by William James-Kanab Tour Guide

The Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness is a world-class scenic resource that draws outdoor enthusiasts of all types, especially photographers, from all over the world.  In order to protect the environment and the experience here, the Bureau of Land Management, or BLM, has placed restrictions on access to certain parts of this area via a permitting system.  This system and all its rules are explained at length by the BLM HERE. The process is often confusing, even for locals, so this blog attempts to break it down in one place, and to provide you with insights into strategy, which as far as I can tell, no one has yet done in writing.

The Wave Permits and Lottery Strategy

Because of the high demand for permits to The Wave (Coyote Buttes North), two BLM lotteries now determine who gets them.

One BLM lottery is held online HERE.  10 online permits per day are drawn 3 months* in advance. The draw on the 1st of the current month at 1:05 pm is for the entire future month. Online Applications can be made for 30 days prior to each monthly draw. The other 1o permits are drawn in an in-person lottery at 9am the day before at the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Visitor Center in Kanab (see below). On Fridays during the off-season (NOVEMBER-FEBRUARY) the drawing is for Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.

*PLEASE NOTE: THE BLM SAYS THE ONLINE LOTTERY IS 4 MONTHS IN ADVANCE BECAUSE THEY INCLUDE THE 30 ENTRY PERIOD IN THE TOTAL.

The truth is the chances are not particularly high in either lottery as only 10 people are given permits through each lottery for each day. I think the odds can reasonably estimated at somewhere between 2% and 10% between April and October depending on party sizes. Odds are better for smaller groups and on Friday in Winter (December-February) because of the triple day draw in a proportionately smaller pool. Odds used to be much better in the dead of winter especially if weather loomed or it was a holiday like Christmas, as high as 100%, but since the original writing this is almost unheard of. Winter travelers are more numerous reducing odds to less than 25%. Winter, be warned, has other considerations namely weather and road conditions.

Weather and Road Conditions on House Rock Valley Road

The limiting factors in winter are wet weather, snow on the ground, the sloppy condition of House Rock Valley Road, and a dangerously icy trail over the sandstone. Wet weather can also be a factor in summer when afternoon thunderstorms can flood/mud the crossing of the Buckskin Gulch and turn the road into what us guides call “gorilla snot”. In this condition the road can become nearly impassible and/or dangerous for ill-prepared visitors. The local tow company has a field day. Never attempt House Rock Valley Road or crossing Buckskin Gulch when flooded or muddy, especially in a 2wd. Not only will you ruin your own day, but you will block the road for everyone else.

All that being said, in good conditions most vehicles can make it to Wire Pass TH (Wave) even if the drivers are violating rental contracts and risking flats with cheap street tires. High Clearance 4wd is necessary though if one wishes to leave the main road to go to South Coyote Buttes or White Pocket. When the conditions are borderline or roads too sandy, guided tours will still operate and can keep you safe. There are limitations, however. Sometimes they still cancel for safety when there is significant snow on the ground. To take risks of injury and have the Wave covered in snow anyway is a losing proposition for everyone.

Other Paria Permits

South Coyote Buttes, another area of multi-color slickrock sandstone, requires a permit that can be obtained by online application 3 months in advance (first come/first served) or by walk-in request the previous day at 10am at the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Visitor Canter in Kanab (see below). When there are more requests than permits a lottery is held. If this occurs, odds are usually much higher than the “WAVE” lottery as the area is less visited due to difficult navigation and deep sand. SCB requires a high-clearance 4wd, knowledge of how to drive on sand, and navigation tools and abilities. It used to be that these could be gotten about 90% of the time a few years ago. I estimate that as of 2015, this has gone down to about 65%-75% depending on time of year.

Wire Pass Slot Canyon requires a self-service permit obtained at the trailhead.

White Pocket does not require a Special Permit, but it does require a high-clearance 4wd, knowledge of how to drive on sand, and navigation tools and abilities. To read more about White Pocket as a great substitute for the Wave and the difficulties getting there read my article HERE.

There are small fees ($5-$7) associated with all Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness Permits.

The Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Visitor Center in Kanab:

745 East Highway 89, Kanab, UT 84741

Phone Number: Information: (435) 688-3200, Actual VC Desk: (435)644-1300

Hours: 8am-4:30pm, 7 days a week (March-November), Mon-Fri (December-February). Closed on Holidays.

Safety and Guided Tours

There are many safety and logistical issues associated with getting to the Paria Wilderness and back to civilization safely. Don’t become a statistic! People sometimes get themselves in predicaments in the Paria Wilderness by being unprepared, ill-equipped, and/or inexperienced. Kane County Search and Rescue goes after wayward tourists multiple times every year.  It has turned fatal more than once.

Guided Tours to the all of the locations mentioned above as well as several different combinations are available through Dreamland Safari Tours. Their experienced, naturalist guides help you to get the most out of your experience in the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness by showing you the subtle points of interest and photography you won’t find on your own. They explain how the geology, ecology, paleontology, and human history of these extraordinary places have unfolded over hundreds of millions of years. They keep you and your rental contract safe on unpredictable House Rock Valley Road, guide you on a special scenic route to the Wave, and carry satellite communications as well as abundant supplies in case of Emergency.

Lottery and Planning Strategy with Guided Tours

There is definitely a strategy for those wanting to visit the Wave (Coyote Buttes North) on a guided tour. It all begins with attempting the online lottery DRAWN 3 MONTHS IN ADVANCE. If you get lucky online, then the issue is settled and you can set up a tour with us on your date. If you do not get lucky, then you have a second chance at the in-person lottery. For South Coyote Buttes the same process applies except the online permit process is first come/first served. On the 1st of the month, 3 months in advance, at 12pm, be on the ball to get the dates you want. They do not last long.

To avoid disappointment and/or wasting your time, it is a good idea to have a contingency plan in place before you enter the in-person lottery the day before. Coyote Buttes South and White Pocket combination or simply The White Pocket Tour are the most popular substitutes for and complements to the Wave Tour. As guided tour guests this leaves you two options:

Option A: White Pocket or South Coyote Buttes as a substitute for the Wave.

In this case you are interested in doing one or the other tour so the correct strategy is to plan your day with your tour guide the day after you plan to attend the lottery and then let the outcome determine the destination. Plan a day on your own or join a slot canyon tour the day of the lottery. You will be free by 10:30am.

Option B: White Pocket and Wire Pass or South Coyote Buttes as a complement to the Wave.

In this case you want to do both tours if you can so the correct strategy is to plan a White Pocket/Coyote Buttes South Tour at 10am with the pickup location at the visitor’s center. Then you will go to the lottery and determine whether a tour to the Wave will be possible the following day. Be sure to let your guide know at pickup so he can make arrangements for the following day.

If you are a Wave Tour or nothing party, feel free to call Dreamland Safari Tours the day before once you have permits in hand. Unfortunately they cannot hold dates without some sort of other reservation on the off-chance that a party gets a Wave Permit.

In some cases, given a guaranteed tour reservation of some sort and subject to availability, your guide can attempt to obtain permits for you at the in-person lottery the day before if for some reason you are not available. There is a drawback in guide-obtained permits. Your guide must be included in the permit reducing the effective permit size to 5 tour guests. It also slightly reduces the chances of fitting into a remainder slot. In other words, you might not only have to be drawn, but be drawn first in order to accommodate a party of 6. PERMIT COSTS ARE NOT INCLUDED IN TOUR PRICES. PERMITS OBTAINED BY YOUR GUIDE MUST BE REIMBURSED PRIOR TO DEPARTURE.

If you are taking a guided tour and you get the permits on your own through either lottery, you do not need to add an extra person to the number of people on your permit for the guide. The effective maximum number of guests on the permit remains 6.