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On-line Permits for Coyote Buttes North are very difficult to obtain. Conversely, permits for Coyote Buttes South are generally easy to get. For Coyote Buttes South just follow the links to the South Buttes calendar and select an available date.  You can apply up to four months in advance of your trip date.  For example, for a South Buttes January 15th permit go to the permit page starting on October 1.  Permits first become available at Noon MST (or daylight time when DST is in effect) on the first.  South Buttes permits cost $5 per individual.  For Coyote Buttes North there is an online lottery. The lottery opens up four months in advance of your trip date.  You have the whole month to apply.  For example, for a January 15 permit you would open the lottery page in September. The application fee is $5 per group.  On each application you can select up to three dates.  The drawing is held the day following the close of the lottery (i.e. October 1 in our example). You will be notified via e-mail that day if successful. If you win the lottery you will have to pay $7 per individual for a North Coyote Buttes permit.

Coyote Buttes North Lottery Schedule

Walk in permits: Effective November 16, 2011 permits will be issued one day in advance year-round in Kanab at the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument (GSENM) visitor center. The address is 745 E. Highway 89, the phone number is (435) 644-4680. The visitor center is open from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM seven days a week. The visitor center is on the North side of Highway 89 as you head east towards Page just after the Kanab City Cemetery. If you pass the Comfort Inn you've gone too far.  From March 15 to November 15 permits will be issued every day of the week excluding national holidays. During the winter months (November 16-March 15) weekend and Monday permits will be issued on Friday. The lottery in Kanab is held at 9 AM Utah time. If you are hiking alone your chances for a permit are better than for a group since there are relatively few single hikers looking for permits.  For example if permits were already issued for two groups of four and a single, and you are the only single left you will get a permit.

Where to Stay: The Wave is located in the Arizona Strip, the area between the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and Southern Utah.  Nearest towns are Page, AZ, and Kanab, UT.  For photographers Page is usually the better place to stay, as you can visit Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend while there. If you do not have a permit already you might want to stay in Kanab as the walk in lottery will be held year round there starting in November.  Kanab also is more convenient if you are flying into Salt Lake City or Las Vegas.  Kanab has better access to Bryce Canyon, Zion NP, and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.  Page has better access to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Waputki NM, Blue Canyon, and Sunset Crater.

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Coyote Buttes North

There are so many superb photographic opportunities in Coyote Buttes North it is hard to know where to begin. I'll start with The Wave, but, in my opinion, some of the other locations are even better.

Directions to the Wave

There are two entry points to Coyote Buttes North, Wirepass Trailhead (WP) and The Notch. The Notch is no longer publicized by the BLM. The trail from the Notch is poorly defined - I strongly recommend access from the Wirepass parking lot. To get to the Wirepass trailhead take Highway 89 to House Rock Road. The House Rock Road turnoff is between mile posts 25 and 26 on Highway 89 in Utah. House Rock Road is normally passable by passenger cars. Do not take this road if it is wet. It is clay based and impassable even to 4WD vehicles when wet. When the road is muddy it is like driving on ice and there are dropoffs. Take House Rock Road for 8.4 miles to the WP parking area on the right. You can dry camp at the WP trailhead, and a restroom is present.

Begin your hike to the Wave by signing the trailhead register and crossing House Rock Road. Follow the signs for a hundred yards or so till you enter the wash. Wirepass wash feeds into Buckskin Gulch, the longest slot canyon in North America. Continue walking down the wash. About .5 miles from the trailhead you will see a sign marked Coyote Buttes on the right. Turn right and follow the good trail up the hill and across the sage field. At the end of the field you will cross a wash which dumps into Wirepass one quarter mile downstream. Ascend the slickrock to a cairned saddle. If you have a GPS mark this location. You are now in the permit area. From here there may or may not be cairns and they may or may not be accurate. From the saddle proceed South, after .5 miles or so you will see a downed barbed wire fence, either go over it (a little exposed) or bypass it on the West side. Continue heading South aiming for the crack in the cliffs on the East side. After another .6 miles or so you will cross another small wash, continue heading towards the crack in the Wall and go up the sand dune. You will shortly arrive at the Wave. It is about 2.5 miles in total from the WP trailhead to the Wave.

A quick note on returning to the trailhead. It is fairly easy to get back to your car, even at dusk. Just make sure that when you return you do not try to cross the ridge too early after heading North. It should be easy to cross over the small ridge, if not you have turned west too early. Conversely if you go too far north you will end up deadended by the Wirepass slot canyon, if so turn around and try again. In 2011 Bo Tian got lost on his return from the Wave and fell 100 feet into Buckskin Gulch losing his life. For a less tragic story of someone who got lost on the return, see Trouble in Coyote Buttes. If you get lost or injured and need help try to gain elevation, you may be able to get a cell signal. If it is dark and you do not have a flashlight, it is broken, or the batteries have died stay put or proceed very slowly, in much of the year you will not freeze to death overnight if you are dry. Above all- do not panic, this just turns a bad situation into one much worse.

Directions to other locations

GPS Coordinates for other areas of interest are below. Keep in mind - one second is about 100 feet (latitude only) so the coordinates below should be good to 50-100 feet if tenths or hundreds are not displayed. The Aerial map is from Google, I recommend that you select "View Larger Map" (option is below the Aerial Map on the left). You can save the map by going to the Google My Maps tab after choosing "View ... in a Larger Map". In Googlemaps if you choose Browse the Directory you can also add the Elevation Contours Tool which will give you the latitude and longitude and the elevation of any point on the aerial map.

The Second Wave - About .3 miles South of the Wave. Definitely a late afternoon shot, you want to wait until the cliffs to the West are in shadow before shooting. I usually shoot here until the Sun disappears behind the western cliffs and then hurry back to the car.

Top Rock - This is the area a few hundred feet above the Wave. The area is largely Navajo sandstone has many good photo opportunities. It is best shot late day or early morning. The least risky way up is from the back (East) side. From the Wave head North and then East till you get behind Top Rock. Hike South about .5 miles and you will see a fairly easy way to ascend to the top. When you get to the top you will be in an area I call Pine Canyon as there are many Pinyon Pines here. The first area you reach in Pine Canyon is the "Dinosaur Dance Floor (DDF)" where there are many small potholes. The DDF received national publicity in October of 2008, see this National Geographic article. Unfortunately it is now believed that the potholes are just that - they were not formed by dinosaurs. After briefly examining the potholes continue heading up the small canyon till you get to the top. Turn right to see the Alcove, Melody Arch, and Top Rock Arch.

Top Rock can also be climbed from the front (West) side. Start just to the left of the Second Wave and make you way up wherever you can. There is one steep and exposed section that will make some people uncomfortable, and the way down will be worse. If you are afraid of heights I suggest you take the longer route around the back.

The Alcove - A beautiful alcove with a very small colorful area reminiscent of Antelope Canyon. The Alcove is very difficult to photograph. I suggest you concentrate on the smaller details rather than the big picture unless the light or weather is exceptional.

Melody Arch and the Grotto - Two arches within a grotto. The inner arch is called Melody Arch after photographer Melody Thomas who popularized it, a postcard of hers is available at the Paria Ranger Station. The outside Arch/ Window I call Wall Arch, it frames the North Teepees and Navajo Mountain. Wall Arch can be easily seen if you ascend Top Rock from the back; it is high on the cliff right of Pine Canyon. Melody Arch is one hundred feet or so Southeast and maybe 20 feet above the Alcove; it is not visible from below. To get to Melody Arch go about 100 feet south of The Alcove where you will see an area that looks like the beginning of another alcove. Climb up the right side to ascend to the top. Walk East and you should see the two arches in a grotto. You can drop down into the grotto from the North side. Melody Arch is best photographed in the afternoon. The usual shot frames Wall Arch with Melody Arch. Alternatively you can sit inside Wall Arch (don't lean back!) and shoot a wide angle panorama of the entire grotto. There are many excellent photos to be had here as the geometry is simply incredible. Both arches are in the Natural Arch and Bridge Societies List of US arches. Melody Arch (NABSQNO 12S-410520-4094320) is called Joanne's arch and is a buttress natural arch eroded through Navajo sandstone. Vreeland listed Joanne's Arch as number 12-2 in his catalog and reported a span of 10 feet. Wall arch is described as Danny's Arch and is a fin natural arch eroded through Navajo sandstone. Vreeland listed Danny's Arch as number 12-1 in his catalog and reported a span of 12 feet which seems generous to me. The measurement of arches is a science in itself.

Top Rock Arch - this is the arch you can see from the Wave. It should be a good shot early in the day. It is a few hundred feet North of the Alcove on Top Rock. Top Rock Arch (NABSQNO 12S-410195-4094000) is misplaced in the Natural Arch and Bridge Society map.

The Hooters - You'll pass by these on the Way to the Wave. They are not easy to photograph as the foreground runs into the background. They may be a good subject for night photography since you can light them with a flashlight while keeping the background in silhouette.

Dinosaur Tracks - While the "Dinosaur Dance Floor" was not walked on by dinosaurs there are true dinosaur tracks in the area. There are many on the West side of the valley opposite The Wave, I've provided GPS coordinates below. See also this research paper.

Fatali's Boneyard - This area was "discovered" by photographer Michael Fatali who has a magnificent image of it in his gallery in Springdale, Utah. You can see a small version of it here. The Boneyard is on the West side of the valley, perhaps .5 miles South of the dinosaur tracks. It is best photographed shortly after dawn - this requires hiking in before sunrise. It also has great light mid - late afternoon, wait for the cliff behind it to go into shadow.

Sand Cove - Sand Cove lies about half way between the Boneyard and The Second Wave in the middle of the wash running down the center of the valley. It is a very good late afternoon shot.

5238AT Arch - This is the arch clearly marked on the 24K topo map. It is outside the permit area. You might also call it "Overlooked Arch" as no one stops to see it in their hurry to get to The Wave. It is a beautiful arch and should photograph well late in the day, and perhaps early morning as well. To get to the arch turn South when you are about half way across the sage field at the beginning of your hike to The Wave. The arch is about .5 miles from the point where you turn off the trail.

View Coyote Buttes North in a larger map

Topo Maps: USGS 24K topo maps are not copyrighted and can be freely distributed. The two topo maps Coyote Buttes and Pine Hollow Canyon contain most of the locations in Coyote Buttes North and the Coyote Buttes South Pawhole trailhead. Edmaier's Secret, Coyote Buttes South Cottonwood trailhead, and the White Pocket are covered by West Clark Bench and Poverty Flat. The topo maps that follow in the table below are high resolution and can be quite large (10 megabytes). Maps in the table below can be downloaded as PDF files - just click on them . The last map is a lower resolution merge of the West Clark Bench, Pine Hollow Canyon, Coyote Buttes, and Poverty Flat 24K maps.

Route to the Wave from the Wirepass Trailhead:

Map of all of the North and South Buttes:           

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Current Weather:

Climate:

December - February

It is "relatively" easy to get permits in January and early February, especially through the walk in process. However there is a good chance there will be snow on the ground in these months. Snow makes hiking difficult and photographing the patterns in the red rock chancy. If there is snow you may be limited to shooting southern exposures such as Fatali's Boneyard and Sand Cove. Average cloud cover is also high in the winter months, and House Rock Road is often muddy and difficult or impossible to drive on. The South Buttes are even higher in elevation than the Wave, about 6,200 feet, or four degrees cooler. This makes snow even more likely in the South Buttes, and it will last longer. I have been to Cottonwood Cove when the north facing exposures had over a foot of snow on them.

March - May

These are good months to visit, especially April and May when cloud cover is low and temperatures moderate. Permits are difficult. Average wind speed is highest in the Southwest in the Spring. The wind comes from the Southwest in this area all year round peaking in the afternoon. Sand Cove runs North - South and forms a natural wind tunnel. This makes good photography of Sand Cove and Fatali's Boneyard difficult in the Spring. Average cloud cover is low during May.

June

One of the best months to go to the Wave if you don't mind the heat. Cloud cover is low as is precipitation.

July - August

I used to believe these were the worst months to go to the Wave. I now believe they are among the best, if you can stand the heat. Average daily high temperature at the Wave is 101 ºF in July and there is little shade. If you go in July do not plan to be out all day. Either go in the morning when temperatures and cloud cover are lower, or go in late afternoon if the weather looks cooperative. If you plan to stay the whole day you will need to find shade. A good place to find shade is on Toprock at the Alcove. Finally bring at least one gallon of water per person in July, you will need it. There is a good possibility of afternoon thunderstorms or even hail. Mornings are cooler, often clear, and have little wind. It's likely you can get a good photograph in the morning, and if the weather cooperates you may get a great one in the afternoon! With luck there will be water at the Wave or in the water pockets south of The Wave. Water pockets won't last long given the average July August temperatures though. If there are water pockets look for tadpoles and tadpole shrimp. If there's a lot of water you may even hear toads croaking! (males calling for females). Permits, though still difficult, are much easier to get than during the peak months.

September - November

Excellent months for visiting, Page and Kanab are less crowded than during summer vacation, and cloud cover and temperatures are reasonable. Permits are very difficult to get. The rest of the Southwest is also beautiful at this time of year with the Aspens changing in late September/early October, and the Cottonwoods in late October.

The following table was constructed using ten years of daily data from the Page weather station:

An Excel file containing Page daily weather data for the last ten years can be downloaded by double clicking on the image below:

Weather Forecasts and History

Forecast - Weather Underground - Page, AZ

Forecast - Accuweather - Page, AZ

Forecast - National Weather Service Point Forecast

Forecast - Weather.com (The Weather Channel) - -Page, AZ

History - Weather Underground - Page, AZ

Notes

Arizona observes standard time all year round (except in the Navajo Nation e.g. Chinle, Kayenta, and Monument Valley).

Standard Times will be shown for locations in Arizona.

The Wave is in Arizona so Standard Times are shown for Coyote Buttes North.

For all other states Daylight Savings Time will be used when in effect.

The walk-in lottery is held in Utah at 9AM DST. Utah observes DST most of the year, if you have your watch set to Arizona time you need to be at the lottery one hour earlier when DST is in effect.

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Always leave your plans for the day with someone not in your party, together with instructions on whom to call if they do not hear from you by a certain date/time. This is particularly true if you are hiking alone; a broken leg can prove fatal if there is no one to go for help. You may be able to get a cellular signal; there is a Verizon (and perhaps other carriers?) cell tower south of Big Water on the road to the Paria Overlook. The tower is nearly 200 feet high. If you need to call one of the numbers below, keep in mind that only the Coconino and Kane County sheriff's dispatch lines and the Glen Canyon number are available 24 hours a day. Towing can be expensive, at least $500 from a close in location like the Pawhole Trailhead to $1,000 from the White Pocket.

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Shuttle Providers

End of the Trail Shuttles - Betty Price, PO Box 6135, Marble Canyon, AZ 86036 +1 (928) 355-2252

Paria Outpost - Susan and Steve Dodson, PO Box 410075, Big Water, UT 84741 +1 (928) 691-1047

Circle Tours - Kyle Walker, PO Box 3681, Page, AZ 86040 +1 (888) 854-7862

Authorized Guides

Paria Outpost - Susan and Steve Dodson, PO Box 410075, Big Water, UT 84741 +1 (928) 691-1047

Circle Tours - Kyle Walker, PO Box 3681, Page, AZ 86040 +1 (888) 854-7862