As the saying goes, “it wasn’t a matter of ‘if’ but a matter of ‘when.’” In this case, the “when” was the summer of 2009, when the powers-that-be at Microsoft thought it would be a fabulous idea to include a photo of The Wave in Paria Canyon, Arizona on the desktop wallpaper of Windows 7.[1] From that moment on, what had until then been a relatively well-kept secret among hikers and backpackers was catapulted to “Arizona Bucket List” status, and suddenly everybody and his brother wanted to go there. Does that include you? Be ready to jump through some hoops, but be ready to experience a place like no other on Earth, and an adventure you’ll never forget!
The Wave is located in the Coyote Buttes North Special Management Area of the Paria Canyon/Vermillion Cliffs Wilderness Area in Northern Arizona. Areas with this designation are considered ecologically sensitive and vulnerable to irreparable damage if access to them is not strictly controlled. Managed by the Bureau of Land Management, only 20 lucky people per day are allowed to visit Coyote Buttes North and The Wave in Arizona. In order to be included on that list, you must obtain a permit. This can be done one of two ways:
Apply in advance for the online Paria Canyon permit lottery through Recreation.gov website. Ten (10) spots per day are given out in this manner. You can – and should – apply up to four (4) months in advance for your desired date. Applications are taken for the entire calendar month for the month four (4) months ahead. If, for example, you wish to hike to The Wave in October (the 10th month on the calendar), you would need to apply online anytime during the month of June (the 6th month on the calendar). The winners of the lottery would then be drawn on the 1st day of July.
For more information regarding the Wave go to www.thewaveaz.com
The breakdown for the entire year would look like this:
| Application Period | Month You Wish To Hike | Lottery Drawn at Noon MST or 1:00 PM MDT On |
| January 1 – 31 | May | February 1 |
| February 1 – 28 | June | March 1 |
| March 1 – 31 | July | April 1 |
| April 1- 30 | August | May 1 |
| May 1 – 31 | September | June 1 |
| June 1 – 30 | October | July 1 |
| July 1 – 31 | November | August 1 |
| August 1 – 31 | December | September 1 |
| September 1 – 30 | January | October 1 |
| October 1 – 31 | February | November 1 |
| November 1 – 30 | March | December 1 |
| December 1 – 31 | April | January 1 |
There is a $9.00 non-refundable fee to apply for the online lottery. You may choose three (3) different dates to hike The Wave and apply for up to six (6) people. Applicants are notified of their results in the lottery by e-mail on the first day of the month following the application period. If, for some reason, you are not notified by the second day of the month, please contact the Vermillion Cliffs National Monument Permit Desk. Be sure to check your spam/junk mail folder first, though. Only one application may be submitted per month. Please do not try to “game the system” by submitting more than one application per month. You will be found out and both applications will be forfeited.
20 people a day are allowed to hike to Coyote Buttes North and The Wave. 10 will have secured their permits ahead of time by online lottery; the remaining 10 hiking slots can be acquired by walk-in permit at the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Visitor Center located at 745 US-89 in Kanab, UT.
General Notes:
For more information regarding the Wave go to www.thewaveaz.com
131 Responses
Hi, I did not hear back about whether I was selected from the lottery which I applied for in June for October. I understand the lottery was July 1 so assume I did not make it.
Hi Nancy,
You are correct that the June lottery for Wave permits was held July 1st. If you have not received an e-mail, it’s a safe assumption that your name was not chosen. However, if you wish to make absolutely sure of that, you might contact the BLM Office in Kanab, UT, at (435) 644-1300. You can also try your hand at the walk-in lottery, which will be held the day prior to when you wish to hike. Right now, due to COVID-19, the in-person Wave permit drawings are being held at an alternate location, Kanab Center Gymnasium, if I remember correctly. However, this could return to the Grand Staircase-Escalante Visitors Center by October if the virus reaches some semblance of containment by then.
Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂