The Wave Coyote Buttes

About this spectacle

The Wave is a sandstone rock formation located in the Coyote Buttes North area of the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, Arizona. Visitors who obtain one of the strictly limited permits are rewarded with an otherworldly landscape of swirling, multicolored striated sandstone — rust reds, saffron oranges, creamy whites, and pale lavenders folded into undulating troughs and ridges that resemble frozen ocean waves. The hike across exposed desert terrain offers no shade and no trail markers, demanding careful navigation by map and compass across slickrock. The silence is profound, broken only by wind and the crunch of sand. Midday light flattens the colors; morning and afternoon sun rakes across the curves and deepens the texture. The formations appear almost sculpted, the result of millions of years of wind erosion on Jurassic-era Navajo Sandstone. Photography here is among the most compelling geological portraiture in North America.

When to go

Jan — Dec, peak Sep — May

Getting there

Nearest airport: SGU. Nearest city: Kanab.

Booking options

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