The Wave, Arizona

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The Wave, Arizona
The Wave
Elevation	5225 ft (1593 m)
Latitude	36° 59′ 45.84″ N
Longitude	112° 0′ 21.9″ W
Location	Arizona, USA
USGS Topo Map	Coyote Buttes
Age of rock	unknown

The Wave is a spectacular sandstone formation on the slopes of the Coyote Buttes in the beautiful and rugged Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness Area, located in northern portion of the U.S. state of Arizona, just south of the Utah-Arizona border about halfway between Kanab, Utah and Page, Arizona.

This incredible formation can be reached by hiking approximately 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) across rugged, trailless landscape, making the round-trip to and from The Wave a nearly 6-mile (9.7-kilometer) hike that climbs about 350 feet (107 meters) in altitude. The area can be really hot in summer (100 F +), so it is best to start the hike early. It is recommended to carry 1 gallon of water per person and lunch.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) limits access to the North Coyote Buttes Wilderness Area to just 20 permits per day. Ten of the permits are available in advance by reservation, and the remaining ten are made available the day before at a nearby ranger station. The lottery for the walk-in permits takes place at 9 in the morning.

The trail begins at Wire Pass Trailhead about 8.3 miles (13.4 kilometers) south of US 89 along House Rock Valley Road (a dirt road that is easily accessible in a high-clearance vehicle in good weather. During and after a storm road is inaccessible, even with a 4WD), on the Utah side of the border. Wire Pass Trailhead, on the western side of the dirt road, includes a wide parking lot with restrooms, but no water.

The wave itself is worth exploring in great detail. The soft sandstone is pretty fragile, so one needs to walk carefully to try to not break the small ridges. The best time for photographing the wave is a few hours around midday when there are no shadows in the center.

There are some other spots worth seeing around the wave. If one walks up ahead, there are some "brain rocks" above the wave. Going right from there, there is the "Second Wave". The second wave has much fainter colours, but has a great structure.