Hiking Coyote Buttes North and The Wave

The last place we visited on our southern Utah trip was "The Wave".  Actually, visiting The Wave was the purpose we planned the trip.  The BLM limits access to Coyote Buttes very tightly and tickets are hard to come by.  Only 20 people are allowed to visit each day, and the permits are divided into 2 groups.  Ten of the tickets are won through a lottery system 4 months in advance.  The other ten tickets are given out at the Kanab Ranger Station each morning. 

I had seen countless pictures of the wave and Coyote Buttes North, but the lottery permit system was daunting and troublesome.  In my mind getting a permit was not worth the jumping through all of the hoops. 

In November, somehow a few permits became available and I was able to snatch them up.  Bo-Yah!  With the permits, the BLM sends a detailed hiking map that also stresses that the route is for experienced hikers only.  With the level of detail in the hiking directions, clearly the BLM's definition of 'experienced' is considerably different than my own. 

We arrived at the trailhead about 9 AM and had a leisurely hike to the Wave.  My GPS showed 2.87 miles one way.  Most of the route is hiking across sandstone slabs, and although there are some ups and downs, generally it's a pretty flat hike- except at the end.  The last 200 yards is a moderately steep climb up a hill of sand, and right at the top is the wave.

WOW!  This place is pretty much a photographer's dream.   Even if you're an amateur photographer like I am (see the overexposed foreground in the picture above), it would take some serious bungling to not come away with several great pictures. 

We spend quite a while exploring and taking pictures.  It's amazingly beautiful, but also is a very localized area.  After visiting, I am able to understand why the access is so restricted.  Open access would leave the Wave completely overrun with visitors. 

I enjoyed some of the larger scenes, but also the fine detailing in the sandstone as well.  Enjoy the pictures. 

We thought about visiting "The Wave 2" further into Coyote Buttes, but my wife wasn't quite feeling up to it as it was her first major hike after giving birth in October.  I can't say I blame her!  She wasn't going to be left out of this one, and we definitely took it at a slower pace, but it was definitely a fantastic first big hike for #2. 

On the way out, we stopped and looked over a trailcam that's bolted to a steel post on the south of the trail.  It's off in the brush a few hundred yards after climbing the first hill on the way in.  If you notice it be sure to go and get a few good mugshots for the BLM Rangers to enjoy! 

Nearest City: Kanab, UT and Page, AZ
Location: N° W°
Time Needed: 5 hours
Difficulty: Moderate-
Kid Friendly: Yes
Additional Info: BLM Coyote Buttes Permit Area

Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park

The Coral Pink Sand Dunes are a large southern Utah dunefield. They're located between Zion National Park and Kanab, a few miles north of the Arizona border. We stopped by one afternoon in mid-January and had the place to ourselves.

The sand is fine-grained and other than the cold, it felt quite good to take our shoes off and walk in it. We spent several hours wandering around, sliding down the dunes, and enjoying the afternoon. The best places to play were out on the dunes, away from the brush and vegetation around the edge.

Close to the edge had several smaller details that were very artistic. We saw numerous footprints from small mammals, a trackway from a crow, and etchings on the sand from branches that had been blown by the wind.
On the way back to the highway, we passed a dead deer that had a flock of crows and a bald eagle were feasting on. The eagle flew to a nearby tree to await our passing. We watched for a few minutes, took a few pictures, then continued along.

Nearest City:Kanab, UT

GPS Coordinates: N 37° 02.245 W 112° 43.892
Time Needed: 1+ hours

Difficulty: Easy

Kid Friendly: Yes

Additional Info: Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park Website There is a $6 entrance fee.