The Wave, Arizona: How the Permit Lottery Works

The Wave is a sweep of striped, swirled sandstone in Coyote Buttes North, part of Vermilion Cliffs National Monument on the Arizona and Utah border. Only 64 people a day are allowed in, and every one of them needs a permit won through one of two lotteries run by the Bureau of Land Management. Here is how each lottery works, what it costs, and the time zone detail that trips up visitors staying in Page.

The Wave permit at a glance

Permits cannot be refunded or transferred, and once a lottery has run, the date, name, and group size cannot be changed.

The advance lottery

The advance lottery is for planners. You enter on Recreation.gov any time during a calendar month, and you are applying for a date in the fourth month ahead. Apply during November, for example, and you are entering for a date in March. The drawing runs on the first of the following month at 9:00 a.m.

Each person may submit only one application per lottery. If you do not win, you can still try the daily lottery once you are in the area.

The daily lottery

The daily lottery is for people already nearby, and it runs on a phone, not a computer. Here is how the BLM lays out the three days:

1. Day one, two days before your hike: apply between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. on the Recreation.gov app or the mobile website, from inside the lottery's geofence. At 7:15 p.m. you find out whether you won.
2. Day two: if you won, log back in and accept and pay for your permit by 8 a.m. Then, at 8:30 a.m., pick up your permit in person at the location you chose and attend the required safety briefing.
3. Day three: hike The Wave.

In other words, to hike on a Friday, you apply on Wednesday.

About the geofence: you must have location services turned on and be inside a boundary of roughly 2.1 million acres when you submit. Desktops and laptops cannot be used. You only need to be inside the boundary when you apply, not afterward, but you do need cell service to get your result and pay on time. Service is spotty in this region, so install the Recreation.gov app before you arrive.

Watch the clock if you are staying in Page

This is the detail that catches people. The BLM sets the application, notification, and payment deadlines on Utah and Navajo Nation time, while permit pickup and the safety briefing run on local time.

Page stays on Arizona time all year. From March to early November, Utah is an hour ahead, so on a Page clock:

• The 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. application window is 5 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• The 7:15 p.m. results come at 6:15 p.m.
• The 8 a.m. payment deadline is 7 a.m.

From November to March, the clocks match. Our Page time zone guide explains why.

If you are staying in Page, check the BLM's geofence map before your trip. If your hotel turns out to be outside the boundary, you can drive into it to submit your entry and then leave.

What the hike involves

The BLM describes the route as a strenuous hike of about 6.4 miles round trip over challenging terrain, with no developed trail, so you need to be able to find your own way. You are responsible for your own safety, so think honestly about the fitness of everyone in your group.

• Heat is the real danger. The route is exposed rock and sand with almost no shade. In summer, start early and carry far more water than you expect to drink.
• Navigation matters. Carry a map or route description and a way to track your position, and turn back if you lose the route.
• Everyone counts. Every person in your group, including a baby in a carrier, must be on the permit, and dogs must be listed and paid for too.

If you do not win

Demand is far higher than the 64 daily spots, so it helps to have a backup plan in the same area:

• White Pocket, also in Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, has the same kind of swirled sandstone with no lottery. Getting there takes a high-clearance four-wheel-drive vehicle or a guided tour.
• Coyote Buttes South, nearby, has its own advance lottery on Recreation.gov.
• Lower Antelope Canyon needs no lottery at all, just a reservation. Book a Navajo-guided tour for a day that does not clash with your lottery days, such as the morning you apply.

For more ideas, see Navajo Bridge and Lees Ferry and things to do in Page.

Permit numbers and fees are from the BLM and Recreation.gov as of October 2026. The BLM can change them, so confirm on Recreation.gov before you apply.