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The Wave Daily Lottery (Coyote Buttes North) wilderness permit area in Vermilion Cliffs National Monument - backcountry hiking destination
LotteryDay Use

The Wave Daily Lottery Permit (Coyote Buttes North)

Vermilion Cliffs National Monument · Arizona

The second way into The Wave: a geofenced lottery you apply to from a phone inside a 3,272-square-mile area, two days before you hike.

Other permits in Vermilion Cliffs National Monument we can check

The Wave · Paria Canyon · Coyote Buttes South

“The last-minute door into The Wave, open twelve hours a day, but only to a phone standing inside a slice of northern Arizona.”

Plan your Wave Daily Lottery trip here, then enter the lottery.

Lottery permit

How to get Wave Daily Lottery

Apply for the Daily Lottery from a mobile device inside BLM's geofence, between 6am and 6pm two days before your hike date. We send you lottery reminders.

Official permit page

Planning another trip? See the permits we alert on.

Yes. You need a permit to hike The Wave Daily Lottery in Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, and it is awarded by lottery rather than first come, first served. The permit is The Wave Daily Lottery (Coyote Buttes North). Cost: $6 application + $7/person.

When it opens

2 days
Lottery runs two days before your entry date, 6 am to 6 pm MountainYou apply on Recreation.gov.

Source: recreation.gov

The Wave Daily Lottery (Coyote Buttes North) lottery dates

Application window
Closes Same day, 6:00 PM Utah time
Results
7:15 PM the same evening
Season
Year-round
route distance, out and back
6.4mi
daily quota
16people
max group size
6people

How to get The Wave Daily Lottery (Coyote Buttes North) permit

As of November 2026, Wave Daily Lottery in Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, Arizona requires a permit issued via lottery. Wave Daily Lottery is one of the most competitive permits in the United States, rating 10/10 on PermitSnag's demand index. The Wave Daily Lottery lottery opens Daily, 6:00 AM Utah time, two days before the hike date and closes Same day, 6:00 PM Utah time, with results announced 7:15 PM the same evening. The Wave Daily Lottery route covers 6.4 miles, rated strenuous.

Type
Day Use
Location
Colorado Plateau, AZ

  1. Step 1: Create a Recreation.gov account

    Sign up at Recreation.gov if you don't have an account. Verify your email and add payment info ahead of time.

  2. Step 2: Apply during the lottery window

    Submit your application between Daily, 6:00 AM Utah time, two days before the hike date and Same day, 6:00 PM Utah time. Apply for multiple dates to increase your odds.

  3. Step 3: Wait for lottery results

    Results are announced 7:15 PM the same evening. Check your email and your Recreation.gov account.

Apply at Recreation.gov
Learn more:
Lottery strategiesRecreation.gov tips

Wave Daily Lottery pro tips

  1. You must be physically inside the geofence when you apply, and it is big: roughly the Highway 89 and 389 corridors from Kanab to Page
  2. Apply from a phone or tablet. BLM says desktops and laptops will not work
  3. Results come at 7:15 PM the same evening, so plan your next day around finding out late
  4. If you win, you must be at the pickup location you chose by 8:30 AM local time the next morning for the safety briefing: arriving late voids the permit
  5. Cell service in the geofence is patchy, so apply somewhere you know you have signal

More on Wave Daily Lottery: Live availability activityWhen Wave Daily Lottery permits open upDo I need a The Wave Daily Lottery permit?Estimate your lottery oddsBoost your odds with a pool

Guides: Wave Daily Lottery permit guideVermilion Cliffs National Monument Paria Canyon permit guideCoyote Buttes South permit guide

How much The Wave Daily Lottery (Coyote Buttes North) permit costs

Wave Daily Lottery permit fee: $6 application + $7/person.

The Wave Daily Lottery (Coyote Buttes North) hike

Distance
6.4 miles
Route Type
Out & Back
Duration
4-6 hours
Difficulty
Strenuous

Wave Daily Lottery landmarks

  1. 1Wire Pass Trailhead

    Access point on House Rock Valley Road, an unpaved minimally maintained road.

  2. 2The Wave

    The striated sandstone trough the permit area is named for. About 3 miles from the trailhead on the suggested route.

The last-minute door into The Wave, open twelve hours a day, but only to a phone standing inside a slice of northern Arizona.

About this permit

The Coyote Buttes North Daily Lottery is the second of the two ways to get a permit for The Wave, and the only one that works on short notice. BLM awards 16 people and up to 4 groups a day through it, two days ahead of the hike date, to applicants who are physically inside a geofence covering roughly the Highway 89 and 389 corridors between Kanab and Page.

Everything happens on a mobile device: you apply between 6 AM and 6 PM, results land at 7:15 PM, and winners accept and pay by 8 AM the next morning before an in-person safety briefing at 8:30. Miss any of those and the permit is void. Recreation.gov permit 4251909 is the only place this lottery runs.

The route

The permit is the hard part; the walk is not. From the Wire Pass trailhead on House Rock Valley Road the suggested route runs about 6.4 miles round trip across open sand and slickrock with no trail, no cairns and few signs. BLM's briefing exists because people get lost on it every year.

The route climbs gently across benches, crosses a saddle, and drops toward the twin troughs of the Wave itself. Everything before it looks like everything else, which is why the briefing hands out a route description and why a downloaded GPS track matters more here than a map.

Why it matters

The Advanced Lottery is the one everyone knows and the one everyone loses. This is the other quarter of the quota, and it is the only Wave permit a traveler who is already in Kanab can still get. BLM built it around a geofence precisely so the people applying are the people who can actually show up the day after tomorrow.

The feeling

You spend a normal day (Zion, Antelope Canyon, a long lunch in Page) with a phone in your pocket that has already been used once at 6 AM. At 7:15 PM the email arrives. If it is the good one, tomorrow morning stops being yours: you are at a visitor center desk at 8:30 for a briefing about heat, sand and unmarked ground, and the day after that you are standing on the striped sandstone everyone has seen a photograph of.

Wave Daily Lottery hike highlights

  1. A twelve-hour application window you must be inside the geofence for
  2. Mobile only: BLM says desktop and laptop applications will not work
  3. Results at 7:15 PM the same evening, then an 8 AM payment deadline
  4. A mandatory in-person safety briefing at 8:30 AM the day before your hike
  5. About 6.4 miles round trip on unmarked sand and slickrock once you are in

How hard the Wave Daily Lottery (Coyote Buttes North) hike is

  • Physical DemandFitness and endurance required3/5
  • Technical SkillClimbing, scrambling, or specialized skills1/5
  • NavigationRoute finding and trail clarity5/5
  • CommitmentDifficulty of bailing out mid-route2/5

Best for: Travelers already in the Kanab-Page corridor who can rearrange the next two mornings at short notice.

Recommended experience: Desert navigation with a GPS track. No technical skills needed.

Not recommended for: Anyone planning from home (you cannot enter this lottery from outside the geofence) and anyone who cannot make an 8:30 AM briefing.

Trailhead information

Wire Pass Trailhead

Primary

The access point for the suggested route to The Wave.

  • Restrooms
  • No water
  • No Service

Before you rely on this water

No water on the route or at the formation. BLM's guidance for this wilderness is a gallon per person per day, and it records deaths from dehydration and heat here.

Getting There

House Rock Valley Road is unpaved and minimally maintained. BLM: "Most of the time, it is possible to reach the trailhead in a two-wheel-drive, high-clearance vehicle," but the Buckskin crossing can be impassable during and after storms.

Nearest Services

Kanab, Utah (about an hour) or Page, Arizona.

When to hike The Wave Daily Lottery (Coyote Buttes North)

Best time to visit

Spring and fall for temperature. BLM warns specifically about May through September heat with no shade and no water, and about winter visits meaning "hiking on ice-covered sandstone and exposure to cold."

Weather Forecast

Trailhead

As of Nov 11

⚠️

Backcountry Tips

  • Nov 14: 73% chance of precipitation. Pack rain gear.
  • Nov 17: 72% chance of precipitation. Pack rain gear.
  • Snow expected: Check current trail conditions before departing.

Wed

☀️

58°

37°

Thu

☁️

58°

38°

Fri

☁️

53°

41°

Sat

🌧️

44°

37°

73%

Sun

☁️

48°

34°

Mon

☁️

49°

36°

Tue

❄️

48°

36°

72%

View full NWS forecast →Mountain weather changes rapidly. This forecast is a guide—always be prepared for worse conditions.

Wave Daily Lottery photography guide

Golden Hour

Mid to late morning gets the light down into the trough without a hard shadow across it. Late afternoon lights the north wall.

Best Light

The Wave is a bowl, so its best light is high enough to reach the floor and low enough to keep the banding separated. Late morning is the usual answer.

Beat the Crowds

Sixty-four people a day are spread over the whole permit area. If the main trough is busy, walk on for twenty minutes and it will not be.

Classic Shots

  1. The main trough looking up through the striations
  2. The Second Wave, a short walk beyond the main formation
  3. Sand cones and dinosaur tracks on the slickrock benches

The Wave Daily Lottery (Coyote Buttes North) rules, gear and safety

Gear checklist

Required
  • A GPS-enabled mobile device to apply from inside the geofence
  • At least a gallon of water per person for the hike
  • Downloaded maps or a GPS track: there is no trail and no cairns
  • Sun protection; there is no shade in the permit area

Recommended gear

  • A power bank, since the application, the results and your map all run off the same phone
  • Traction for slickrock in winter
  • A vehicle with reasonable clearance for House Rock Valley Road

Rules & regulations

  1. 01One application per person per lottery: submitting more than one disqualifies you
  2. 02Maximum group size 6, and combining with another permitted party to exceed 6 is prohibited
  3. 03Everyone counts, including infants who are not walking
  4. 04The permit applicant must be the one who picks up the permit, not a group member
  5. 05Permits are valid only in Coyote Buttes North, not Coyote Buttes South or Paria Canyon
  6. 06Dogs need to be on the permit and pay a fee, but do not count against the quota

Hazards & considerations

  • Heat. BLM: "Extreme heat and lack of shade between May and September, along with the absence of drinking water, have led to fatalities in this permit area"
  • Navigation: no trails, no cairns, few signs, and repetitive terrain
  • Flash flooding in the monsoon, and the Buckskin crossing on House Rock Valley Road turning impassable
  • Ice on sandstone in winter
  • Missing a deadline: late arrival at the 8:30 AM briefing voids the permit outright

Safety & planning

Emergency Info

Emergency contacts, ranger station locations, and satellite communicator tips for Wave Daily Lottery.

Food Storage

Bear canister requirements, approved container lists, and rental locations for this permit.

Gear Checklist: Required and recommended gear for Wave Daily Lottery · Shuttle Services: Trailhead transportation options · Guide Services: Experienced wilderness guides

Some links may be affiliate links. Purchases support PermitSnag at no extra cost to you.

Wave Daily Lottery FAQ

How does The Wave daily lottery permit work?

Three days, in BLM's own layout. Day 1 you apply between 6 AM and 6 PM from a mobile device inside the geofence, two days ahead of the hike date, and results go out at 7:15 PM. Day 2 you accept and pay by 8 AM Utah time and show up at your chosen pickup location by 8:30 AM local for a safety briefing. Day 3 is your hike.

Where is the geofence for The Wave daily lottery?

BLM describes it as "approximately 3,272 square miles in size" following "the Highway 389 & 89 corridors roughly from Kanab, Utah to Page, Arizona." You need a GPS-enabled mobile device with location turned on to submit, but you do not have to stay inside it: results reach you wherever you are.

How many Wave permits does the daily lottery issue?

"16 people and/or 4 groups (whichever comes first) are awarded through this Daily Lottery." The other 48 people and 12 groups come from the separate Advanced Lottery four months out. Together they are BLM's daily maximum of 64 people for Coyote Buttes North.

Can I get a cancellation alert for The Wave daily lottery?

No. BLM is explicit: "If a permit is cancelled, it does not return to the pool." We remind you about lottery timing instead. Coyote Buttes South next door does put cancellations back on its calendar, which is where a cancellation alert pays off.

The Wave Daily Lottery (Coyote Buttes North) trail conditions and trip reports

Trail Conditions

No active conditions reported

If you've been on this trail recently, help others by reporting current conditions.

Questions

No questions yet

Be the first to ask about Wave Daily Lottery.

Trip Reports(1)

Write Report
🏔️

The Wave's Daily Lottery in November: Cold Mornings, Short Days, Better Odds

Wave Daily Lottery

5.0
Nov 10-12, 2026

Alternatives to The Wave Daily Lottery (Coyote Buttes North) permit

  • Same AreaPermit required

    The Wave Advanced Lottery

    The other 48 people and 12 groups a day, drawn four months ahead and open to anyone from any device.

    Tradeoffs

    You can apply from home, but you are committing to a date four months out and competing with everyone who did the same.

  • Same AreaPermit required

    Coyote Buttes South

    The adjacent permit area, sold on a calendar three months out with genuine cancellations coming back to it.

    Tradeoffs

    Not The Wave, and the road is harder, but it is a date you can actually book instead of a draw you can only enter.

Where to stay near Wave Daily Lottery

Plan the full trip, not just the permit

Build your full itinerary start to finish

Add your dates and get a day-by-day plan: what needs a permit, what gear to bring, and one link to share with your whole group to coordinate every step.

Plan a trip here

No permit needed to start

Two ways to land it

Get lottery reminders or run a lottery pool

Core feature

Lottery reminders

We remind you when the Wave Daily Lottery lottery opens, before the deadline, and when results post, so you never miss your window. This permit is awarded by lottery, so there are no cancellations to catch.

Set lottery reminders
Pro or $19 alert

Lottery pool

Apply with a crew. Each person multiplies your combined odds. We coordinate invites, deadlines, and outcomes.

See plans to start a pool

Best odds: run a pool and let us remind you before every deadline.

Better odds with a crew

Wave Daily Lottery permits are drawn by lottery. Every friend who applies adds another entry, so a crew gets more shots at the same permit than any one of you alone.

One of you runs the pool (Pro or a $19 alert). Everyone else joins free.

Start a poolHow pools work

Know the moment you win

Auto win-detection tells you the moment your Wave Daily Lottery application wins, so you never have to check Recreation.gov. It reads the result email you forward us, so it takes a one-time setup in your inbox (about two minutes, and we walk you through it). Auto win-detection is on Pro or a $19 permit alert.

Turn on auto win-detection
Apply now on Recreation.gov

Opens the official lottery. You submit your entry. We never automate or store your Recreation.gov login.

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