The Wave

Arizona is home to some of the most difficult hiking permits to obtain including Havasupai Falls and The Wave. 

Who would have ever thought that visiting some of the most beautiful places in the country would require you to enter a lottery system? Sometimes needing to apply for years before winning the highly coveted permit. 

It wasn’t until I started spending more time in nature that I realized just how difficult it was to gain access to some of these locations. 

Why is this? 

 

Most of the destinations that require a lottery permit to explore are located within fragile wilderness areas. The hope is to limit the amount of pedestrian traffic to preserve, maintain and limit damage. 

It makes sense and if you have the opportunity to visit one of these locations, you will be able to see why it is so important to keep these areas looking just the way they are. For our continued use and the use of many generations to come.

Located in the Coyote Buttes North, The Wave is a part of the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness of Northern Arizona. 

“The Wave” gets its name from the distinctive wave-like pattern created within the sandstone. Over millions of years, this rock formation has been caused by wind and water erosion. Resulting in a landscape of intersecting U-shaped troughs with beautiful colors and patterns. 

 

After spending the winter in Arizona last year and leaning more into my new found hobby of hiking, I knew that I wanted to obtain a permit to hike The Wave. 

Once my plans were solidified to return to Arizona, it was decided that my family and I would enter the lottery and hopefully win a permit to hike to the landmark in January. We decided on the month of January thinking that we would have a higher chance of winning if we went during one of the “off-season” months. This took some planning and coordination as you have to apply four months in advance if you are submitting in the advanced lottery system.

Myself, Marta, my Aunt and friend all submitted for different weekends during the month of January. One month after applying, Marta, Kaitlyn and I all received our rejection emails while Aunt Marlo was proudly waving her golden ticket. 

With only 64 people allowed daily to hike on this trail, your chances of winning on the advanced lottery itself are only 2-5%. Winning on your first try, nearly unheard of. 

It was time to start planning our next family vacation. 

Before you knew it, my family along with some family friends were piled into one vehicle and were headed four hours north of Phoenix to Page, AZ. 

If you are surprised that our family vacations now sometimes look like this, don’t worry, we are too. 

The day before the scheduled hike it is suggested that you attend a safety seminar in either Page, AZ or Kanab, UT. I highly recommend attending as it provided us with a very good overview of what to expect, what landmarks to look for and how to remain safe while navigating the backcountry.  

Along with the valuable safety information provided, we also received a map and detailed instructions on how to get to The Wave itself. 

 

The following morning we had an early wake up call accompanied by an hour or so drive to the trailhead. 

It was our goal to get there early to allow for enough daylight to hike to The Wave, explore and hike back. 

We took off from the Wire Pass Trailhead at 7:45 am and the temperature on January 24th of this year was zero degrees. 

The first portion of the trail follows a wash for about half a mile before you get on the actual trail itself. You will climb up for a bit before following a sandy path for some time. All while looking for your first notable landmark, the Small Saddle. 

 

Once you reach the saddle, you will have to climb up and over it. This will be your first of many uphill sandstone scrambles on this trail.

After you cross the ridge of the saddle you will be able to follow a few trail markers and look for your second landmark, the Teepees and the third, the Twin Buttes. 

 

It is noted both on the map itself and during the safety orientation that while you are hiking and looking ahead, it is equally as important to take photos and note of the landscape behind you as it is easy to get turned around while you are navigating in this area. 

When you get to the Twin Buttes you will pass to the right and off in the distance you will see a crack in the rock and that is where the entrance to The Wave begins.

After one last push up the most difficult portion of the hike, you will be greeted by views that are absolutely incredible. 

Welcome to The Wave. 

 

We spent a few hours exploring this area, taking lots of photos and videos knowing that we were experiencing a once in a lifetime opportunity. 

Climbing up a little bit more we were able to see Top Rock Arch from a distance and explore the Second Wave as well. 

 

We had some snacks and rested before the long trek back to the car. I will admit, the hike back to the car was not nearly as fun, but the views along the trail were just as beautiful as the ones at The Wave itself.

 

While we took note of the landscape on our way into The Wave, I am happy that we had our AllTrails map to assist us in returning. I cannot emphasize how important this navigation tool is. I can see just how easy it is to get turned around and lost in an area such as this. 

All in all, we clocked over 9 miles of hiking with over 1,300 feet of elevation gain. 

After stretching the phrase "just a little bit further to go" too many times to count, we arrived back at the car exhausted and with a much lower morale than when we had started our journey eight hours prior. 

 

Truly a bucket list hike and one of the coolest experiences I have ever had.

One bum leg, two lost toenails and memories to last a lifetime later, we can officially say that we were fortunate enough to hike The Wave. 

I still am in awe that I was able to experience something this amazing.

 

Being able to do it alongside my family?

Priceless.