The Wave is a sandstone formation located near the Arizona and Utah border on the slopes of the Coyote Buttes on the Colorado Plateau. The Wave is famous among hikers and photographers for its colorful and undulating landscape. Surprisingly, it has yet been designated a national park. The Wave is part of the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, administered by the United States federal Bureau of Land Management.

According to scientists, continuing erosion by wind and rain has created this spectacular sandstone landscape since approximately 190 million years ago. The soft sandstone of The Wave is so fragile that one needs to walk carefully to not break the small ridges. The Bureau of Land Management thus only grants 20 permits per day to enter The Wave. Chance of getting an entry permit becomes much more difficult during peak season from March through November each year.

One has to hike from Wire Pass Trailhead approximately 5 kilometers across open desert to reach The Wave. Temperature in The Wave can climb to around 38 degree Celsius in the summer, so it is best to start hiking early in the morning.

The Wave, Arizona