Winning the lottery. Enduring 108 degree desert heat. Taking in the most amazing sandstone formation on the planet. What do all of these seemingly unrelated experiences have in common? A hike to the Wave. The Wave or more officially, North Coyote Buttes, is an almost mythical place that has captured the imagination of hikers and photographers from around the world. Impossible to describe with words, the Wave really has to be experienced and photographed to be fully understood. As a landscape photographer, the Wave was high on my short list but I wasn’t optimistic about gaining permission necessary for the hike. Learning how to gain permission and winning the lottery to obtain the coveted pass is an adventure all by itself.

The Wave formation in Arizona features unique sandstone patterns, and getting there is a unique experience in and of itself.

Hiking to the Wave

The journey to photograph the Wave actually started in Page, Arizona in November when I met good friend and photography colleague, Ken Koskela. We had actually applied for permission to photograph Canyon X on Navajo land which is an amazing slot canyon like Antelope Canyon, only without the crowds. We met for the first time at the launching point while it was snowing and ended up having a blast photographing together. Ken was really keen to hike and photograph the Wave so the day after Canyon X, he took off to the ranger station which is about 30 miles west of Page on US 89. One way to win a permit to the Wave is to show up at the ranger station and put your name in a drawing for one of 10 permits that allows you to hike the Wave the next day. Now Ken, being kind of lucky by nature, just so happened to win one of the 10 permits and it was the last one! At least that’s his story. I was a bit disappointed about not being able to join him, but he deserved it by getting up early and making the drive out there. And he even had the nerve to take some amazing photographs to add insult to injury! So, all of this angst only fueled my eagerness to win a hiking permit and make some photographs on my own. But would that day ever come?

It just so happened that work landed me in Las Vegas in early June and I had a one free day to have some adventure before the return flight home. Since the flight was booked pretty early, there was still time to apply for an advance (lottery) permit to hike the Wave which was my only option since I didn’t have enough time to get to the ranger station to try and win a walk-in permit. Basically I had one shot at it. So how do you win a lottery permit and what are the odds you ask? You actually apply online at the BLM (Bureau of Land Management) web site four months in advance. In my case, I was planning to be in the area in June so my application month was February.

There are a grand total of 10 advance permits issued for each day and 10 permits issued for the walk-ins at the ranger station on the day before. The odds of winning an advance permit are really low, around 4-5% in June when I was planning to be there. I remember seeing at some point in the online application process that more than 500 people applied for a permit the one and only day I had available. Not exactly very good odds! In fact, I had completely forgotten about the application until I received an unexpected letter in the mail from the BLM. With more than a little anticipation, I ripped the envelope open and remarkably, there was a pink permit inside along with a map and set of instructions. I was just stunned and excited out of my mind, couldn’t believe it! Maybe some of Ken’s luck was finally rubbing off?

So, obviously winning a permit to the Wave is a big deal and making the hike is also a big deal and preparation is a big part of that. Amazingly, the BLM provides some very detailed instructions for getting to the trailhead and also a step-by-step guide for navigating this sandstone wilderness hike. The instructions include step-by-step photographs with compass headings, GPS coordinates, and written descriptions. Of course, since the entire 6-mile hike is off trail, I knew I'd need to use my basic navigation skills, with my hiking compass, a map, and supplemented with my GPS. I also prepared for the harsh environment with temperature extremes that reach 110 during the summer months of June, July, and August.

The day of my permit was on June 16 and I had been hiking and photographing in the Valley of Fire State Park just outside of Las Vegas at sunset so I decided to just drive through the night to the trailhead at Wire Pass, and catch a short nap before heading out to the Wave at sunrise. This turned out to be about a 4-hour drive, so not too bad. But, the forecast was for a typically hot day that might reach 110. The challenge with those kinds of temperatures is that there is no shade whatsoever and the sand and stone really reflect all the heat, and it’s much like hiking through an oven. So, I wanted to get an early start, photograph the Wave in soft light and hike out mid-morning before the serious heat set in. For me it was either hike in and out early or hang out at the Wave all day and hike out late, which wasn’t quite as appealing. With more than a little bit of excitement, I left the trailhead at Wire Pass at the first rays of morning light.

I gathered my gear, eager to make good time to the Wave and just enjoy hiking through a desert wilderness so very different from my home in the rolling hills of Middle Tennessee. I immediately crossed House Rock Valley Road and headed east along the Coyote Wash according to the BLM instructions. After about a half mile I started checking the GPS waypoints and looked for the right turn that takes you up a sandy hill on an old road. Well, I somehow managed to walk right past but only had to backtrack a few steps before climbing the short but sandy hill. It’s important to note that deep sand is not exactly easy to hike through when you have a loaded camera bag and about a gallon of water! After hiking through a relatively flat and sandy area, I started to look for a small saddle which is a key point to cross over the sandstone ridge safely and start heading due south toward the Wave. The saddle is pretty easy to spot from a distance and is only a short climb up. After crossing the saddle I started hiking parallel to the ridge on the slickrock and looked for the next waypoint which was a sandstone formation called Twin Buttes.

Advice was to hike around to the right which is what I did, and it was really then that the anticipation started to build as the Wave was getting closer and closer. But would I find it? Back in the day before the detailed instructions were provided, about 20% of the hikers did not find the Wave. Now that would be a pity! After passing Twin Buttes you go through a notch and start looking for Top Rock which is a ridge above the Wave but has a prominent black crack that is easy to spot from a distance. So I headed toward Top Rock and then descended down into the wash at the base of a short but steep sand dune that seemingly guards the entrance to the Wave. Hiking up the deep sand with a somewhat heavy pack is an exercise in one step forward and two steps back, literally! But the extraordinary scene that awaits you at the top is more than worth the effort that it took to get there.

The smooth and sculpted sandstone of this colorful scene just stops you in your tracks, in total disbelief. I wasn’t sure just how large the formation would be or how many side chambers there might be to explore. But I knew the sun was rising quickly and wanted to photograph the cooler tones of pinks and soft reds and oranges before the sunlight created the warmer colors in the sandstone. I photographed several of the chambers and finally just sat down to take it all in. I had about an hour at the Wave with no one else there but was happy to see a couple of families arrive to share this amazing experience.

We marveled at the colors and textures in the sandstone that seemed to be like moving waves frozen in time. So I cooled off for a few minutes and made a few more photographs, and then I knew it was time to leave. Extremely difficult place to tear yourself away from, but I knew I didn’t want to deal with the extreme heat that was on the way. I passed one group hiking in around 11 a.m. and things were starting to get just a little challenging. I had plenty of water but it was easy to see that the heat would be unforgiving if you lost your way in this sandstone wilderness. I made it back to the truck by late morning where a temperature of 108 degrees was revealed on the dash. I grabbed a little more water and was relieved to be back safe and sound but was already thinking about a return trip. Now, the only question would be how the photographs would compare to Ken’s! Of course the only way to resolve that issue is for us to win a permit to photograph the Wave together and have a cheeseburger on the line. Now that’s pressure!

Need to Know

Information

You can apply online to win a permit which is four months in advance. The permit cost is $7 per person per day with an additional lottery entry fee, and no overnight camping is allowed. Walk-in permits are by lottery also and can be obtained a day in advance of your hike from the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Visitor Center in Kanab, UT. Walk-in permits must be paid with cash or check, credit cards are not accepted. Only 10 walk-in permits will be issued and 10 advance permits via the online permit lottery are issued for each day. This limits the total daily visitors to the Wave at 20. The hike is 6 miles round trip and takes 4-5 hours depending on your photo time. There are many more details on the permit system that should be reviewed from the BLM web site.

Best Time to Go

The hottest times of the year are in June, July, and August and know that your highest odds of winning a permit though the lottery are in January (25%) and your lowest odds of winning a lottery permit are April – June and September – November (4%).

Getting There

From Page, Arizona, you’ll head west on US 89. Look for milepost #26 then you’ll turn left onto House Rock Valley Road. It’s at an odd angle from the highway and easy to miss as you’re coming from Page, so slow down! The road is typically easy to drive and 4WD is not needed. But, in the event of heavy rains the road might become impassable. You’ll come to the Buckskin Trailhead in 4.4 miles and then drive another 4.2 miles to the large parking area at Wire Pass where you begin your hike to the Wave. Be sure to bring your parking tag and also your permit to attach to your backpack.

Books

Photographing the Southwest Volume 2: A Guide to the Natural Landmarks of Arizona by Laurent Martres.

Maps

A map, photos, and GPS coordinates are provided by the BLM to all permit winners. Also consider the 7 ½’ topographic USGS maps: Coyote Buttes, AZ; Poverty Flats, AZ; West Clark Bench, UT; Pine Hollow Canyon, UT. Google Earth is useful before you go as well. Note that the hike starts in Utah and that the Wave is in Arizona. For getting to and from the trailhead and exploring the area, the Delorme Utah Atlas & Gazetteer as well as the Delorme Arizona Atlas can be helpful.

Editor's Note: This article by contributor Dusty Doddridge originally appeared in Issue 24 of TrailGroove Magazine. You can read the original article here for additional photos and content.