The way to The Wave ist not that easy. The informations you get at the rangers bureau are sometimes not enough to find the right way to The Wave. You think you did understand all the rangers instructions but later you will stay in the desert, try to reorientate and run the risk to walk to a different direction. I hope that these general instructions will ensure the success for your trip to find The Wave.

"The Wave"   >>>click DEUTSCHE SPRACHE
"The Wave" is found in the northern part of Coyote Buttes, just inside Arizona in the Paria Canyon-Vermillion Cliffs Wilderness just about 1-1.5 miles behind the borderline of Utah. The o­nly way to this extraordinary landscape and sandstone structures is "House Rock Valley Road" which exits from US89 (Kanab to Page) at milemarker 26. This road is a so called dirt road which means that there is no asphalt surface, no signs and rough terrain. Due to this conditions it is not possible to drive faster than 15-20 miles an hour. Please avoid the use of this road during or after rainy conditions unless you driving a 4WD.

Permit
For visiting The Wave you will need a permit which you can get at PARIA CONTACT STATION o­n US89 (Kanab to Page) at milemarker 21. Paria Contact Station is closed form November 15th until March 15th. If you plan to make your trip during this period of time you have to contact the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in Kanab, 318.N 100E. Kanab UT 84741 (435)644-4600. The price for this permit is 5US$.
BUT there are o­nly 20 permits available a day. 10 of these permits are offering by the internet (http://www.az.blm.gov/paria) . The other 10 permits ("walk in" permits) takes part o­n a small lottery at BLM each day. Whereas the chance to get a permit over the net is very small so much the better is the chance to get o­ne of these inquired tickets by the lottery. Very often there are less than 10 people in the morning (you have to stay at BLM at 9 o´clock in the morning) so that everyone gets a permit. In my case I arrived at BLM at 11am and I was the 1st tourist this morning who asked for a ticket for The Wave area... lucky guy ;-)
After BLM-officer gives you the permit he will show you some photos whereon you can see remarkable waypoints which explains the way to The Wave. Try to memorize these waypoints and if necessary make some notices because the officer will not hand over these photos. If you´re not sure to remember these waypoints later in the desert just take some pictures of these photos with your digital camera .... I did that too .

The way to The Wave
As in any wilderness environment without constructed trails and signs, while you proceed to the Wave (about 3 miles), look around and behind you often, take note of recognizable landmarks and the changing terrain. Most likely, you will walk out the same way you walked in.

After entering House Rock Valley Road at milemarker 26 you have to drive about 8.5 miles to the Wire Pass Trailhead parking lot. Due to the bad road conditions you will take for this drive about 30-40 minutes.

1) Park your vehicle at the Wire Pass Trailhead parking lot, put your permit o­n the dash of you vehicle. Enter the wil-derness across the road by passing the trailhead sign and visitor register facility. Cross to the other side of Coyote Wash and bear LEFT, following the wash. Please be sure that you have 2-4 litres of beverages (even o­n cold weather conditions) for each person with you. The walk to The Wave is not that easily for untrained visitors. You have to calcu-late about 1.5-2 hrs for o­ne way.

2) About 0.5 mile downstream notice the old road departing the wash to your right.

3) Leave Coyote Wash at this point, and follow the old road up the hill. Near the top of the hill, you will see another visitor registration box. This box is specifically for Coyote Buttes, so please sign in. Continue following the old road past the registration box to the east, watching for a sandstone ridge in the distance that tapers to a low ridge o­n the north end. The old roadway ends at a sandy wash passing along the edge of this ridge. As you approach the ridge, cross at o­ne of the low "saddles" o­n the ridge and cross obver the other side.

4) After crossing the ridge, you will have a good view of the many "beehive" sandstone structures to the east. While the beehives are quite interesting, o­n you trip to the Wave, avoid that area.

5) At this point, turn to the right (South) and begin traversing along the shoulder of the ridge. IMPORTANT: As you proceed south, be sure to stay high along the sandstone ridge shoulder. If you drop down to a lower elevation, you are going to have a walk through lots of sands and rough terrain.

6) As you hike south, you will see two prominent cone-shape buttes ahead. Take a path that passes just to the left of these buttes, but continue to stay high o­n the shoulder of the sandstone ridge. IMPORTANT: As you pass the buttes, take note of the gray/white sandstone mesa about 1 to 1.5 miles in the distance to the south. The mesa has a notice-able, shadowed, large vertical cleft or crack facing you. The Wave is located in the sandstone formations below the shadowed cleft.

7) Continue hiking south toward the cleft, again, staying high along the sandstone ridge´s shoulder. As you get closer to the gray/ white sandstone mesa and the Wave, you will leave the sandstone shoulder, still heading south, and walk across acres of pillowed red sandstone. Eventually, you will cross yet another fairly broad, sandy wash, keeping cleft in sight. Look for a sand hill to the south with a lone juniper tree at ist base.As you cross the wash, pick a route up through the steep sandy and ledgy slope. Try to use existing routes from here o­n, as you most likely will see other footprints.

8) As you top the steep slope, continue south. Walk about 250 yards, keeping a colorful sandstone ridge o­n your left. Watch closely for the beautiful sweeping curves of sandstone that form the entrance to the Wave, an entrance that literally is carved into the ridge o­n your left.

9) You have arrived! Enjoy the Wave, but please walk lightly, as there are fragile, easily broken fins of sandstone ll over the area. And please, take out what you bring in and leave o­nly footprints.

GPS-coordinates for north entrance of The Wave
latitude: 36° 59´47" North, longitude: 112° 0´26" West