I've chosen only 8 photos of The Wave for
these pages. I hope they give you a
feel for how beautiful this area is. The combination of rock color, texture, and
shape make hiking in Coyote Buttes a fascinating experience. This is true
for Coyote Buttes in general, but especially and particularly, this is true of
hiking to The Wave.
The Wave is part of the Coyote Buttes - Vermillion Cliffs Wilderness area
just inside the northern border of Arizona. If you decide to make
the hike to The Wave it will help to have a GPS system, but oddly, this doesn't
guarantee success. Once in the vicinity of The Wave, you're in something of a
maze. If you're walking on the ground (down from the mountainsides) you're
walking in ravines that sometimes come to a dead-end
against a high cliff. Likewise, if you're hiking on a ridge or mountainside,
these too, sometimes
end in a dead-end where the ledge ends and you're faced with a sheer cliff
dropoff and cannot go
further. It can
be frustrating having to backtrack and find another route, only to have the
same end result.
I had a GPS system and coordinates to The Wave and still had a difficult time
getting there on my first visit.
I could see places I wanted to go, but often had to take lengthy paths to go
not so many yards.
If you're interested in hiking in Arizona, I'd highly recommend hiking the Wave
and the other hikes in Coyote Buttes.
I hope you enjoy my photos of The Wave.
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The Wave was named for the unusual rock formations that sometimes
resemble the breaking of ocean surf.
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There are no trails into The Wave. Once
in the area you must rely on dead reckoning, a compass, a GPS - whatever
works for you. Some folks say you can't get lost. Maybe not entirely, but
after a 12 mile round trip to The Wave, you don't want to be slogging through
the sand that surrounds the mountains trying to find your way back to your
car. The trip really isn't this long, but there are lots of nooks and crannies
to sidetrack you along the way. Fortunately, there is a dominant ridgeline that runs north and south,
with the Wire Pass trailhead due west - all making it easier to navigate.
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The BLM office has photos that are used to offer
navigational tips for finding The Wave. I found these helpful for getting
to the general vicinity, but not so helpful in maneuvering my way through
the maze of ravines there. I last visited the wave in January, 2005 and
was greeted by rare pools of water in some places.
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Whether you make it to The Wave or not, whether you have
doubts if you made it there or not, you're certain to see some great scenery when
hiking to The Wave.
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Purchase photographic prints of The Wave at:
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Previous Page - Buckskin Gulch in Coyote Buttes
Next Page - More of "The Wave" in Coyote Buttes
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