The Wave of Utah and Arizona: Where “Amazing” is Understatement

The Wave

I never realized how lucky I was to have visited The Wave until my guide made me realized it.

Why?

There is no easy and cheap way of going to The Wave. Only 20 guests are permitted daily in the area, guide excluded. Permits can only be obtained by lottery. Ten slots are given from out of thousands online applicants and another 10 at the park’s office for walk-ins that are usually participated by hundreds. I wasn’t really lucky on lottery but on the day that I needed to be, I was! So I got a slot online for my intended date of visit.

The next concern is the logistics of going there. One can either join a tour of an accredited agency (minimum is guests for the tour); or get your own vehicle, drive to the trailhead and do it on your own. There is no cheap way specially if you are alone.

Thankfully, I met a local accredited guide who was willing to explore the area out of his company’s standard rates. He made a day off, we used his own car and we explored the area together. It made the cost tolerable for a solo budget backpacker in me.

We were in awe with the sheer beauty of the place. The various rock formations and vivid striations, the dramatically changing landscape and everything around us. Ahhhh! I kept asking myself, “how on earth were these formed?”

Let me take you there with this post.