Permits & Reservations

Plan This First

This is the single thing that derails Kanab trips. Some of the area’s best hikes are lottery-only and awarded months ahead; others just need six dollars and a phone at the trailhead. Knowing which is which changes how you plan.

What Needs What

A quick orientation. Requirements and fees change seasonally — always confirm on the official page before you travel.

Destination	System	Plan ahead	Notes
Coyote Buttes North (The Wave)	Lottery	Months	Highly competitive. Advance and next-day lotteries exist — see below.
Coyote Buttes South	Permit	Weeks	Far easier to obtain than The Wave. High-clearance 4WD generally needed.
Wire Pass / Buckskin Gulch day use	Self-pay	Same day	Per-person day-use fee paid at the trailhead. No lottery.
Paria Canyon overnight	Permit	Weeks to months	Separate from day use. Serious multi-day trip.
Angels Landing (Zion)	Seasonal lottery	Weeks	Run by the National Park Service, separate from park entry.
Zion Narrows top-down	Permit	Weeks	Bottom-up day hiking from the Riverside Walk does not need one.
Federal campgrounds	Reservation	Weeks to months	Booked through Recreation.gov.

The Wave, Realistically

Worth setting expectations clearly, because it is the question we get most.

Coyote Buttes North — the formation everyone calls The Wave — is managed by the BLM under a strict daily limit and awarded by lottery. Because the photographs are everywhere and the permit count is small, the odds in peak season are genuinely long. Most people who visit Kanab hoping to hike it do not draw a permit.

There are generally two routes in: an advance lottery held months ahead, and a next-day (geofenced) lottery you enter from within the local area during your trip. Rules, entry windows, and fees change, so treat the BLM page as the only authority.

Our honest advice: enter the lottery, then plan a trip that does not depend on winning it. Coyote Buttes South, Buckskin Gulch via Wire Pass, and the Toadstool Hoodoos are all spectacular and far more attainable — and if you do draw a permit, everything else simply moves a day.

Official BLM lottery page →

The Easy One People Miss

Wire Pass into Buckskin Gulch gets you into the longest slot canyon in the Southwest with no lottery at all. It is a day-use area with a modest per-person fee — at the time of writing $6 per person per day, and the same for a dog — paid at the trailhead by scanning a QR code at the self-pay kiosk. Keep the receipt on your dashboard.

check conditions

BLM: Wire Pass →
BLM: Buckskin Gulch →
BLM: Paria Canyon permits →

Everything Else

Coyote Buttes South →

The realistic alternative to The Wave. Read the BLM FAQ on vehicle requirements before you commit — the trailheads need real clearance.

Recreation.gov →

Federal campgrounds, tours, and timed entry across the region, all in one account.

Zion National Park →

Angels Landing lottery, Narrows permits, and current shuttle operations.

Bryce Canyon →

No hiking permits for the main amphitheatre trails — just arrive early for parking.

Sort Permits, Then Book the House

Lottery results shape the trip — but our calendar fills fast in spring and fall. Check dates early.