Most people treat The Wave lottery like a slot machine—put in your application, hope for the best, lose, and wonder what went wrong. That’s not a strategy. The hikers who actually get this permit understand something the rest don’t: there are two completely separate lottery systems, they have different odds, different mechanics, and different optimal strategies. Play both correctly and your chances improve dramatically.
Here’s exactly how it works.
The Wave at a Glance
The Wave is a sandstone formation inside Coyote Buttes North, a permit area within the 112,500-acre Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness on the Utah-Arizona border. The formation itself sits just over the state line on the Arizona side, though the hike starts in southern Utah at the Wire Pass Trailhead off House Rock Valley Road.
The hike is 6.4 miles round-trip with about 1,200 feet of elevation gain. There are no developed trails or facilities inside Coyote Buttes North. Permit holders receive a route description with a photo guide and GPS coordinates for the suggested route. This is a wilderness navigation exercise, not a marked trail. If you’re not comfortable reading terrain, hire a guide or do serious preparation.
Before January 2021, the BLM capped daily visitation at 20 people, and The Wave lottery odds sat around 3.6%. That’s 36 winners per 1,000 applicants. The daily permit limit increased from 20 to 64 in January 2021, and 64 permits have been issued daily since. That change meaningfully improved the odds, though demand has continued to grow. Those 64 spots are divided between two separate lottery systems, which most applicants don’t fully understand.
The Two Lottery Systems
The Advanced Lottery
The advanced lottery is the primary system and accounts for 48 of the 64 daily permits, 12 groups maximum. You can enter any time during a calendar month for a permit date four months ahead. For example, applying in February puts you in the lottery for June dates.
The lottery drawing runs on the first of the following month at 9:00 AM, and applicants are notified by email shortly after. Winners must log back in to confirm, complete their information, and pay by the 15th of the month or forfeit the permit.
Fees:
- Application fee: $6 non-refundable, charged at the time you apply
- Recreation fee if selected: $7 per person (and per dog)
What most people don't know
You can list up to three preferred hiking dates in a single application. Most applicants only choose one or two dates, and almost everyone picks weekends. Choosing three mid-week dates in a low-competition month is one of the most effective things you can do to improve your odds in The Wave lottery.
You may only submit one application per monthly lottery. If you attempt to submit more than once, Recreation.gov flags the duplicate and you risk disqualification.
The Daily Geofence Lottery
The daily lottery covers the remaining 16 permits, 4 groups maximum. This system replaced the old walk-in lottery in Kanab in March 2022, and most people don’t use it as aggressively as they should.
Applications open two days before your desired entry date, between 6 AM and 6 PM Mountain Time. Results go out at 7:15 PM the same evening. Winners must accept the permit and pay fees by 8 AM Utah time the following morning, then be on-site at a permit pickup location at 8:30 AM local time for a mandatory safety briefing.
The catch: you must be physically within the geofenced area and apply from a mobile device. Desktop computers don’t work. The geofence covers a roughly 40-mile radius around Coyote Buttes, centered on Kanab, Utah, and Page, Arizona. Download the Recreation.gov app and enable location services before you need them. Spotty cell service in the region makes last-minute setup a real risk.
Fees: $9 non-refundable application fee (daily lottery only); $7 per person recreation fee if selected.
What most people don't know
The daily lottery success rate runs 15 to 30 percent, significantly better than the advanced lottery in peak season. Hikers who base themselves in Kanab or Page for a week and apply every single day give themselves multiple shots at those odds. It takes flexibility, but it works.
How to Actually Get This Permit in 2027
Step 1: Enter the Wave Lottery Every Single Month
The advanced lottery runs monthly, which means you have 12 chances per year. Most people enter once, lose, and stop. Each person can only submit one application per monthly lottery, but there’s nothing stopping you from entering every month until you win. The $6 application fee is the cost of persistence.
Pick your target season, count back four months, and start entering. If you want a May permit, you’re entering in January. Mark your calendar.
Step 2: Choose Your Dates Strategically
The Wave is most competitive in spring and fall when the weather is ideal. Applying for December, January, or February dates means fewer applicants and meaningfully better odds. Just prepare for cold mornings, shorter days, and potentially icy sections on the route.
For day-of-week, mid-week beats weekends consistently. Most applicants default to Friday through Sunday. Choosing Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday gives you three competitive date selections in a single application.
Step 3: Use the Daily Lottery as a Parallel Strategy
Don’t wait for the advanced lottery to come through before planning your trip. Some hikers win their second chance through the daily lottery just days before visiting, even after planning an advanced lottery trip to the area. If you’re driving through southern Utah or northern Arizona for any reason, being inside the geofence gives you a free shot at 16 permits per day.
Step 4: Think About Group Size
Smaller groups have a slight edge. A solo applicant or pair is easier to slot into the daily quota than a group of six. If you have a large group, consider whether everyone needs to be on the same permit, or whether splitting into smaller applications makes sense.
The Wave Permit Process: Rules You Need to Know
Alternate permit holders matter. If the primary permit holder cannot make the trip, the permit can only be used by the alternate permit holders listed on the permit at the time of application. If neither the primary nor an alternate is present, the permit is invalid. List your alternates when you apply. You cannot add them later.
No changes after the lottery runs. There will be no modifications allowed to permit dates, applicant name, alternate permit holders, or group size once the lottery has run.
No refunds, no rescheduling. Permits are non-refundable for any reason, including weather and health issues. This is not a park service that makes exceptions. Plan accordingly.
Dogs are allowed but must be on the permit. Dogs are allowed and must be included on the permit and kept under control at all times. Waste must be packed out. Dogs require the $7 recreation fee, same as a person, but do not count against the group size quota.
Everyone counts. Every person in your group, regardless of age, including non-walking infants, must be included on the permit.
Permits are valid for Coyote Buttes North only. A Coyote Buttes North permit is not valid for Coyote Buttes South, Paria Canyon, or any other permit area. These require separate permits and separate application processes.
Permit Dates: Advanced Lottery Calendar 2027
| Apply During | For Permits In |
|---|---|
| January 2027 | May 2027 |
| February 2027 | June 2027 |
| March 2027 | July 2027 |
| April 2027 | August 2027 |
| May 2027 | September 2027 |
| June 2027 | October 2027 |
| July 2027 | November 2027 |
| August 2027 | December 2027 |
| September 2027 | January 2028 |
| October 2027 | February 2028 |
| November 2027 | March 2028 |
| December 2027 | April 2028 |
What Else Is Inside Coyote Buttes North
The Wave is the most famous feature, but Coyote Buttes North contains some of the most visually striking geologic sandstone formations in the world. Your permit covers the entire Coyote Buttes North area, not just The Wave formation. Other features worth finding: the Dinosaur Dance Floor, Wave 2, Dick’s Arch, and Top Rock Arch. Most hikers who only chase the Instagram shot miss half the reason to be out there.
Gear You Actually Need
- Water: 2–3 liters per person, there are no water sources inside Coyote Buttes North
- Navigation: permit holders receive a route map and GPS coordinates, but this is unmarked wilderness terrain—download offline maps before you leave cell service
- Sun protection: hat, sunscreen, and sun-protective clothing are non-negotiable in the desert; shade is essentially nonexistent on the route
- Microspikes: worth carrying November through March when icy patches appear on the route
- Layers: desert temperatures swing hard between morning and midday, especially in shoulder season
- Sturdy footwear: the route crosses deep sand and uneven sandstone; trail runners or hiking boots, not casual sneakers
- Food: plan for a full day out with no facilities
Permit information verified against Recreation.gov and BLM sources, June 2026. Fees and procedures subject to change—always confirm at recreation.gov before applying.
