by Tina Woo, Membership
We won the lottery! No, not that one. During the Thanksgiving break, our family was very fortunate to visit and hike “The Wave.” It’s been on my son-in-law’s bucket list for several years. The Wave is a premier photographic destination in the US Southwest and is located in the Coyote Buttes North area at the Utah Arizona border. It contains many spectacular rock formations including: The Second Wave, The Alcove, Top Rock Arch, Melody Arch, Sand Cove, Fatali’s Boneyard and the Grotto.
A 6–7-mile (with an elevation change of 1,000+ feet) round trip hike is required to get to The Wave. Since there is no trail to The Wave, you should be able to use a map and compass or GPS to help with navigation. The BLM (Bureau of Land Management) provides a map with your permit and instructions on getting to The Wave, and there are a small number of cairns along the way.
Only 64 people per day (48 permits granted three months in advance and 16 permits granted one day in advance) are allowed in the area. Applying six months in advance is recommended. A permit is issued by the US Bureau of Land Management (BLM) three months in advance.
Advanced permits for Coyote Buttes North are very difficult to obtain. All Advanced Coyote Buttes North permits are awarded by lottery held at recreation.gov. The lottery opens up four months in advance and popular times to visit are Spring and Autumn.
Here are some of our photos! A most enjoyable trip. While near Flagstaff, we also visited the Sunset Crater Volcano and Wupatki (a 900-year-old ancestral Puebloan site with over 100 rooms).
For More Information https://www.thewave.info/index.html
