The Wave at Coyote Buttes - Paria

The hike to the wave was one of the most scenic hikes I have been on when it comes to rock formations. There was a hint of domes and hooodoos on the Canaan mountain hike which was outstanding, but the Coyote Butte surpassed it. The wave had everything. A good uphill trek, fun pools of water, a little slot area, an arch we hiked to and even a grotto piled with white sand. The online permits were booked so we took a chance and showed up at the BLM office in Kanab at 9am when they give out permits for the next day. We were in luck. With permits in hand we headed to the wave. The turnoff is an unmarked area between Kanab and Page. The dirt road is a fun one with hard dirt and no washboard. There is a restroom at the trail head, but not much more. There are 2 sign in places where you are suppose to sign that you started and that you returned. The start of the hike is uphill, a steady nice uphill climb that gets the blood pumping. Soon the scenery becomes impressive and the climb levels out. The hike to the wave itself is only 2.88 miles. We spent time playing around the wave, taking pictures and exploring. There were 4 of us on the trip: My best friend Bo and my good friends Dean and Becky. We each took a corner and went off exploring and taking photos. I got some great shots across the wave of everyone. We had lunch here and headed off to find the arch. As we hiked up the slickrock we could see the arch far in the distance. The trek up the rock is steep, but its not too far. We came in on the back side of the arch where we could see South Coyote Butte from the distance. The arch was fun and we stopped for a break there before heading to the grotto. The grotto, which few find, was the highlight of the hike. We all enjoyed it there and the geology was magnificent. On the route back we went through a slot, finding dead cattle and bones and climbed up the side of the mountains we had passed on the way in. This is a fun and easy hike and a great way to spend a day.