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Quick Guide to Trails in the Falls Creek Area in Durango, Colorado

We’ve outlined some of our favorite hiking trails in the Falls Creek area to make it easier for you to pick a trail that’s right for you!

Hiking In Sedona: What You Should Know

To get you prepped for your hike in Sedona, we’ve compiled advice into a detailed guide on what to expect when going for a hike in Sedona.

Snowshoeing in Durango: Our 7 Favorite Trails

Snowshoeing in Durango, Colorado this season? Here’s a few of our favorite snowshoeing trails for your next Microadventure in Durango!

Our 10 Favorite Places to Hike in Tucson, AZ

As you’re planning you Tucson, Arizona trip, here are our 10 favorite places to hike with trails around Tucson.

Snowshoeing in Boulder: Our 7 Favorite Trails

Snowshoeing in Boulder, CO this Winter? We’ve compiled a list of our favorite snowshoeing trails to explore in and around the Boulder area.

5 Best Portable Induction Cookers For RVs and Vans

To aid you in your next Microdventure, we have compiled a list of the 5 best portable Induction Cookers for your RV or van.

Our 10 Favorite Family-Friendly Hikes in the Grand Canyon

If you’re considering hiking with your family in the Grand Canyon, here are our 10 favorite family-friendly hiking trails.

What is Car Camping?

Trying to figure out what car camping is and why so many people are doing it? Here we define car camping for you in a simple way.

Car Camping Packing List for Your Microadventure

To aid in getting you set for your next car camping trip, here’s a list of essential and luxury things to pack.

Payson, AZ Free Dispersed Camping Areas

In order to help you narrow down where to camp, here’s a list of our favorite free, dispersed camping spots and areas around Payson, Arizona.

Flagstaff Free Dispersed Camping Map

To help make a decision on where to camp around Flagstaff, AZ, here’s a map of our favorite free, dispersed camping areas and spots.

Our 10 Favorite Hiking Trails in Flagstaff

Looking to go hiking in Flagstaff? Here’s a brief list of our favorite hikes and hiking trails in Flagstaff, Arizona.

A Guide to Camping in Sedona

The famous Red Rock Country city that is Sedona, Arizona. For those who haven’t visited, Sedona is a mecca for Microadventures. With miles of hiking and biking trails, climbing, and towering red sandstone views, you could spend a lifetime exploring Sedona and not see...

Sedona Free Dispersed Camping and Campgrounds Map

Trying to figure out where to camp around Sedona, AZ? We built a map of our favorite established campgrounds and dispersed camping areas.

Our 10 Favorite Hiking Trails in Sedona

With over 200 miles of trails, there’s a lot to choose from in Sedona, Arizona! Here’s a brief list of our favorite hikes in Sedona.

“The Wave” Lottery Odds: What To Know

First Off, What Is “The Wave?”

“The Wave” is arguably one of the most famous geological features in both Arizona and Utah. “The Wave” is located in the Coyote Buttes North area, just west of Page, Arizona, and east of Kanab Utah and is managed by the BLM. For those unfamiliar, “The Wave” is comprised of two U-shaped troughs of sandstone on a small mesa within the Coyote Buttes North area. The area itself is quite small, only 118 feet long and 62 feet wide– which is where the permitting process comes into play.

Because of the small area of “The Wave” itself and the huge popularity of tourists, photographers, and Microadventurers, a permit system was created by the BLM to control the number of visitors (and potential damage) “The Wave” receives. The permit system is lottery-based and is extremely competitive: Only 20 permits are issued per day- 10 reserved for the online lottery and 10 for the in-person lottery. That’s it!

“The Wave” saw over 170,000 permit applications for just 7,300 available permits in 2017.

Yeah, it’s competitive.

 

Permit Guide

 



 

The Odds Of Getting A Permit To “The Wave”

According to the BLM, if you’re entering the online lottery, your odds during the high-season (April-June and September-November), are 4-5%. For the off-season months of August and January, historically your odds of getting a permit are 8% and 25% respectively.

But there are times when your chances are higher! When we looked for dates in February 2020, there were 1,885 applicants for the 580 available permits. That translates to over 30% odds for getting a permit to “The Wave.”

The key is to watch the online permit portal for “The Wave” to see what days of the month have a low number of applicants and apply for those days.

For in-person permits, your odds of getting a permit to “The Wave” go up dramatically. While we didn’t take stock of our odds when we applied for in-person permits in December 2018, The Wandering Wheatleys estimated that their in-person lottery odds were about 10% during their March 2017 attempt.

At the same time, we’ve personally heard from the BLM that in-person odds range from 15-25% depending on the time of year and how many people apply for permits at the same time. Either way, the in-person lottery is higher on average than the online lottery system.




 

Conclusion

Getting permits to “The Wave” is a competitive process. With odds from 4-25% historically, it is challenging but possible. Like all lotteries, “you can’t win if you don’t play!” And the more you play, the more likely you are to win.

 

Permit Guide

 

 

Resources For “The Wave”

Nick The Rambling Man

Nick The Rambling Man

Nick is the owner and regular content writer for Southwest Microadventures. When he’s not writing, you can find him rock climbing, peak bagging, mountain biking, backpacking, or drinking strong coffee.

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