The White Pocket - Vermillion Cliffs National Monument

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Directions

It is quite difficult to get to the White Pocket, and a high clearance four wheel drive vehicle is definitely needed due to deep sand. The White Pocket is often combined with a trip to Coyote Buttes South so I will give directions from there as well. Due to the bad roads after shooting at the White Pocket I strongly recommend camping at the trailhead overnight and driving out the next morning.

Best Route

If you are coming from the North take House Rock Road about 20 miles to BLM 1017 (called Pine Tree Road) on the google map below, in green. After about three miles bear right and continue on Pine Tree Road (in blue). 6.1 miles from the intersection with House Rock Road reset your odometer and turn left, you will soon reach a cattle gate. The general direction of the road you are traveling on is NNE. Go through the gate and continue 3.9 miles where you will bear left. Continue another 5.4 miles and you will see the White Pocket parking area on your left. From the parking area just head due West on the trail to the White Pocket.

Note for your return - 1.4 miles after you leave the White Pocket you will reach an intersection, bear left here to retrace your route. If you go right you will soon hit a steep up hill which could be troublesome for some cars. As of August 2011 the road is almost impassable in the uphill direction.

Route from Coyote Buttes South

From Pawhole take the "Shortcut" Road East from Pawhole 2.8 miles to Poverty Flat. The road is shown in red on the map. This road has a steep uphill near Pawhole and can be difficult in dry conditions. Then follow the Poverty Flat directions below.

From the Cottonwood Cove trailhead take the road in blue 2.4 miles South to Poverty Flat.

From Poverty Flat take the Red Road Northeast, then East 4.5 miles, then bear left and continue 1.4 miles to the White Pocket trailhead. This road has a steep downhill about 4 miles from Poverty Flat. The road is much easier to traverse going to the White Pocket than from it.

View The White Pocket in a larger map

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The White Pocket

The White Pocket (Arizona) is a superb photographic destination about five miles due east of South Coyote Buttes (Cottonwood Trailhead). The White Pocket is part of the Vermillion Cliffs National Monument. It was "discovered" by photographers about ten years ago. The name White Pocket actually refers to two areas. On the topo map there is a tall butte about 500 feet high that can be seen from miles around. I'll refer to this butte as the White Pocket Butte or monolith. Conversely, photographers use the term White Pocket to refer to the area of white and coral brain rock to the east of the White Pocket Butte. This area has many water pockets which probably accounts for the name, and is the area of photographic interest. The area is small, perhaps a square mile. No permit is needed for the White Pocket, and cattle can roam freely as of July 2010.

Photography

At sunrise the best light is blocked in some parts of The White Pocket by cliffs to the east, although the White Pocket Butte lights up beautifully at all times of the year. The White Pocket Butte is best photographed as a panorama from the southern side of the White Pocket at dawn, if you shoot from the central area your view will be blocked by a smaller hill. The cliffs to the east of the White Pocket also get very good color at sunset and are worth photographing. It is possible to climb the cliffs to the east, just head for the central area. There is no trail and there is some exposure but the climb is not difficult if you pick the right route. I thought the climb might lead to some interesting overview shots but didn't find anything worthwhile the one time I hiked this.

The White Pocket has an upper and lower level. The lower level is to the west, the upper to the east. The lower level is best shot mid-late afternoon and is in shadow at sunrise and for an hour or so thereafter. The lower level includes the formation I call The Swirl which is probably the most popular White Pocket subject. The upper level gets good light a bit after sunrise and at sunset. There are two trees on the upper level, the first tree is clearly visible to the left (south) of the end of the short trail into the White Pocket. The second tree is a bit southwest of the first and cannot be seen from the trail. This tree is in an open area and gets very good light in August at both sunrise and sunset. You can shoot at The White Pocket well into the "Blue Hour" since it is only a half mile back to your car from almost anyplace in the area. The Blue Hour is the hour after the sun sets or before it rises. The best photos of The White Pocket are taken just a few minutes after sunrise or before sunset, so if you go there you should car camp overnight rather than try to drive in or out in the dark. I have car camped at The White Pocket five or six nights and rarely had company. There are no toilets or water at The White Pocket. If you are going to car camp you can get a bit more privacy if you take the short road that parallels the fence to the small unmarked camping area. The White Pocket is an excellent location for night photography, there is little ambient light except to the east when you get some glow from Page. The first tree faces south and is good foreground for the Milky Way in August, and the Swirl faces north so star trails work well. If you shoot at night make sure you mark the location of your car with a GPS, the White Pocket although small is trailless except for the short path going in.

Potholes

After a rainfall there are many shallow pools in the lower area of The White Pocket. These can be used to frame reflections of either the White Pocket Butte or the Swirl. There are deeper pockets in the upper area which yield reflections of the two trees. Of course just after a rainfall you may not be able to get to The White Pocket as House Rock Road may be impassable. After very heavy rains you may even find quicksand on some of the roads into the White Pocket. Quicksand is rarely more than knee deep but if you drive into it you will not be able to get your car out without a winch or tow. When the potholes are full of water you may find hundred of tadpoles and tadpole shrimp in them. In early August 2011 I found hundred of tadpoles and tadpole shrimp in the pools at The White Pocket. Desert tadpoles grow into toads, not frogs. While both are amphibians toads live on land rather than in the water. Toads spend their adult lives finding shelter in vegetation, under rocks, and in abandoned burrows. After a heavy rain male toads find a water pocket and begin croaking to attract a mate. I have heard toads croaking at The Wave in mid April after a heavy rain. After fertilization eggs take a bit over ten days to hatch into tadpoles. Tadpoles then spend the next 9-12 weeks transforming into toads so that they can survive on land. Not many make it, often the pool dries up before the tadpole can mature. Desert shrimp have a totally different life cycle since shrimp survive only in water. After sufficient rain (seen by the shrimp eggs as sufficient water pressure) shrimp eggs, which may have been dormant for years) hatch into shrimp. The shrimp have a very short lifespan, they live, reproduce, and die over a period of just a few weeks. Tadpole shrimp and tadpoles are good subjects for video, especially if you have a macro lens with you.

Hole in The Rock Arch

While you are at the White Pocket you should consider visiting Hole in the Rock arch which is a short drive away. Hole in the Rock arch gets very few visitors so if you go there make sure someone knows where you are going. Bring plenty of water should your car get stuck. Also bring a shovel as the roads are very sandy. Loaner shovels are often available at the Paria contact station from March to November. Hole in the rock arch is best photographed in the afternoon, and can be reached by climbing up the scree on the right side. Be careful, you are a long way from help.

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Sunrise Sunset Calculator

Notes

Sunrise Sunset times are given at The First Tree .