It’s almost desert season which means trips to Utah for hiking and exploring. Spring and fall are excellent times to enjoy areas like Escalante and Kanab. While I was in Kanab this past April my friend and I applied for permits to hike Coyote Buttes North (the Wave) and South. We didn’t win permits for North, but we did win permits for the South! This was pretty exciting because only 20 people per day are permitted. You can win permits through an advanced lottery online or a day prior lottery where you must be in the geofence area to apply. It’s important note you must have a high clearance 4wd vehicle to get to Coyote Buttes South and if you don’t you can hire a guide service to take you there. All permits are issued by recreation.gov and must be picked up in person by a certain time the day before your permit is good for and you must watch a video and get a map at the local BLM office. More details are on recreation.gov.
Once you arrive at Coyote Buttes South it’s pretty awesome because there are no set trails meaning you can wander all around the formations. You will be hiking on sand and slick rock so hiking boots are appropriate. There’s no cell service out here and very little shade so it’s best to go early and bring plenty of water.
There are specific formations you can look for out here, but we just had fun wandering around taking photos of the various colors or whatever caught our eye.
I feel like one of the best parts of this area is the solitude because of the permit system. I know it’s harder to access, but if you have the right vehicle and are comfortable navigating and driving on sand then this area is definitely worth trying to see and much easier to win a permit for.
There is no overnight camping out here so plan ahead for your visit by staying close to the area.
Also near this area is White Pocket so if I gas to do it over I’d combine them in one trip instead of exploring white pocket one day then here the next just because it’s so far out there.
I’ll give you details on what else we explored during our time in Kanab. I hope you enjoy and see this is worth trying for a permit for!