Vermilion Cliffs National Monument

Vermilion Cliffs National Monument is a protected area on the Arizona-Utah interface in the southwestern United States, established in 2000 and managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. It preserves striking sandstone cliffs, plateaus and remote desert landscapes.

The monument contains sculpted Navajo sandstone with vivid red, orange and white banding across cliffs, benches and buttes; photographers and hikers come to see formations such as Coyote Buttes (home to The Wave) and White Pocket. Access to these features is often over rough, unpaved roads and requires planning; the most famous site, The Wave, is accessed via a permit lottery limited to 20 visitors per day.

Smaller but highly scenic areas include alcoves, narrow slickrock corridors and viewpoints that provide panoramic views of the Paria Plateau and adjoining wilderness areas. Guided trips are commonly used for the most remote units to ensure safe passage and minimal impact on sensitive terrain.

The monument was proclaimed in 2000 to conserve its scenic sandstone landscapes and associated cultural resources and is administered by the Bureau of Land Management. Prior to designation the area was used for grazing and occasional recreational use; designation increased protections and formalized permit systems for fragile sites.

The monument sits in northern Arizona near the Utah border; the nearest towns commonly used as access points are Page, Arizona and Kanab, Utah. The landscape is remote desert and plateau country with long dirt-road approaches to many trailheads.

• Permits and limits: Permits are required for some of the monument’s most visited areas, with The Wave (Coyote Buttes North) limited to 20 visitors per day via lottery.
• Access and management: Management falls to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, and many features are reached by unpaved, remote roads that may need high-clearance or four-wheel-drive vehicles.
• Highlights and tours: Popular photographic targets include banded sandstone formations such as White Pocket and the Coyote Buttes area; guided tours are available to reach the most remote features safely.

What to See#

• White Pocket: A compact area of eroded sandstone known for banded, cross-bedded formations and swirling patterns that attract photographers and hikers; sections are remote and require high-clearance vehicles or long hikes to reach.
• Coyote Buttes North (The Wave): A section of Coyote Buttes called Coyote Buttes North contains the sandstone formation known as The Wave; visitor access is regulated by a daily permit lottery limited to 20 people per day.
• Vermilion Cliffs escarpment: The multicolored escarpment and plateau landscapes that give the monument its name, forming steep sandstone cliffs and benches across the monument’s boundaries and adjoining wilderness areas.

From US-89 near Page, Arizona, take the House Rock Valley Road (FR 1035) north toward trailheads for the Vermilion Cliffs. The road is unpaved and can be rough-4WD is recommended and sections can be impassable after rain. Permits for Coyote Buttes (The Wave) are obtained via the online lottery; other areas are accessible without permits but always follow BLM regulations and carry ample water.

• The Wave (Coyote Buttes North) requires a permit via a strict lottery-apply well in advance.
• Cell reception is spotty-download maps and bring a physical map and plenty of water. Expect desert heat and limited shade.
• For the Paria Canyon and Vermilion Cliffs itself, use the House Rock Valley Road (also called FR 1035/North Wash) from US-89; the road can be impassable after rain-4WD recommended.