The Wave Arizona: February 2027 Lottery Permit Guide

As of 29 September 2026, Recreation.gov lists The Wave's February 2027 draw as an upcoming lottery. That makes the next useful action very specific: the advance application month is October 2026 for February 2027. You do not need to apply in the first minute, but you do need to submit before October ends; the system draws the following morning and an unconfirmed win is forfeited later in November.

The permit is for Coyote Buttes North in the Paria Canyon–Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, not for every striped-rock hike near Kanab. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) requires a lottery permit for the area containing The Wave. This guide separates the four-month advance draw from the local, mobile-only daily draw, then deals with the winter access problem that a successful February permit does not solve for you.

The October application calendar

The official Coyote Buttes North advance-lottery page accepts entries throughout a calendar month for visits four months later. An October 2026 application therefore covers February 2027 dates. The page allows an applicant to nominate as many as three trip dates, but a successful entry receives only one. Each person may submit only one application in that monthly lottery; duplicate applications are disqualified.

The draw time is governed by the booking system's local clock. Do not convert it into your own time zone and assume you need to be online at the instant of the draw: applications are accepted all month, and the draw is random. The practical deadlines are the end of October for entry and 15 November for a winner to complete payment.

What the lottery actually costs

The non-refundable entry charge is US$6 per application. If selected, the recreation charge is US$7 per person or dog. Every human must appear on the permit regardless of age, including an infant who will be carried. Dogs do not count toward the six-person group ceiling, but each dog still requires the US$7 charge.

These are two separate costs. A group of four pays US$6 to enter. If it wins, it then pays US$28 in recreation fees. Losing the draw does not return the US$6; bad weather, illness or an impassable road does not create a refund or a new date. America the Beautiful passes do not discount this permit.

Name the alternate carefully when applying. The official rules say the primary holder must be present unless an alternate was submitted during the application and accepted the emailed invitation within three days. You cannot add an alternate after the draw, and permit selling or transfer invalidates the permit.

How many permits are available

The official advance-permit rules cap Coyote Buttes North at 64 people or 16 groups per day, whichever threshold arrives first. The advance draw distributes up to 48 people or 12 groups. The separate daily lottery distributes the remaining 16 people or four groups. No group may exceed six people, and two separately permitted groups may not join to create a larger party.

The low ceiling is also why a fee paid is not a reservation. Your application buys a place in the draw, not a right to hike. Build a southern Utah or northern Arizona itinerary that still works if you lose, instead of treating The Wave as the hinge for every hotel and transport booking.

The daily lottery is a fallback, not a walk-up desk

If the October draw does not produce a February permit, the only official fallback is the Coyote Buttes North Daily Lottery. Applications are submitted two days before the intended hike between 06:00 and 18:00. You need a location-enabled mobile device and must be physically inside the published geofence when submitting. A desktop or laptop does not qualify.

The geofence includes Kanab and several southern Utah communities, plus Page and parts of northern Arizona. You may leave the boundary after submitting; the BLM's current permit page links the boundary map and applicant guidance. Follow the Important Dates table on Recreation.gov for acceptance and permit-pickup deadlines because missing a step voids the award.

There is no self-pay Wave permit at Wire Pass Trailhead. A Wire Pass or Buckskin Gulch day-use payment does not authorize entry to Coyote Buttes North.

What a February permit commits you to

The BLM describes the suggested route as a strenuous 6.4 miles round trip. Coyote Buttes North has no developed trail or visitor facilities. Permit holders receive a route description, photo guide and GPS coordinates, but the ground itself is unmarked and requires navigation across sandstone and sand.

February removes the extreme summer-heat problem, not the risk. Recreation.gov warns that winter visitors may face ice-covered sandstone and cold exposure. The unpaved access road is minimally maintained and may require a high-clearance four-wheel-drive vehicle when wet; in winter it can become impassable even to four-wheel-drive vehicles. A permit is not an instruction to continue when the road or rock is unsafe.

Check the BLM road and safety page close to the hike. Its field guidance is to carry 1 gallon (3.75 litres) of water per person, tell a responsible person the route and return time, and take a map plus compass or GPS that you know how to use. Pack enough food, clothing and water to cope with an unplanned night out. Cell service is unreliable, so download the permit, route material and offline maps before leaving Kanab or Page.

Drones, bicycles and other mechanised equipment are prohibited in the wilderness. The area is day-use only; there is no overnight camping in Coyote Buttes North. Register when entering and leaving at the trailhead, keep the group together, pack out all rubbish including toilet paper, and keep any permitted dog under control.

Choose Kanab or Page as the working base

Wire Pass Trailhead is the practical orientation point on the map, while Kanab, Utah, and Page, Arizona, are the two useful gateway towns for planning. Either can place you within the daily-lottery geography if you need the fallback draw. Your choice should turn on current road conditions, where the required permit briefing or pickup is scheduled, and the rest of your itinerary—not on a promise that one town makes the wilderness road safe.

Keep the day before the hike flexible enough to collect instructions, check the vehicle and reassess weather. Do not plan a tight same-day flight connection after the hike. That buffer is useful even if conditions are good because the route is navigational, the access road is slow, and mobile service may not support last-minute changes.

Entry rules and mobile data

Permit approval and permission to enter the United States are separate. If your passport is eligible for the Visa Waiver Program, the U.S. Department of State says most eligible travellers may visit for tourism for up to 90 days, but must hold a valid ESTA before boarding. An approved ESTA permits travel to a port of entry; it does not guarantee admission. Travellers who are not eligible for visa-free travel should check the visitor-visa route and any passport-specific restrictions before committing to non-refundable bookings.

For the connected parts of the trip, compare United States eSIM plans and check your handset on the device compatibility page. Treat data as useful in Kanab, Page and on major roads, not as a wilderness safety system. The BLM explicitly warns that cellular service is unreliable around Coyote Buttes North.

A sensible booking order

1. During October, submit one advance application with up to three February dates and a realistic group.
2. Add an alternate only if that person can create a Recreation.gov account and accept within three days.
3. On 1 November, check the result; if selected, finish the permit process by 15 November.
4. Keep accommodation and vehicle bookings flexible until the permit is confirmed.
5. Before travel, resolve U.S. entry permission and download offline permit and route documents.
6. Near the hike date, check the BLM road page and abandon the outing if access or sandstone conditions are unsafe.

FAQ

When do I apply for The Wave in February 2027?

Submit the advance-lottery application during October 2026. The draw runs on 1 November, and successful applicants must confirm and pay by 15 November.

How much does The Wave permit lottery cost?

The application costs US$6 and is non-refundable. A winner then pays US$7 for every person and dog on the permit; all people, including infants, must be listed.

Can I get a permit at Wire Pass Trailhead?

No. The Wave requires an advance-lottery or daily-lottery permit. A self-pay Wire Pass or Buckskin Gulch permit does not grant access to Coyote Buttes North.

Can I apply for the daily lottery from outside Arizona or Utah?

No. The daily lottery requires a location-enabled mobile device inside its geofence. Kanab and Page are within the published boundary, but you should check the official map rather than guessing from distance.

Is a February permit usable if the road is wet?

Not necessarily. The access road can become impassable in winter even for four-wheel-drive vehicles, and permits cannot be moved or refunded for bad conditions. Check the current BLM report and be prepared not to hike.

Does mobile coverage work at The Wave?

Do not rely on it. The BLM says cell service is unreliable in this wilderness. Save maps and permit materials offline, leave your plan with someone responsible and carry independent navigation tools.