How to Get The Wave Permit - Understanding The Wave Lottery Process
The Wave is an iconic desert hiking destination that will blow your mind - if you can get a permit! This undulating sandstone formation is simply stunning, but getting The Wave permit is not a simple task.
It took me several years to win The Wave permit lottery, but it was absolutely worth the wait to get the chance to see this amazing place in person. This guide to getting The Wave permits can help you make your Wave dreams come true, too!
WHAT’S COVERED IN THIS GUIDE TO GETTING THE WAVE PERMITS
There are two separate lotteries for The Wave permit – the advance lottery and the daily lottery. If you apply through the advance lottery, you will confirm ahead of time whether you get a permit, so you can make your travel plans with confidence. The daily lottery gives you another chance if you didn’t win the advance lottery, but you need to be in the geographic area of The Wave to apply.
We will discuss details of applying for The Wave lottery (both advanced & daily) here, along with lots of other useful information for trying to get The Wave permit:
1. The Wave Advance Lottery - How & when to apply for the advance lottery for The Wave permits.
2. The Wave Daily Lottery - How & when to apply for the daily lottery for The Wave permits.
3. The Wave Permit Cost & Other Considerations - Fees for The Wave permit & other important things to know about your permit.
4. Tips for Getting a Wave Permit - Ways to increase your chances of winning The Wave lottery.
5. Nearby Hikes If You Don’t Get a Permit - Other options for hiking nearby if you don’t win The Wave daily lottery.
>>>Check out this post for detailed info about actually hiking The Wave!
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ADVANCE LOTTERY PROCESS FOR THE WAVE PERMIT
If you enter the advance permit lottery for The Wave, you will find out a few months in advance if you are awarded a permit. This allows you to know if you have a permit before you make your travel plans.
The advance permit lottery for The Wave runs every month for permits four months in advance. For example, if you want a permit for a date in May, you can apply any time during January. The permit winners for May would then be announced Feb. 1st, and so on, throughout the year.
Here is a chart from Recreation.gov to help explain how the schedule works:
You need to apply for the advance permit lottery through Recreation.gov, and there is a $9 fee to apply (which is non-refundable, whether you receive a permit or not). You can only submit one application per month, but you can apply for up to three dates on your single application.
For more info and to apply for The Wave permit, check out The Wave advance permit lottery page on Recreation.gov here.
DAILY LOTTERY PROCESS FOR THE WAVE PERMIT
If you’re okay being more spontaneous with your plans and are going to be in The Wave region anyway, you can apply for The Wave permit through the daily lottery instead.
You apply for The Wave daily lottery two days before the date you want to hike, any time between 6am-6pm. The results of the lottery are sent out at 7:15pm that day.
If you win a permit, you must accept the permit and pay the required fees by 8 AM Utah time the following day, then arrive at a permit pickup location by 8:30 AM local time that day for a required safety briefing. Arriving late to this briefing will void your permit.
Double check the time zone depending on where you’re staying, because Utah and Arizona are in different time zones during part of the year (daylight savings time). This chart from Recreation.gov is helpful to figure it out:
The daily lottery process for The Wave is based on geofencing, which means you must physically be located in a designated area in the region of The Wave in order to apply. You also must apply on your mobile phone so that your location can be determined. Here is a BLM map which shows the area you need to be in in order to apply:
For more info, check out The Wave daily permit lottery page on Recreation.gov here.
HOW MUCH DOES THE WAVE PERMIT COST?
A $9.00 lottery fee is required to apply for The Wave permit in either lottery. This fee is non-refundable, even if you don’t win a permit.
If you are awarded a permit for The Wave, you will then also need to pay an additional recreation fee of $7 per person (and per dog).
OTHER USEFUL PERMIT CONSIDERATIONS
If you do win a permit in The Wave lottery, be aware that you will first be emailed a notification that you WON, and then your actual permit will be physically MAILED to you. The email confirmation does NOT count as a permit.
Put this permit in a SAFE PLACE you will remember, and be sure to grab it before your trip. You’ll be required to put part of the permit in your car at the trailhead and carry part of it attached to your bag when you hike The Wave.
TIPS FOR INCREASING YOUR CHANCES OF GETTING A PERMIT TO HIKE THE WAVE
I’m not going to sugarcoat it – getting a permit for The Wave is so competitive that you should expect to enter the lottery more than once before you actually win. In fact, I applied for years (on and off) before I finally was lucky enough to be awarded a Wave permit. But in the end, I think it was totally worth it!
After going through The Wave lottery process many times, here are some of my tips for increasing your chances at winning permits in the lottery:
Be patient - Plan to enter the lottery regularly for a while. While it does cost $9 each time you enter, I considered it my monthly donation to the parks service which takes care of all these beautiful places I love to spend time in.
Apply for permits on weekdays - Though still very competitive, weekdays always tend to be less popular than weekends.
Apply for offseason dates - This comes with the risk that The Wave hike won’t be doable due to weather and road conditions, but if you’re willing to take that chance, you could get lucky!
Apply for FEWER permits - The bigger the group, the smaller your chances. So if you go solo or just with a hiking partner, you’ll have slightly better odds.
OTHER NEARBY HIKES IF YOU DON’T WIN THE WAVE PERMIT DAILY LOTTERY
If you travel to the area without an advanced permit for The Wave to take your chances of trying for a daily permit but don’t end up getting one, you’ll still find lots of great hikes around the area that make good backup options.
Here are a few cool trails nearby:
Wire Pass Canyon to Buckskin Gulch – This popular slot canyon does require a permit as well, but the quota is not limited, so anyone can get one. You just need to purchase your permit in advance online at recreation.gov.
Toadstool Hoodoos Trail – This is a short trail that’s full of unique sandstone formations that look kind of like mushrooms.
Beehive Loop Trail – This fun slickrock trail has great views and is definitely worth checking out if you’re in the vicinity of Page, Arizona.
Hope this post helps you snag a permit for The Wave! Trust me, it’s worth being persistent to get to experience this incredible hike.
If you have any follow up questions about getting The Wave permit, feel free to comment below!
LOOKING FOR MORE DESERT ADVENTURES?
If you’re looking for additional desert hiking adventures, check out our resources below:
ESSENTIAL HIKING (OR BACKPACKING) RESOURCES
Also be sure to check out these essential hiking resources!
Cheers,
Allison - She Dreams of Alpine
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