Getting There
There are several steps to "getting there" to hike The Wave:
- You need a pass to get in. The area is so incredibly photogenic and such an amazing geological formation that people would overrun it if it wasn't controlled. Therefore the Bureau of Land Management limits entry to 20 hikers per day - 10 by a quarterly lottery and 10 by a daily lottery at their office. We tried for nearly two years to get in - your mileage may vary.
- Once you have passes, you need to actually get to the Wave. The trailhead is about 9 miles down an "unimproved" gravel road, which is about 40 miles east of Kanab Utah. If you're into camping, there are unimproved camp sites all along the road, and at the Utah/Arizona border there is a formal campground. If you're into hot water and a comfy bed, Kanab is your closest option (unless you're coming from the East, in which case Page may be an option). Kanab is Utah's most recently "discovered" city and, as such, has several new hotels as of 2016, to fit even the most demanding guest. We stayed at the Comfort Inn and Suites and loved it - great people, great rooms, good rates.
- Get ready for danger. The Wave is a 100% exposed hike - there isn't significant elevation gain (maybe 400 feet total) but it is exposed and, for the most part, on red and orange slick rock. We hiked in 60 degree weather and I still drained a 70-ounce CamelBak. Bring:
- Water (and lots of it)
- A wide-brimmed hat (it's not about the looks, cowgirl)
- Sunscreen (and lots of it)
- Sunglasses (the darker, the better)
- The trail isn't significantly rugged. I hiked it in low-top hiking shoes and never had an issue. Most of the trail is on slick rock or in sand.
- Find a high-clearance vehicle. The road is unimproved - we were there in the "rainy" season, and approached the day after heavy rain had fallen. It was badly rutted. As it tuns out, a variety of two-wheel drive passenger cars ultimately made it to the trailhead (including a Honda Accord). I didn't want to chance it, so we ended up renting a four-wheel drive vehicle (Jeep Cherokee) from a Kanab-based rental company (Express Rent-A-Car http://www.xpressrentalcarofkanab.com/kanab-car-rental-rates.cfm). $150 a day was a bit high for what we got (a Cherokee with 98,000 miles - and you felt every one of those miles) but it was competitive with the alternative (renting from St. George and driving back and forth). Nonetheless it got us where we wanted to go, without incurring (or worrying about incurring) damage to our car. I suppose in the dry season, especially a few weeks after the last rain, any car can make it - the ruts will be knocked down and the road should be relatively flat (I wouldn't say "smooth"). But any other time, when rain is in the forecast, better safe than sorry. You'll cross several washes on the way in (a wash is where a stream crosses the road - or the road crosses a stream) which, during heavy rains, will become overrun with water flowing fast enough to sweep a car away.
Finding Your Way
Thanks to Google Maps - here's a map from Salt Lake City:
From Kanab, Utah head east on Route 89. The road will eventually bend left in a long sweeping curve, and shortly thereafter bend right in another long sweeping curve. After a short straightaway, the road takes a sharper left turn - this is where the trailhead cuts off, to the right. Go slow, it's a sharp turn!
House Rock Valley Road follows a canyon of sorts, south from 89 deep into the Vermillion Cliffs park. The drive in is gorgeous, especially after rains have fallen. The topography is green and, well, maybe not lush but pretty amazing for Utah's dry side! The drive itself is worth the trip from Kanab.
After what feels like 100 miles (at least in an old Cherokee), you'll get to a very obvious trailhead complete with BLM pit toilets. Park there on the west side of the road. The trail begins on the east side of the road.
The Approach
The BLM will provide you with an excellent photographic guide - color photos of what you should see as you approach and depart the Wave. DO NOT RELY on this alone - the way back can be confusing and it's easy to get lost! The BLM map includes GPS coordinates - invest in a GPS (don't use your phone, use a real GPS) and punch those coordinates in. This is a map from Topo Maps:
Note that the trail isn't as beeline-straight as the map shows. It wanders, but eventually you'll cross each point.
The trail starts out following a wash. After 1/2 a mile in the wash, it heads up a short, but steep, hill and the adventure truly begins. From here you will climb and descend over sand dunes as well as slick rock hills.
Sand Ribs (C) 2016 John Overbaugh
The rock formations are absolutely amazing - some look like topographic maps, some look like Jabba the Hutt. No kidding:
You're in for a treat, as you draw nearer and nearer to the Wave, the formations become more and more interesting. Nothing to prepare you for the natural beauty of the Wave, mind you, but still interesting in and of themselves.
It's difficult to tell from the topographic map, but the trail really is up, or down. There's not much flat to it. Combine this with high exposure, then throw high temperatures in (in the summer, it can reach and exceed 120 degrees in the afternoon), and layer on bright, reflective rock and you have a formula for disaster. PAY ATTENTION: people die here. They get dehydrated, disoriented, and lost. The BLM does not patrol the trail--you're at the mercy of other hikers, but if you stray far from the trail, even they can't help. Bring lots of water. Bring too much water, so you can share it with others. Leave the extra tripod or second camera body at home and bring extra water.
Twin Buttes (C) 2016 John Overbaugh
Pay close attention to the photographic guide from the BLM. It's easier to follow on the way in than the way out, and when you're returning you'll be tired. It's important to slow down, pay attention to your surroundings, and find the (few) brown markers the BLM has placed to help you find your way. Taking a little time to route find will save you a ton of time backtracking (no really, believe me - I have hundreds of days in the backcountry and even I had to "re-route" a few times on the way home).
Eventually you'll come down off some slick rock, just below what we called "The Sphinx" (see photo), across a wide sandy wash. Ahead of you is a steep sandy slope that eventually turns into slick rock. Start climbing - the Wave awaits you!
The Sphinx (C) 2016 John Overbaugh
The Wave
OK--what is the wave? It's an amazing maze-like formation cut out of multi-layered, colorful sandstone. It's Y shaped, with the "V" part of the Y facing you as you approach (so the top of the Y is northward). The tail of the Y slopes up a steep wall, to a flat area about 100 feet above the Wave. Keep in mind this 3-d "Y" is cut into a solid mass of sandstone - thus exposing the various colors of each layer in the rock.
Looking south into the intersection of the "Y" shaped wave. (C) 2016 John Overbaugh
The other entrance to the wave is a quick backtrack out of this one. Head out, bear to the left around the hill outside the wave, climb up a few steps and you're entering the smaller top of the "Y".
The Wave (C) 2016 John Overbaugh
As you can see, the Wave is just incredible. Geological forces stretched the rock, causing curves in the layers (almost like salt water taffy). It doesn't hurt to hike with someone as cute as my wife, either--it just enhances the sights!
After a short distance (25-30 feet) this section intersects with the rest of the "Y"
The Wave (C) 2016 John Overbaugh
Walking around the Wave gives an amazing variety of views and experiences.
Folds of Waves (C) 2016 John Overbaugh
Finally, as you ascend the 'headwall' on the southern end of the Wave, you'll be rewarded with an ever-changing view, with fold after fold of rock:
More Folds of Waves (C) 2016 John Overbaugh
Wavy Landscape (C) 2016 John Overbaugh
