Backpacking The Wave in Southern Utah, U.S A.
A Rare Formation That is Often Photographed But Sparsely Visited
Jun 29, 2009
Inside the Coyote Buttes permit area of the Vermillion Cliffs wilderness in Southeastern Utah, U.S.A., is an oddly-shaped formation. Brightly colored bands of sandstone twist and undulate, like multi-colored ice cream in a mixer, through a plateau in a sandstone mountain. Because of this, the formation has become known as The Wave.
Due to its unusual features, the wave has been featured in hiking and backpacking magazines, as well as National Geographic and the cover of the 2006 Rand McNally Road Atlas, which was their 150th anniversary edition road atlas. Hugo Martin, a staff writer for the Los Angeles Times has called The Wave "the most photographed rock formation in North America."
You Can't Just Walk Up to The Wave
With this kind of popularity, it’s understandable that the Bureau of Land Management tightly controls the number of people who can visit the wave. It is, after all, only made of compressed sand. A sand dune formed during the Jurassic period, to be exact. And while the sandstone feels sturdy enough, as visitors scramble over the formation, little bits of sand rub off on hands and clothing, and edges can crumble off on boots.
If the BLM didn’t limit the number of visitors, the wave might start looking like the stone feet of the saints in the churches of France and Italy: featureless from wear and the repeated, reverent touches of the devout.
That’s why the BLM only gives away twenty daily Back Country permits to see The Wave. Ten are given away in a lottery months in advance, and ten in a drawing the day before. During the spring and fall, when temperatures and daily rainfall are both lower, the competition for back country passes can be substantially higher. As many as 50 parties of hikers may be competing for 10 coveted passes.
You Will Cross Difficult Terrain to Get to The Wave
Once a hiker has a pass, he enters the trailhead from the Wire Pass trail, which lies down a long, dirt road that is washboard bumpy in places and completely covered in sand in others. The trail itself is unmarked, and at times crosses sand washes and slick rock. The BLM will give out a map with GPS Coordinates and photographs for visual guides, but they are more interested in preserving the pristine wilderness nature of the trail than in building and maintaining paths.
Although some hikers have stacked little piles of stones called cairns to mark the easiest path, these cairns can be confusing. It is easiest to navigate using a combination of the cairns, visual landmarks such as the black crack and the BLM Map.
What you need to know About The Wave
The best times of year to hike to The Wave are in the spring and fall. In summer, the temperatures may climb over 100 degrees in midday. Late summer is also when the region experiences their “monsoon season,” when daily rains can make trekking through the creek bed of wire pass, the dry sand washes and the wave itself a more challenging experience.
Other Tips On Visiting The Wave
- Day use permits must be displayed in parked vehicles and visibly on at least one hiker.
- Hikers should take at least a gallon of water with them.
- Practical dress should be for desert hiking conditions. This should include breathable clothing made of natural fibers, a hat with a wide brim, and sunscreen.
- At times the trail rises at steep angles over slick rock. Shoes should be sturdy, and well fitting with good tread.
- Group size can be no more than six.
- Trash must be packed in and out.
- A guide may be hired to help you find The Wave.
- Dogs are permitted, but must be controlled at all times.
- Camping is prohibited.
- Campfires are also not permitted.
