hike the wave without a permit

Don’t Hike “The Wave” Without a Permit! 5 Alternatives for 2024

the wave without a permit

HIKE THE WAVE WITHOUT A PERMIT? I WOULDN’T RISK IT…

It’s frustrating and expensive: I get it! Landing a permit to hike The Wave can be seemingly impossible, whether you’re an Arizonan or a tourist from out-of-state.

Hiking The Wave without a permit may have crossed your mind, but I’m here to offer alternatives… if you (like me) can’t seem to win the lottery.

➡️ Book a Tour: Hike Vermillion Cliffs (similar to The Wave)


A Warning: Hiking The Wave Without a Permit

There’s certainly a chance that you could make the hour-long drive from Page, Arizona, or Kanab, Utah, park, hike to The Wave, and leave without facing consequences.

However… you risk getting caught, and having to pay a steep fine!

Checking Permits at the Wave Trailhead

As The Wave has grown exponentially in popularity over the last few years, the Bureau of Land Management seems to have really cracked down on trespassers. The BLM is intent on keeping foot traffic to an absolute minimum in this extremely remote part of Northern Arizona.

You can expect volunteers at The Wave Trailhead, checking permits.

Many days, BLM Rangers will also be in the parking area checking permits. Rangers also make the hike into The Wave frequently. (Not a bad job!)

I have only good things to say about the BLM guys I’ve come across while hiking in the area. Two of them gave us a ride when we wandered miles off-course, saving us HOURS of backtracking.

I’d still hate to cross them if I were hiking to The Wave without a permit.

Find for Hiking The Wave Without a Permit

The fine for hiking the trail to The Wave without a permit can be steep.

However, the fine can range between $1,000 and $10,000.

In addition, the BLM can choose to prosecute illegal hikers. So technically, you could land in jail for hiking The Wave without a permit.

You’ll also be banned from applying for The Wave permits in the lottery system, and you could be banned from BLM land completely.

You might get lucky and just get off with a warning, but I wouldn’t count on it.

You Can’t Use Someone Else’s Permit to The Wave

Your name has to match the permit. You can’t take a friend’s permit.

Believe me: I’ve tried to get creative. I asked at the office if people can hang around in the parking lot and take the permit of someone who’s leaving for the day.

The answer was a resounding: No.

They’re strict about it. Unnecessarily strict? That’s not for me to say, but the BLM really sticks to the published rules when it comes to hiking The Wave.


The Odds of Winning a Permit to The Wave

Your chances of winning the daily lottery for The Wave vary, based on the season. Regardless of the season, the odds of landing a permit are never great (or even mediocre)!

Generally, you have about a 10% chance of winning a permit to hike The Wave during the winter months (December, January, and February).

During the warmer months in Northern Arizona, your chances of winning a permit to hike The Wave drop to 2% or 3% per day.

📍CLICK HERE: JARED’S DETOURS BLOG: How to Increase Your Chances of Winning “The Wave” Lottery

the wave without a permit

Alternative to The Wave #1: Tours of Similar Sites

There are several tour options, out of either Kanab, Utah, or Page, Arizona, which will take you to the Vermillion Cliffs National Monument, near The Wave.

You’ll still experience beautiful sandstone rock formations, which are similar to The Wave.

Each of these has excellent reviews:

➡️ BOOK: Hike Vermillion Cliffs (near The Wave)

➡️ BOOK: White Pocket (near The Wave)

➡️ BOOK: Buckskin Gulch (near The Wave)

➡️ BOOK: Antelope Canyon & Horseshoe Bend


Alternative to The Wave #2: Fly Over The Wave

Flying over The Wave is an alternative for people who’ve traveled all the way to Page, Arizona or Kanab, Utah, on a wish and a prayer that they’d win the daily permit lottery.

American Aviation has pilots and planes on standby to fly you over The Wave and other natural wonders of the region.

The company runs its flights out of the small, but efficient, airport in Page, AZ.

page arizona aerial

They have a fleet of Cessna T207s parked out back to take you wherever you’d like to go.

american aviation page az

Importantly, they have special permits which allow the pilots to fly low over The Wave and into the Grand Canyon.

The 310 horsepower Cessnas carry a pilot and up to seven passengers.

Most of their passengers are foreign. In fact, they fly 90% international tourists over the sites in Arizona and Utah. In 2022, they largely flew French, German, and Italian visitors, who were eager to see the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon National Park, and Monument Valley.

Of course, hiking to The Wave is an unparalleled experience. Still, the view from above was impressive!

The Flight Over The Wave

It took us about 10 minutes to get from Page to The Wave, and the pilot made several passes over the rock formation.

We could see just a couple of the lucky hikers (he said with a grimace) down below, wandering around in awe of their surroundings.

hike the wave without a permit

Adding to the flight experience, the pilot was able to take us down low enough that we were basically flying through part of the Grand Canyon.

The FAA only grants a few of the low-flying permits each day, so the hikers aren’t disturbed by loud air traffic constantly buzzing overhead.

Other Flight Paths

The summer monsoon storms were pretty strong on our flight, so the landscape was unusually green.

the wave without a permit

The pilot was able to point out other rock formations, many of which I hadn’t heard of, along with earthquake fault lines and other geological features you can really only see from above.

The record-low water levels in Lake Powell are even more evident from above, too. You can see the efforts made by staff at the marinas to extend their docks out farther, as the water line drops.

things to do in page arizona

We still saw several houseboats and other water activities going on, despite the lake’s struggles.

The American Aviation pilots will cater each flight to your desired destinations.

They have a couple of planned routes to choose from, and will also fly charters to Las Vegas or Phoenix or other airports in the region, if you’re looking to book something bigger.

lake powell

The Cost

Our flight for 2 people was $400. It was a bit longer than an hour, and we covered around 150 nautical miles.

Their most popular flight path will take you on a 40-minute tour of Glen Canyon Dam, Horseshoe Bend, and a number of the buttes and famous sights along Lake Powell. It’s $160 per person.

There’s no minimum number of passengers required.

the wave without a permit

Alternative to The Wave #3: White Pocket

Honestly, in my opinion White Pocket is far more impressive than The Wave!

It’s so bizarre and interesting that I think it’ll continue to grow in popularity and possibly require its own permit to visit at some point.

alternative to the wave

➡️ BOOK A TOUR: Private tour to White Pocket

I have a full blog about getting to this amazing site (which is actually a challenge) but I’ll give you the basics here, too.

📍 CLICK HERE: JARED’S DETOURS BLOG: How to get to White Pocket

There’s no permit, and no guide needed to get to White Pocket.

You *will* need a 4×4 Jeep or SUV or truck, no matter what season you go in. Otherwise, you’ll get stuck in the ruts on the sandy dirt roads.

White Pocket Sign

We usually rent from JeepBNB.com and have always been happy with their customer service and the quality of the Jeep.

How to get to White Pocket AZ

White Pocket truly looks other-worldly. It’s a place I could visit time after time, and find something new on each trip.

The rock formations have been referred to as bacon, Mars, and a frothy smoothie.

Jared Dillingham, seen at White Pocket from a drone.

Once you arrive at the parking lot, there’s really not much of a “hike” involved, though you’ll find yourself walking all over this rocky landscape for hours.

It’s also a great spot to fly a drone. White Pocket is in Vermillion Cliffs, which is a National Monument, so drones are allowed.

White Pocket Arizona Wave

Spring and fall are the best times to visit White Pocket. You should be prepared for both intense heat and monsoon flooding during the summer months.

We hit a snow squall with extreme winds on a visit during the winter (but still had a great time!)

Drone White Pocket

Alternative to The Wave #4: Wire Pass to Buckskin Gulch

Wire Pass is so close to The Wave that you use the same parking lot for both hikes.

While geologically close, the two sites are worlds apart when it comes to accessibility.

➡️ BOOK: Buckskin Gulch (near The Wave)

alternative to the wave

Wire Pass offers some of the same linear rock formations as The Wave, plus a slot canyon.

Off Highway 89, between Page and Kanab, you’ll take the same bumpy drive down House Rock Valley Road. A 4×4 or SUV is best, but cars can make it to the trailhead.

alternative to the wave

➡️ BOOK: Buckskin Gulch Tour (from Kanab)

A warning: often in August and September, monsoon flooding has made the road impassable for cars, and 4×4 will be required.

Parking at Wire Pass is the easiest option. The trail will lead you down through a slot canyon and narrow gorge, surrounded by tall walls of Navajo Sandstone.

Jared Dillingham Wire Pass to Buckskin Gulch

The parking fee is $6, and you can slide cash into an envelope right at the trailhead.

A WARNING: Parking in the Buckskin Trailhead will send you on a much longer, somewhat confusing hike through a wash. You’ll lose cell signal, so make sure to download a map on AllTrails or something similar to use off-line.

It’s several miles through barren terrain before you get to the interesting rock formations.

Basically, my advice is to park at Wire Pass, and head in from there.

Jared Dillingham at Buckskin Gulch

Alternative to The Wave #5: Hoodoos at Stud Horse Point

This is a spot to visit, off Highway 89 north of Page. I’ll admit: I’d never thought much about following advice to go check it out because it didn’t seem overly impressive.

I was wrong. It’s really cool! Boulders on top of rock pedestals!

Even if you *do* get a permit to hike The Wave, you should stop by Stud Horse Point.

It’s free, and there’s no permit needed.

It features a series of “hoodoos” perched on an overlook / cliff area, which provides a beautiful view of the valley below.

alternatives to the wave

The rock formations range from a crimson red to a crisp white. You can hike down through them, or just admire them from the trail.

Driving down the road a bit farther, you’ll reach the Skylight Arch Trailhead, which is more popular (but less impressive, in my opinion!)


Wrap: Don’t Risk Hiking The Wave Without a Permit

These are just a few of the options you can explore, if you take a chance and head to Kanab or Page, but fail to win the daily lottery.

Page has a number of hotels and rental options. You can use this interactive map to search around to see what’s available for the dates you’re considering:

A few other things to keep in mind: you can reduce travel time by flying Contour Airlines to Page from Phoenix! I’ve done it several times, and always appreciate the 45 minute flight, over the 5-hour drive.

➡️ BOOK A FLIGHT: Contour flies daily from PHX – Page

We always stay at the Hyatt Place in Page. They have large rooms, friendly staff, and a kitchen that’s open both late at night and early in the morning!

➡️ BOOK HERE: Hyatt Place Page / Lake Powell

hyatt place page lake powell

And I mentioned JeepBnB for a 4×4 rental. Otherwise, book a car rental at the airport:

➡️ RENT A CAR: Try to book in advance, since they often sell out.

page car rental

Also, I have complete blogs on Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend, which are arguably the biggest draws to Page, Arizona:

📍 CLICK HERE: Upper VS Lower Antelope Canyon

📍 CLICK HERE: Antelope Canyon X

📍 CLICK HERE: Cardiac Canyon

📍 CLICK HERE: Horseshoe Bend & Antelope Canyon

📍 CLICK HERE: Monument Valley