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The Wave Tour
Fully Guided Tour
Photography Paradise!
Interesting Geology!
Other Paria / Vermillion Cliffs Tours
Single Travelers
Please do not book online if you are a single traveler unless you have consulted us first. We have a two adult passenger minimum. It works much better if you call us or send us an email to discuss your options and find out which tours are running during your date window.
We go out of our way to open the wonders of the West to EVERYONE.
We are permitted, licensed, and insured.
Dreamland Safari Tours holds Special Use Permits from the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, Grand Canyon National Park, the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument/Paria Wilderness, Kanab Bureau of Land Management and Arizona Strip Bureau of Land Management.
All Day Tours are 2 adult minimum. A single passenger must pay for two seats if there is not a scheduled tour. All daytours 50% off for children 15 and under. Some Day Tours are not appropriate for small children.
Tour departure times are chosen at reservation. All daytours are booked on demand with departure options to fit your schedule. Tours do not run on each departure time or everyday. For Sunset or Sunrise at our more remote locations please consider a scheduled or custom built overnight or multi-day tour. We do not provide Sunrise or Sunset Daytours except the Sunset Safari.
All listed tour durations and pickup times are approximate. Please allow 10-20 minutes of pickup time flexibility for unforeseen circumstances and varying pickup logistics. Water and snacks are provided on all tours. A lunch meal is included on all tours of 6+ hours. Vegetarian option available.
We reserve the right to fill all empty seats. Cancellation / Reschedule / Weather policy applies.
Please familiarize yourself with our FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS before contacting us.
To contact us with other specific questions or begin Making Reservations click the “Book Now” Button on each tour page or click Contact Us for info on how to give us a call or shoot us an email.
The Wave Tour guides you through one of the most photographed, visually surreal, and world-renowned geologic formations in the Southwestern United States.
Price
Tour Length
Departure Times
Difficulty (1-10)
Recommended abilities
Permits
Location
Attractions
Special Interests
These FAQs are specific to this tour. If you would like to view our general FAQs CLICK HERE.
1. How difficult is the hike to the Wave?
The round-trip hike is just over 6 miles (9.5 kilometers) if you take the most direct route to the Wave and back. Our tours typically cover about 8 miles so we can visit other spectacular sites. There are long stretches of deep sand to trudge through and an elevation gain of about 500 feet on the trek. There are a few steep inclines, loose footing, and often you will be hiking on uneven sandstone with one foot higher than the other while you hug the side of a steep sandstone ridge. Decent cardio fitness, leg strength, some amount of endurance and good balance are needed. Harsh weather is another factor to consider. This is a particularly windy spot that makes the winter chill even colder. Ice and snow make the uneven hike quite slippery. In the summer, the sun is relentless, heating the ground until the radiant heat rises from the earth while the sun shines from above. There is virtually no shade.
2. How do I get a Wave permit?
Only 20 permits are issued per day to enter North Coyote Buttes, where the Wave lies. Ten are given away in an online lottery 3-4 months ahead of time, the other 10 are issued in an in-person lottery at the BLM Visitor Center in Kanab one day before you want to hike. All of the specifics of the permit process are explained HERE.
3. Can I book a Wave tour without a permit?
Yes, you can book book a Wave tour with us even if you do not have a North Coyote Buttes permit. Our booking system will ask whether you have a permit; simply answer, “no.” We will enter the in-person lottery on your behalf the day before your trip to try to get you a permit. The odds of winning are less than 10%. If we don’t score a Wave permit, your tour will visit South Coyote Buttes and White Pocket on our “combo tour.” And if we aren’t able to secure a South Coyote Buttes permits, your trip will simply visit White Pocket. All three are world class hiking and photography destinations in the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument.
4. I am staying in Page. Where can we meet?
We offer pick-up service to any hotel or vacation rental in Kanab, Utah, but we do not pick up in Page, Arizona. If you are staying in Page, we can arrange a meeting point halfway between Page and Kanab. Normally, this meeting point is at the intersection of Highway 89 and House Rock Valley Road, which is about 45 minutes west of Page, and is right on the way to the Wave.
If you book a 9 a.m. tour, that is the time the tour departs Kanab, Utah. We would leave at 9 a.m. and meet you at 9:45 a.m. at House Rock Valley. Keep in mind that Page is in Arizona, which does not observe daylight savings time. So from spring through fall, the time in Arizona is one hour earlier than in Utah, where our company operates. So if our tour left Kanab at 9 a.m. (Utah time) and met you at 9:45 a.m. (Utah time), this would be 8:45 a.m. Arizona time during daylight savings time, which starts sometime in early March and usually runs to the end of October.
5. Is there a bathroom at the Wave?
There is a pit toilet at the trailhead to the Wave. Otherwise, there are no facilities in the wilderness area. While hiking to and from the Wave, you may duck behind a tree or bush for privacy whenever necessary. Bury all solid waste. Do not leave any trash on the ground. Paper must be bagged up and carried back to the truck to be placed in the trash.
To read more FAQs that are common to all of our tours, visit our FAQs page.
Guest Experiences on the Wave Tour
Single Travelers
Please do not book online if you are a single traveler unless you have consulted us first. We have a two adult passenger minimum. It works much better if you call us or send us an email to discuss your options and find out which tours are running during your date window.
Get the most of your Wave experience! If you are lucky enough to get your paws on a permit to hike the 6-8 miles of Coyote Buttes North and the Wave, consider The Wave Tour guided by Dreamland Safari Tours.
Until a few decades ago only a handful of people knew about the Wave in North Coyote Buttes of the Paria Canyon Wilderness on the border of Utah and Arizona. Today there is a lottery to determine who gets in. Phenomenon is the word. Nothing else does it justice.
The undulating strata and spectrum of colors found in the sandstone walls of the Wave date back to the Great Pangean Desert of the Jurassic Period about 160-180 million years ago. Wind and water erosion carves, smooths, and reveals the layers of sand left here in great dunes and then compacted and mineralized (colors) into stone. While the Wave is a smooth, polished bowl of striped wind-swept sandstone, the same exotic rock is displayed in numerous forms, shapes, colors, and patterns throughout the guided hike to the Wave in North Coyote Buttes.
With the Wave Tour you get all of the following:
- Comfortable, safe, year-round, high clearance, 4×4 transportation for up to 6 passengers on rough, unpredictable House Rock Valley Road
- A homemade picnic lunch.
- Knowledgeable tidbits about the geology, ecology, and history of the area. Guided Hiking through the easiest and most scenic routes to the neatest alternate and subtle Points of Interest including Dinosaur Tracks, Fatali’s boneyard (Lace Rocks), Sand Cove, Second Wave, Cheeseburger Rock, and other bizarre and colorful rock formations. These are areas the unguided rarely see. We do not go up to top rock or top arch. There usually isn’t time and some people are not capable.
- Guided photography and tips at dozens of locations.
- Personal Safety- We help prepare you, keep you on track, and make sure you are safe in the Paria Canyon Wilderness. Our guides have basic Medical Training and satellite communications in case of emergency.
Elevation change, uneven footing, and sand make the terrain on The Wave Tour more difficult and the distances are some of our longest at around 8 miles. Please be prepared for hiking in the sun in general. Daypacks are necessary especially in summer when our guide alone cannot carry enough water for everyone to safely complete the hike. Boots are highly recommended. Please carefully consider your age and physical abilities especially during the hottest months of the year: June, July, August. This tour is especially difficult in the heat.
SPECIAL PERMITS ARE REQUIRED FOR THE WAVE TOUR AT NORTH COYOTE BUTTES. DREAMLAND DOES NOT PROVIDE ADVANCE PERMITS OR HAVE AN UMBRELLA PERMIT. ONLY OUR GUIDES ARE COVERED BY OUR PERMIT. WHEN OBTAINING PERMITS ONE DOES NOT HAVE TO ADD OUR GUIDES TO THE TOTAL NUMBER. IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, UPON REQUEST, AND WITH AN ALTERNATE TOUR PLANNED, DREAMLAND MAY BE ABLE TO ATTEND THE LOTTERY IN YOUR STEAD. THIS IS PROVIDED AS A COURTESY TO OUR GUESTS ONLY WHEN STAFF IS AVAILABLE. PERMITS ARE NEVER GUARANTEED.
Wave Permits are not easy to get, but odds can vary at different times of year. To find out about everything you need to know about Wave permits and lottery strategy check out the Permits page. There are alternative tours available in case no permit is obtained – the most popular alternatives are White Pocket and South Coyote Buttes or combination.
Want to learn more about The Wave? Check out our comprehensive blog post The Wave Tour: Everything You Need to Know.
If you’re interested in a great alternative to hiking the Wave, consider a trip to White Pocket. Read all about how White Pocket compares to the Wave in our BLOG.
Fully Guided Tour
Photography Paradise!
Interesting Geology!
Other Paria / Vermillion Cliffs Tours
We go out of our way to open the wonders of the West to EVERYONE.
We are permitted, licensed, and insured.
Dreamland Safari Tours holds Special Use Permits from the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, Grand Canyon National Park, the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument/Paria Wilderness, Kanab Bureau of Land Management and Arizona Strip Bureau of Land Management.
All Day Tours are 2 adult minimum. A single passenger must pay for two seats if there is not a scheduled tour. All daytours 50% off for children 15 and under. Some Day Tours are not appropriate for small children.
Tour departure times are chosen at reservation. All daytours are booked on demand with departure options to fit your schedule. Tours do not run on each departure time or everyday. For Sunset or Sunrise at our more remote locations please consider a scheduled or custom built overnight or multi-day tour. We do not provide Sunrise or Sunset Daytours except the Sunset Safari.
All listed tour durations and pickup times are approximate. Please allow 10-20 minutes of pickup time flexibility for unforeseen circumstances and varying pickup logistics. Water and snacks are provided on all tours. A lunch meal is included on all tours of 6+ hours. Vegetarian option available.
We reserve the right to fill all empty seats. Cancellation / Reschedule / Weather policy applies.
Please familiarize yourself with our FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS before contacting us.
To contact us with other specific questions or begin Making Reservations click the “Book Now” Button on each tour page or click Contact Us for info on how to give us a call or shoot us an email.