Hiking the Wave in Arizona - Coyote Buttes North - What to expect and what to see
After over a year of trying, we finally got permits to hike the Wave in Coyote Buttes North, northern Arizona. This is considered a bucket list hike by many, and now that I’ve done it, I see why. It’s days after the hike and I’m still psyched. You can see it on our faces and hear it in our voices on the video. The place is amazing.
Sure, the permits are hard to get. It was frustrating and I had pretty much lost all hope of ever getting them. I’ll make a separate video explaining the Wave permit process, tell the story of how we got our permits and give advice on how you can increase your odds to get your own.
But that’s for another day. This video is all about the Wave. It’s so incredible I was at a loss for words to explain it. Luckily, the video can do the talking for me. We had the place to ourselves for a while and it’s an experience I won’t forget.
But that’s not all. We then climbed the cliffs behind the Wave to see more.
First was Top Rock Arch. You can see it from the Wave, but it’s several hundred feet up the cliff. If you walk out onto the ridgeline above the arch, you will eventually reach it. You can climb down the side of the ridge from right on top of the arch to get down to it. (It helps to have someone off to the side to spot it for you; you can’t see it when you’re walking the ridgeline to it.) It offers a great view of the Wave below.
Then it was on to the Alcove. The Alcove is a hollowed out, round chamber high on the mountain behind the wave. It has beautiful textures and colors in the rock face, surrounding a large sand dune. You can see from the patterns of the rock and sand exactly how it was formed by wind swirling around over centuries.
A short hike later and it’s on to Melody Arch. Melody Arch is situated in another alcove. But instead of sand in the center, there is a mound of rock. And since all of that wasn’t enough, there’s a large window cut out of the alcove wall that offers great views of the landscape hundreds of feet below. This was a highlight for me, which is obvious from my reaction in the video. I sound and look like a little kid on Christmas morning.
We then climbed back down and checked out a wash that looked interesting from above. I haven’t seen anything on it online (or at the welcome center), but it did not disappoint either. A short, gorgeous slot canyon with dark red walls and light stripes, it was a nice bonus at the end of our trip. (NOTE: Never climb down something you can’t climb up in a canyon you are unfamiliar with. You can get trapped.)
Then it was back to the car and home.
This was my favorite day hike ever. I’m still smiling just thinking about the hike. I hate the term ‘bucket list’, but the Wave is the definition of bucket list.
I hope you enjoy the video and best of luck getting permits.
And yes, I’m already trying for permits again.
Leave Wire Pass Trail: 37.01999, -112.01715
The Wave: 36.99610, -112.00622
Second Wave: 36.99345, -112.00809
Top Rock Arch: 36.99376, -112.00510
The Alcove: 36.99221, -112.00586
Melody Arch: 36.99110, -112.00542
Another great source for hiking the Wave, including some stuff we didn’t see on our trip: Dana Hollister’s video:
• The Wave How To Hike A...