The Wave

The Wave is a sandstone formation on the slopes of the Coyote Buttes, in the Paria Canyon–Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness of the Colorado Plateau, near Arizona's northern border with Utah. It is known among hikers and photographers for its colourful undulating forms and for the difficulty of the hike required to reach it. The area is administered by the Bureau of Land Management from the Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument visitor centre in Kanab, Utah. Because the formation is fragile and demand to visit it is high, access is controlled by permit. Forty-eight permits are issued online four months ahead of a planned trip, and a daily lottery held two days in advance releases the remainder, for up to 16 people or four groups, whichever limit is reached first; applicants for that lottery must apply from within a geofenced area covering Kanab, the Vermilion Cliffs and Page.

Where it is

The Wave is a natural landmark near Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, in Coconino County. It is one of the natural landmarks in this database, and appears in the statewide ranking of Arizona attractions.

How this ranking was reached

No official visitor count is published for The Wave, so its score rests on public interest and tourism significance, and is capped below the level a measured attraction can reach. That is why the medium confidence above is not higher. The weighting is explained in full on the methodology page, and every axis is broken out under Facts and sources at the foot of this page.

Note on the data: No official visitor count is published for this attraction.

Sources

• Public interest: Wikimedia pageviews (en.wikipedia, human traffic), 2024
• Coordinates and designations: Wikidata(opens in a new tab)
• County: U.S. Census geography via FCC Area API, resolved from coordinates
• Official site: https://www.thewave.info/(opens in a new tab)

Record last verified 2026-08-12.