Vermilion Cliffs National Monument: The Wave, White Pocket, and how to visit

Vermilion Cliffs National Monument is 280,000 acres of remote canyon country on the Arizona-Utah border, containing some of the most photographed rock formations in the American Southwest. The orange sandstone escarpment that gives the monument its name runs for 30 miles along US-89A between Page, AZ and Kanab, UT. Inside the monument: The Wave, the undulating Navajo sandstone formation that draws photographers from around the world on a strict BLM permit lottery; White Pocket, a swirling plateau of banded rock accessible without a permit but requiring a serious 4WD; and the Paria Canyon wilderness, one of the premier slot canyon backpacking routes in the Southwest.

What is Vermilion Cliffs National Monument?

Vermilion Cliffs National Monument was established in 2000 by Presidential Proclamation and is managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), not the National Park Service. This distinction matters: there is no entrance fee, no visitor center at the monument boundary, and far fewer facilities than a National Park. The monument is remote and largely undeveloped by design.

The name refers to the towering orange and red sandstone cliffs of the Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, part of the Grand Staircase geological sequence. The monument contains several distinct geological areas:

• The Vermilion Cliffs: The cliff escarpment itself, visible for miles along US-89A. Views of the pinkish-orange face are best from pullouts between Marble Canyon and Jacob Lake.
• Coyote Buttes North (The Wave): The famous swirling Navajo sandstone formation accessed from Wire Pass trailhead. Permit required.
• White Pocket: A plateau of banded, swirling Navajo sandstone in the western part of the monument. No permit, but significant 4WD access challenge.
• Coyote Buttes South: Less visited than the North, also permit-required but easier to obtain.
• Paria Canyon Wilderness: A 38-mile slot canyon backpacking route through a labyrinth of canyon walls, one of the most remote hikes in the Southwest.

Most visitors pass through the monument without realizing it: anyone driving US-89A between Page and Kanab is already inside the monument boundaries.

The Wave (Coyote Buttes North): the BLM permit lottery

The Wave is a collection of intersecting U-shaped troughs carved into Navajo sandstone, the striations of wind-deposited ancient sand dunes revealed by millions of years of erosion. The result is a surface that looks like flowing water frozen in stone, with bands of red, orange, yellow and white sweeping in curves across the rock. It is one of the most photographed geological features in the American Southwest and arguably the most difficult to reach legally.

Access is strictly controlled by the BLM through a lottery system:

• Total daily limit: 64 people (16 groups maximum, 4 people per group).
• Online lottery: Opens 4 months in advance at recreation.gov. Typically receives 20 permits worth of winners from thousands of applications. Apply early in the 4-month window; the odds worsen as popular dates fill the application pool.
• In-person walk-in lottery: Held the day before at the Kanab BLM visitor center at 9am. 10 additional permits issued by random draw from the in-person applicants. Expect 50-200 people competing for those 10 slots on good-weather dates.
• Permit fee: $9 per person per day (in addition to any application fee).

The hike to The Wave from Wire Pass trailhead is 6 miles round trip with minimal elevation change (about 300 feet) but no trail markings. Navigation is entirely by map and compass (or downloaded GPS tracks). The BLM provides a topo map with your permit. Allow 4-5 hours. Carry a minimum of 3 liters of water per person; there is no water source on the route.

If you cannot get a Wave permit: White Pocket is widely considered equally impressive and requires no permit.

White Pocket: the no-permit alternative

White Pocket is a plateau of banded Navajo sandstone in the western Vermilion Cliffs wilderness, accessible without any permit. The rock surfaces here have a different character from The Wave: the swirling, layered patterns expose cross-bedded dunes at a larger scale, with pink and white striations folding over each other across a broad plateau. Photographers who have visited both often rate White Pocket as the better photography destination because of its scale and the absence of a crowd limit.

The access challenge is the road. The last 12 miles from House Rock Valley Road are unpaved sand track through Coyote Buttes. This requires:

• A high-clearance 4WD vehicle (not just AWD, not a crossover SUV)
• Reduced tire pressure (18-20 PSI recommended for the sand sections)
• Sand traction boards or a shovel in case of getting stuck
• The road closes entirely during wet weather and monsoon flooding

Total driving time from Page: approximately 1.5 to 2 hours depending on road conditions and your vehicle. The trailhead has no facilities: no water, no toilets, no shade. Pack everything you need. The photography is outstanding at any time of day due to the topography of the plateau, but golden hour (early morning and late afternoon) brings the colors to their peak.

If you do not have a suitable vehicle, the most practical option is a guided ATV or jeep tour from Page. Several licensed operators run regular White Pocket tours and include transportation, guide commentary, and all logistics.

Coyote Buttes South

Coyote Buttes South covers the area immediately south of The Wave within Coyote Buttes North. It is a separate permit area with a separate BLM lottery, also managed through recreation.gov. Daily limit: 20 people. Permit fees match those of Coyote Buttes North.

The South unit is significantly less visited and the permit is substantially easier to obtain. The formations here include large domes of banded sandstone, fewer people, and a more remote feel. The trailhead is also at Wire Pass. It is the recommended alternative for photographers who want a Coyote Buttes experience without the extreme lottery competition of The Wave.

Getting there from Page, AZ

Page, Arizona is the nearest town with hotels, restaurants and services to most of Vermilion Cliffs National Monument. It is also the gateway to Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend, so many visitors combine Vermilion Cliffs with those attractions on the same trip.

• Scenic drive along US-89A (Vermilion Cliffs viewpoints): Head west from Page on US-89 past Marble Canyon, then pick up US-89A at Bitter Springs. The cliff views begin almost immediately. The House Rock Valley Road turnoff for White Pocket access is about 37 miles west of Page on US-89A.
• White Pocket: ~55 miles from Page (1.5 to 2 hours including the unpaved section). Head west on US-89 to US-89A, turn right on House Rock Valley Road, follow for ~23 miles to the White Pocket turnoff.
• The Wave / Wire Pass trailhead (via Kanab): ~80 miles from Page (about 1.5 hours). Head north on US-89 toward Kanab, then follow BLM road to the Wire Pass trailhead.

Getting there from Las Vegas

Vermilion Cliffs is approximately 250 to 270 miles from Las Vegas, depending on which part of the monument you are heading to. Drive time is 3.5 to 4 hours on mostly two-lane state highways.

The most direct route for The Wave and the western monument is via Kanab, Utah:

1. Las Vegas north on I-15
2. Exit onto UT-9 East (St. George area) or continue to Cedar City then US-89 South
3. US-89 South through Kanab (3 hours from Las Vegas)
4. BLM roads to Wire Pass trailhead from Kanab (~45 miles, 1 hour)

For White Pocket: continue past Kanab on US-89 South, cross into Arizona, then House Rock Valley Road on the left (east). Total from Las Vegas: about 4 hours.

Vermilion Cliffs makes an excellent day or two-day stop when doing a Las Vegas to Page road trip. The scenic US-89A through the monument is the natural route on this drive.

Best time to visit Vermilion Cliffs

October through April is the recommended window. The monument is at an average elevation of 4,000-6,000 feet and exposed high desert terrain. Temperatures in June through August regularly exceed 100°F (38°C) with no shade at White Pocket or Coyote Buttes. Flash flood risk also increases during monsoon season (July-August).

Spring (March-May) is the most popular season: temperatures are 60-80°F (15-27°C) for hiking, wildflowers bloom across the plateau, and the light has a quality that photographers particularly value. Fall (September-November) is slightly warmer than spring but still comfortable. Winter visits are possible in December-February with temperatures of 40-60°F (4-16°C) during the day; snow occasionally closes access roads in January.

Guided tours from Page and Kanab

For visitors without a suitable 4WD vehicle, or those who want expert guidance on finding formations and navigating unmarked terrain, guided tours are the most practical option. Tours typically depart from Page, AZ or Kanab, UT.

Common tour formats:

• White Pocket UTV/ATV tour (4-6 hrs): Licensed operator transports you in a high-clearance vehicle with guide commentary. The most popular format, typically $150-200 per person from Page.
• White Pocket photography tour: Timed for golden hour light, smaller groups, photographers as guides. Higher cost but optimized for serious photography.
• Paria Canyon guided backpacking: Multi-day permits required plus guide fee. The full 38-mile route takes 4-5 days; shorter day-hike sections are accessible from the Paria Contact Station.
• Vermilion Cliffs scenic drive tour: Half-day vehicle tour along US-89A for travelers who want the visual experience without off-road driving.

About this guide

Written by Diego Fresno, travel writer specializing in the American Southwest. Information on Vermilion Cliffs permit systems verified against BLM recreation.gov and the Kanab BLM visitor center guidelines, July 2026.. Verified quarterly — last review April 2026. About the author →