Is the road to The Wave trailhead passable after flood damage?

House Rock Valley Road (BLM 1065) is the unpaved road most permit holders use to reach the trailhead for The Wave in Coyote Buttes North. The BLM describes it as a maintained dirt road that may be impassable when wet, and notes that other roads in the monument require a four-wheel-drive, high-clearance vehicle because of deep sand. Source: https://www.blm.gov/national-conservation-lands/arizona/vermilion-cliffs

Recreation.gov's own permit page for the Advanced Lottery warns that during the rainy season heavy rainfall can cause extreme flash flooding, which can lead to impassable roads and dangerous hiking conditions, and it includes a photo of a vehicle stuck in the mud on House Rock Valley Road as an illustration of road conditions. Source: https://www.recreation.gov/permits/274309

A separate BLM page for the nearby Condor Viewing Site, reached off the same House Rock Valley Road, states that four-wheel-drive, high-clearance vehicles may be required when the road is wet, and that during periods of rain and the winter months the road may become impassable for all vehicles, even those with four-wheel drive. Source: https://www.blm.gov/visit/condor-viewing-site

There is no general schedule for when the road reopens after flood damage. It depends on how much rain fell, how deep the mud or washouts are, and how quickly conditions dry out, so travelers need to check current conditions before heading out rather than rely on past reports.

For permit holders, the practical consequence is financial as well as logistical. Wave permits are non-refundable and non-transferable, so a trip that cannot be completed because the road is impassable does not result in a refund or a rescheduled date for either the Advanced Lottery or the Daily Lottery. Checking road and weather conditions in advance, and having a backup plan, is the only way to protect against losing a permit to a washed-out or muddy road.