You're not out of luck
So You Didn't Get a Wave Permit — Now What?
Most people who apply don't win. The alternatives in this corner of the Colorado Plateau are genuinely spectacular — and none of them require a lottery.
Never enter Coyote Buttes North without a permit. BLM rangers patrol and check permits on the trail. Fines exceed $1,000 per person. Permits are available only through Recreation.gov — not any third party.
Your three paths forward
Tell us a bit about your situation — the router below will match you with the best option.
Step 1 — Where are you staging from?
Step 2 — How many days do you have?
Step 3 — What are you up for?
All alternatives at a glance
White Pocket
Otherworldly cauliflower-swirled sandstone with nobody around — and not a single permit between you and it.
🚗 Page: 1 hr 30 min · Kanab: 2 hr 10 min
4WD or guided
Full guide →Buckskin Gulch
The longest slot canyon in the Southwest, off the very same Wire Pass trailhead — no lottery, just a self-pay permit.
🚗 Page: 1 hr 20 min · Kanab: 50 min
Self-pay permit
Full guide →South Coyote Buttes
The Wave's quieter twin — teepees and swirls most people skip because they don't know the lottery is far easier.
🚗 Page: 1 hr 50 min · Kanab: 2 hr 10 min
4WD + permit
Full guide →The New Wave
Page's own permit-free slickrock — the same molten-rock swirls, fifteen minutes from your hotel.
🚗 Page: 15 min · Kanab: 1 hr 15 min
Easy access
Full guide →Want to keep trying for The Wave?
The walk-in lottery opens 2 days before your desired hike date, via the Recreation.gov app. You can enter again as long as you're in the Page or Kanab area. Many visitors apply every day of their trip.
Walk-in lottery how-to →Preferred guided alternative
Kanab Tour Company
Our preferred partner for guided alternatives when you don't have a Wave permit. The Alternate Wave Tour visits White Pocket and other stunning Vermilion Cliffs formations that need no lottery.
Book the Alternate Wave Tour