Lottery10/10
The Wave
The legendary sandstone formation—one of the most photographed geological wonder...
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LotteryDay UseHigh Demand
Coyote Buttes South Daily Lottery Permit
Vermilion Cliffs National Monument
The geofenced half of the Coyote Buttes South quota: apply from a phone inside BLM's geofence two days before you hike, for 10 of the 20 daily spots.
“A same-week way into the teepees — if you are already standing in the right 3,272 square miles of desert with a charged phone.”
Watch the dates you'd take— one alert covers all of them
Two ways to land it
Track cancellations or run a lottery pool
Core feature
Fast Lane tracking
We watch CBS Daily Lottery for cancellations 24/7 and alert you when a spot opens so you can book before it's gone.
Start free cancellation watchPro or $12 alert
Lottery pool
Apply with a crew. Each person multiplies your combined odds. We coordinate invites, deadlines, and outcomes.
See plans to start a poolMost crews do both: pool for the lottery, watch for cancellations.
Better odds with a crew
CBS Daily Lottery is a 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 $12 alert). Everyone else joins free.
CBS Daily Lottery Quick Facts
Permit RequiredYes
Booking MethodLottery
Demand LevelHigh7/10
SeasonYear-round
Cost$6 application + $5/person
Daily Quota20 people
Max Group Size6 people
CBS Daily Lottery Permit Facts
- As of August 2026, CBS Daily Lottery in Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, Utah & BLM requires a permit issued via lottery.
- CBS Daily Lottery is a high-demand permit, rating 7/10 on PermitSnag's demand index.
- The CBS Daily Lottery lottery typically 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.
- Cancelled CBS Daily Lottery permits are re-released on the booking system; PermitSnag monitors availability and alerts watchers when dates open.
Key Information
Key Dates
Lottery OpensDaily, 6:00 AM Utah time, two days before the hike date
Lottery ClosesSame day, 6:00 PM Utah time
Results7:15 PM the same evening
SeasonYear-round
Permit Details
TypeDay Use
Booking MethodLottery
Demand Level7/10
LocationColorado Plateau, UT
Pro Tips
- •You have to be physically inside the geofence to apply — the same ~3,272-square-mile Highway 89/389 corridor between Kanab and Page that the Wave daily lottery uses
- •Apply from a phone or tablet: BLM says "desktop or laptops will not work"
- •Winning is not the end. Accept and pay by 8 AM Utah time, then be at your chosen pickup office at 9:00 AM local for the safety briefing — "Arriving late voids permits"
- •Arizona and Utah are an hour apart from March 8 to October 31, 2026, and BLM runs the clock on Utah time
- •If you want a date you can actually plan around, the advance calendar on permit 16851 sells the other 10 spots a day, three months out
What to Expect
Route Details
Route Type
Varies
Duration
4-8 hours
Difficulty
StrenuousHighlights
- •A twelve-hour application window you have to be physically inside the geofence for
- •Results at 7:15 PM, payment by 8 AM, briefing at 9:00 AM, hike the following day
- •Spotty cell service across the geofence, which BLM warns about directly
- •No trails, no signs and no marked destinations in the permit area itself
- •Deep sand on the drive in and deep sand underfoot
- •Near-total solitude: BLM says you "will very likely see no one or have only occasional contact with other visitors"
Best Time to Visit
The permit runs every day of the year, but BLM's own framing is that "permits are issued for every day of the year, but changing conditions mean that access is not always safe or possible." Spring and fall give the most reliable roads and temperatures; May through September brings the heat BLM links to fatalities here.
Hazards & Considerations
- !Heat: BLM warns that "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"
- !Getting stuck — "Every year, groups get stuck and stranded after attempting the drive"
- !Flash flooding during the monsoon, which BLM says "can lead to impassable roads and dangerous hiking conditions"
- !Winter visits "may involve hiking on ice-covered sandstone and exposure to cold"
- !Navigation, with no cairns, no signs and repetitive terrain
- !Unreliable cell service, though BLM notes phones "may be able to reach 911 even when other numbers do not work"
How to Get This Permit
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
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
Wait for lottery results
Results are typically announced 7:15 PM the same evening. Check your email and your Recreation.gov account.
4
If unsuccessful, monitor cancellations
Permits get cancelled daily. Peak cancellation times are 24-48 hours before the trip date.
5
Set up PermitSnag alerts
Get notified when cancellations happen. Pro and $12 single-permit alerts are checked about every minute, 24/7; free accounts are checked hourly.
When to Go
Peak: March-May and September-NovemberShoulder: Late February and early December
Conditions
Mild days, firm sand after winter moisture, long light.
Crowd Level
LowAdvantages
- +Comfortable walking temperatures
- +Roads usually at their firmest
- +Plenty of other things to do inside the geofence while you wait for results
Challenges
- !Wind
- !The busiest season for applications, so lower odds
Difficulty Assessment
Physical Demand3/5
Fitness and endurance required
Technical Skill1/5
Climbing, scrambling, or specialized skills
Exposure Risk4/5
Steep dropoffs and fall potential
Navigation5/5
Route finding and trail clarity
Commitment3/5
Difficulty of bailing out mid-route
Best For
People already in the Kanab-Page corridor with a flexible three-day window and a 4WD, who would rather apply daily than wait four months.
Recommended Experience
Desert navigation with GPS and offline maps. Deep-sand driving experience if you are taking a vehicle to Cottonwood Cove or Paw Hole.
Not Recommended For
Anyone travelling from out of state on fixed dates, anyone who cannot make a 9:00 AM briefing the day before the hike, and anyone without a genuine 4WD or the extra 5 miles in their legs.
About This Permit
Coyote Buttes South has two permit systems and this is the short-notice one. BLM caps the area at 20 people a day; 10 of those go out through a geofenced Daily Lottery you apply to from a mobile device, two days before the hike date, from somewhere inside a roughly 3,272-square-mile area following the Highway 89 and 389 corridors between Kanab and Page.
Applications open at 6 AM and close at 6 PM Utah time. Results are sent at 7:15 PM the same evening. Winners accept and pay by 8 AM the following morning and must be at the pickup office they selected — Kanab or Page — at 9:00 AM local time for a mandatory safety briefing. BLM is blunt about what happens otherwise: "Arriving late voids permits."
The other 10 spots a day come off the advance calendar on Recreation.gov permit 16851, which opens four months ahead of the hike month and does return cancellations to the calendar. This one does not.
The Experience
Why It Matters
Coyote Buttes South is the only permit area in this wilderness where a last-minute plan can still work. Half the daily quota is held back for people who are already here, applying two days out from inside a geofence that covers the Highway 89 and 389 corridors between Kanab and Page. It is BLM's answer to the problem that the advance calendar sells out three months ahead and the weather three months ahead is unknowable.
The Route
The permit is for an area, not a route, and there is no route once you are in it. Cottonwood Cove is the usual access: a deep-sand 4WD track ends at a small pullout and the teepees begin within about half a mile, spread over slickrock benches to the south and east.
Paw Hole is the northern access and the shortest walk to the first formations, with the same sand road and the same requirement for a 4WD high-clearance vehicle.
Lone Tree is the fallback if your vehicle cannot take the sand. BLM states the trade plainly: reaching the permit area from Lone Tree "adds an additional 5-mile round trip hike through deep sand." With a briefing at 9:00 AM in Kanab and a drive after it, that extra distance is a real constraint on a lottery day, not a footnote.
The Feeling
The application window is a twelve-hour errand you run while doing something else — Buckskin Gulch, the Paria contact station, a drive to Page. At 7:15 PM your phone tells you whether tomorrow morning is a safety briefing in Kanab and the day after is a walk into the teepees. When it lands, the whole trip reorganises itself in an evening.
Trailhead Information
Cottonwood Cove Trailhead
Primary southern access to the teepee formations.
Restrooms
No water
No Service
Before you rely on this water
No water anywhere in the permit area. BLM's guidance for this wilderness is to "carry at least a gallon of water per person in hot weather."
Parking
Small undeveloped pullout where the sand track ends.
Getting There
Four-wheel drive, high-clearance vehicle required. BLM: the roads to Cottonwood Cove and Paw Hole "are composed of deep sand with sections of rough rock."
Nearest Services
Kanab, Utah or Page, Arizona — the same two towns the permit pickup offices are in.
Paw Hole Trailhead
Northern access, shortest walk to the first formations.
Restrooms
No water
No Service
Before you rely on this water
No water. Carry at least a gallon per person, per BLM.
Getting There
Four-wheel drive, high-clearance vehicle required — the same deep sand as Cottonwood Cove.
Nearest Services
Kanab or Page.
Lone Tree Trailhead
The two-wheel-drive fallback, at the cost of 5 extra miles on foot.
Restrooms
No water
No Service
Before you rely on this water
No water, and the extra mileage from this trailhead makes that a bigger problem, not a smaller one.
Getting There
BLM: "Lone Tree is the only trailhead that may be accessible with a two-wheel drive, high-clearance vehicle when road conditions are good. However, accessing the permit area using this option adds an additional 5-mile round trip hike through deep sand."
Nearest Services
Kanab or Page.
Rules & Regulations
- •Applications only from a mobile device inside the geofence, 6 AM to 6 PM Utah time, two days before the permit date
- •Maximum group size 6, and joining another permitted party to exceed 6 is prohibited
- •Everyone counts toward the quota and the fee, including infants who are not walking
- •Dogs must be on the permit and pay a fee, though they do not count against the quota
- •Mandatory in-person 9:00 AM safety briefing at the pickup office; late or no-show voids the permit
- •No changes to date, applicant name or group size after the lottery runs
- •Permits are valid only in Coyote Buttes South, not Coyote Buttes North or Paria Canyon Overnight
- •All fees are non-refundable and cancelled permits do not return to the pool
Gear Checklist
Required
- A GPS-enabled phone or tablet with charge left, to apply from inside the geofence
- At least a gallon of water per person in hot weather
- Printed permit and photo ID
- Downloaded offline maps — there is no trail to follow back
- Four-wheel-drive high-clearance vehicle for Cottonwood Cove or Paw Hole
Recommended
- Gaiters for deep sand
- Recovery boards and a tyre deflator if you are driving the sand yourself
- Satellite messenger, because BLM says "cell service is spotty in this region"
- A backup plan for the day, since most applications do not win
Plan Your Trip
🎒
Gear Checklist
Required and recommended gear for CBS Daily Lottery
🚐
Shuttle Services
Trailhead transportation options
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Key Landmarks
Kanab pickup office
Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Visitor Center, 745 East Highway 89, Kanab. One of the two 9:00 AM safety-briefing locations.
Page-Lake Powell HUB
48 S Lake Powell Blvd, Page, Arizona. The other pickup and briefing location; note Arizona runs an hour behind Utah for most of the year.
Cottonwood Cove Trailhead
Main southern access to the teepees. 4WD high-clearance only — deep sand with sections of rough rock.
The Teepees
The banded sandstone cones the area is known for, within about a mile of Cottonwood Cove.
Lottery Statistics
Competitive
estimated success rate
Get detailed lottery statistics and tips. Sign up to track this permit.
Boost Your Chances
Apply with a crew to multiply your combined odds, and let auto win-detection tell you the moment you win — you never have to check Recreation.gov. Pool and auto win-detection are on Pro or a $12 permit alert.
CBS Daily Lottery FAQ
How does the Coyote Buttes South Daily Lottery permit work?
You apply between 6 AM and 6 PM two days before the date you want to hike, from a mobile device physically inside BLM's geofence. Results go out at 7:15 PM that evening. Winners accept and pay by 8 AM the next morning and attend a 9:00 AM in-person safety briefing at the pickup office they chose. The hike is the day after that.
How many Coyote Buttes South Daily Lottery permits are issued?
BLM: "A daily maximum of 20 people are permitted to visit Coyote Buttes South. 10 people or 4 groups (whichever comes first) are awarded through this Daily Lottery." The other 10 come off the separate advance calendar on Recreation.gov permit 16851.
Can I watch for Coyote Buttes South Daily Lottery cancellations?
No, and nobody can. BLM's policy on this permit is explicit: "If a permit is cancelled, it does not return to the pool." There is no calendar for a cancellation to reappear on. We send lottery reminders instead. The advance permit on 16851 does put cancellations back on its calendar, so that one is worth watching.
Is the Coyote Buttes South Daily Lottery the same as The Wave lottery?
No. BLM opens its own page with "THIS IS NOT THE WAVE." The Wave is in Coyote Buttes North, a separate permit area with its own 64-person cap and its own pair of lotteries. A Coyote Buttes South permit is "not valid for other permit areas such as Coyote Buttes North (The Wave) or Paria Canyon Overnight."
What does the Coyote Buttes South Daily Lottery cost?
A non-refundable $6.00 lottery application fee, then $5.00 per person or dog if you win. BLM notes that no interagency pass applies here: "No permit exemptions, passes, or discounts apply in Coyote Buttes South."
👥Community
Trail Conditions
Questions
Trip Reports
Write ReportPhotography Guide
Golden Hour
Low sun rakes across the banding and separates the strata. Midday flattens the cones into one grey mass.
Best Light
First and last hour of daylight. Because you collect the permit at 9:00 AM the day before, a lottery win almost always gives you a full day rather than a rushed afternoon.
Beat the Crowds
Twenty people a day across the whole area, split between two permit systems and three trailheads. You are far more likely to lose the car than to meet anyone.
Classic Shots
- 📍Banded teepees with the Vermilion Cliffs behind them
- 📍A single cone shot close, where the strata curve
- 📍Wind-rippled sand running into slickrock
- 📍The Cottonwood Cove hoodoos at low sun
Can't Get a CBS Daily Lottery Permit?
Consider these alternatives if your preferred dates aren't available.
Coyote Buttes South Permit
Same AreaThe other half of the same 20-person daily quota, sold on a calendar that opens four months ahead of the hike month.
Permit required
Tradeoffs
You can plan a trip around it, and its cancellations do go back on the calendar so a watch is worth running. You just cannot get one this week.
The Wave Daily Lottery (Coyote Buttes North)
Same AreaThe same geofence, the same phone, the same evening — for the permit area next door.
Permit required
Tradeoffs
Far longer odds: 16 people a day for the most-applied-for day hike in the country, against 10 here.
Buckskin Gulch
Same AreaThe longest slot canyon in the world, in the same wilderness off House Rock Valley Road, with day-use permits that do not run out.
Permit required
Tradeoffs
A slot canyon instead of open formations, and a completely different flash-flood risk profile. It is the obvious thing to do on a day you did not win.
🏕️
Where to Stay
Nearby campgrounds to complete your CBS Daily Lottery trip
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