Today we visit a hiking trail that is so exclusive that you have a better chance at getting a great table at the latest trendy restaurant in New York City than getting an access pass for a single day to this trail.
- Cris
The Wave
OK, wow…
There are places on Earth that look unreal in photos, only to collapse into overcrowded tourist traps the moment you set foot on-site. The Wave is the exception and it’s nearly impossible to see for yourself.
Hidden in the Coyote Buttes North area of the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness right on the Arizona-Utah border, this alien landscape of swirling Jurassic-era sandstone is hands-down one of the most mesmerizing outdoor experiences on the planet. You’ll probably never get to see it.
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Part of what makes reaching The Wave feel so electric is the sheer difficulty of getting there. To protect the delicate orange, red, and yellow sandstone from being trampled into dust, the Bureau of Land Management restricts access to 64 people per day.
Hundreds of thousands of hopeful hikers enter the online lottery every year, facing single-digit win probabilities. You have two options to score a permit:
Apply for the advanced lottery four months prior to your visit via Recreation.gov (48 permit spots awarded daily).
Apply for the geofenced daily lottery two days prior to your visit using the Recreation.gov mobile app while physically located within the Kanab or Page area (16 permit spots awarded daily).
This reminds me of when we had 8 people calling into the lottery phone number at 8:00 am exactly to score a slot for the wedding venue I wanted. Spoiler alert: I got it! Access to this trail might be even harder. I might need 100 people to apply and hope one of us gets it.
Sometimes I forget how big the US is…with so many different climates and environments.
If you manage to get in, there are no paved walkways, boardwalks, or signs pointing the way to The Wave. The 6.4-mile round-trip hike from the Wire Pass Trailhead requires real navigation across exposed slickrock, soft sand, and dry wash beds under the blazing desert sky.
That lack of development is precisely what preserves its magic. You’re handed a visual map landmarking features like the "Twin Buttes" and "Top of the Wire Pass," forcing you to stay engaged with the landscape. As you trek deeper into the Vermilion Cliffs wilderness, the silence of the high desert settles in, amplifying the sense that you're approaching something truly secret.
There are no gift shops, tourists with selfie sticks, or little kids screaming, You are in the wilderness with very few other people, surrounded by natural wonders. This is the ultimate detox that you can brag about for decades.
That shade may be appreciated during the hike back out of the reserve.
Nothing prepares you for the moment you round the final sandy ridge and drop into the bowl.
The Navajo sandstone swirls around you like frozen liquid motion with striations of ochre, terracotta, cream, and deep violet that curve and twist in impossibly smooth ribbons. Millions of years of wind and flash floods carved these narrow spaces, exposing iron-rich mineral layers that catch the sunlight in ways that seem defyingly artificial. Nature is stunningly beautiful.
Aim to reach the central wave formation around 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM when mid-morning light fills the area with a soft, diffused glow rather than harsh shadows, making the colors pop in three dimensions. You may want those shadows later in the day when the sun is trying to scorch you but that would make most of the colors disappear. Arrive in sunlight, leave in shade.
The Dune (the hike, not the movie but you would be forgiven for the mistake)
Beyond the main trough, the surrounding backcountry offers hidden pockets like the Second Wave and the Dune, where thin layers of delicate rock resemble delicate lace etched into the cliffside. You could easily spend four hours exploring every pocket, completely losing track of time. Yes, I have visions of the movie ‘Dune’ when looking at this landscape. Use your imagination and take lots of photos!
If you get the email saying you won, drop everything and go. It’s an unforgettable pilgrimage to one of nature's greatest works of art. And it comes with serious bragging rights.
See you next Wednesday.
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