensure no names appear on duplicate applications.
• 10 slots are available so groups are called until 10 people have been issued a permit. IE: A group of 4 people may be drawn, then a group of 2 people, then only 4 slots are left. If your group has 6 people and there are only 4 slots left they will let you decide whether you’d like to accept the permits for only 4 people in your group or decline.
• If you are selected you must pay $7 per person and dogs. Credit cards are not accepted, only cash or check.
• Only one person must be present at the lottery. Everyone in the group does not need to be there.
• Permits are issued for the following day.
• Remember the lottery takes place in MST. If you’re staying in AZ during daylight savings this is one hour earlier then the AZ timezone.

How to get to the wave:

• When you win the permit you will be issued a map for locating the wave with pictures guiding you.
• The trail is unmarked and I highly recommend using gps coordinates provided to enter into a hiking app on your phone or other navigation device.
• The Gia GPS app is great for entering coordinates and following trails when you have no service. You download maps in advance and can see your location on the downloaded map even when you have no service.
• You start at the wire pass trailhead and head down a marked path until you get to the below sign where you will veer off to the right. Beyond this point the permit is required to be displayed on your backpack.

• Until you get to what’s referred to as the TeePees the trail is sandy and can be followed by previous footprints. After passing over the TeePees the trail turns to rock and you’ll need to use the picture guide or GPS to find your way.

How long does the hike take:

• It will take about 1.5 hours to get to the wave and the same for the way back, a little longer if you’re not a brisk hiker.
• Plan to spend about 2 hours relaxing, taking pictures and having a picnic at the wave.
• The drive off Highway 89 down House Rock Valley Road to Wire Pass trailhead takes a solid 45 minutes each way.

What if if you or part of your group doesn’t get a permit:

• The hike to “The Wave” starts at wire pass trailhead. This is an alternative hike you can take.
• Wire Pass offers impressive slots canyons to hike through.
• It is a there and back hike from the trailhead so you can hike into the canyons as long as you want before turning around.
• You can fill out a permit for this hike right at the trailhead parking lot. No lottery or advance planning required.
• The slot canyons are fun to climb when they get narrow and you have much more freedom then nearby Antelope Canyon which requires guided tours.
• Wire Pass is an easy hike with very little elevation change.
• The below pictures are all from Wire Pass trail.

Feel free to comment if you have any questions or other insight on hiking “The Wave”!