More hikers could soon get permission to hike to the Wave in Arizona
This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit this page.
Editor’s note: This post has been updated with additional information
Hikers hoping to visit the Wave — a striking geological formation in Vermilion Cliffs National Monument near the Utah-Arizona border — might soon find it easier to do so. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is increasing the number of visitor permits starting February 1 from 20 visitors per day to 64 and/or 16 groups, according to Lonely Planet.
For more TPG news delivered each morning to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.
Half of the permits to access Coyote Buttes North, where the Wave is located, can be reserved up to four months in advance via lottery. Each application is $9 and is nonrefundable (and non-transferable). The other 50% of permits will be reserved for walk-ups at a cost of $7 per person.
The odds of getting a permit to visit during the high season (April through June and September through October) were about 4 to 5% in 2013, according to the Bureau of Land Management, and the number of applications for permits has increased in recent years. People lucky enough to get a permit hike 3 miles each way through tall sandstone buttes and sagebrush in order to see the Wave.
During peak season, the BLM gets as many as 400 applications per day. The proposed changes would allow more hikers to experience this beautiful natural site that features a sloping sandstone basin in vibrant shades of red, yellow and orange.
But not everyone is in favor of allowing more people in.
“It could mean more people in your photographs, more people walking off-trail onto sensitive soil, more wildlife disruption,” Taylor McKinnon, a senior campaigner with the Center for Biological Diversity in Northern Arizona, told USA Today about previous efforts to increase capacity. “The agency needs to make sure any user increase is compatible with environmental protection.”
The Wave is said to be one of the most photographed places in the US, and it’s also one of the country’s most exclusive hiking spots.
As the BLM’s website notes, some recreation sites have “changed operations or limited public entry to follow social distancing and related guidance from the CDC and local and state authorities” due to COVID-19. In general, the BLM recommends “visiting areas close to home while avoiding very popular or crowded locations where social distancing may be difficult, and limiting group activities to members of your household.” Check with individual field and district offices for specific details about operations before you hit the road.
Featured image by Lobineau / Italian Wikipedia
Sign-up Successful!
Welcome to The Points Guy!
Earn 50,000 bonus miles and 5,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new card in the first three months of card membership. Plus, earn up to $100 back in statement credits for eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants in the first three months of card membership.
With Status Boost™, earn 10,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, up to two times per year getting you closer to Medallion Status. Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels, 2X Miles at restaurants and at U.S. supermarkets and earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases. Terms Apply.
- Earn 50,000 Bonus Miles and 5,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months.
- Plus, earn up to $100 back in statement credits for eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants with your card within the first 3 months of membership.
- Earn up to 20,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) with Status Boost® per year. After you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, you can earn 10,000 MQMs two times per year, getting you closer to Medallion® Status. MQMs are used to determine Medallion® Status and are different than miles you earn toward flights.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
- Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery and at U.S. supermarkets.
- Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
- Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card. *Payment of the government imposed taxes and fees of no more than $75 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required. Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
- Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights.
- Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre✓®.
- Enjoy an exclusive rate of $39 per person per visit to enter the Delta Sky Club® for you and up to two guests when traveling on a Delta flight.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- $250 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees
Disclaimer: The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.