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Paria Canyon - Vermillion Cliffs Wilderness

This wilderness area sits upon BLM land along the border between Kanab Utah and Page Arizona. The most famous feature contained  with its borders is the Wave.
"I always see the same shot from the Wave which made the hike itself a pleasant surprise, the scenery is absolutely stunning. The terrain is vast and full of colourful rocks with amazing swirl patterns some with large ‘beehives’. You could spend hours just taking pictures and scrambling on the rocks on the way to the Wave."
Left: The Wave
The Wave requires an entry permit to the  Coyote Buttes Special Management Area and there are only twenty people permitted per day.  Ten are released 9am the day before in a lottery, the other ten can be obtained  online, four months in advance
It's 5.5 miles round trip from the Wire Pass trailhead although there is no actual trail.  The rangers give you a big speech about how to find it along with a map that has actual photographs of major landmarks with arrows on them.
Right: The entrance to the Wave is just below the the dark notch 
"We pretty much spent the whole day wandering around, taking pictures and soaking it all in.  It wasn’t crowded but in case you haven’t noticed photographers don’t move too fast and in such a small area that meant coming up with inventive angles that didn’t include other people or placing rocks or other obstacles in front of them.  I didn’t think the Wave could possibly live up to my expectations, especially after the hike in was so amazing but it did, the patterns and colours were fascinating and the compositions were infinite."

Zion National Park Escalante Canyons Utah Canyonlands Paria Wilderness Arizona Canyons

Left: The Wave

Buckskin Gulch is thought to be the longest, narrowest, slot canyon in the world.   The main trailhead at Wire Pass makes a spectacular day hike as it is less than two miles to the confluence with Buckskin Gulch.  A one way hike through Buckskin Gulch, to Paria River Canyon and the White House trailhead, is 20 miles.

"The trail starts down a wide wash, and the footing is loose rock, but there are many short cuts that cut off the corners and offer sandy trails. The red rocks and formations keep you entertained and oohing and ahhing the whole way. I noticed the challenges of trying to shoot photos in canyons almost immediately. The contrast between the shadows and the bright light coming in from the top made it a formidable task to come up with pleasing compositions."
Right: Wire Pass
"After climbing down and over a few small obstacles we reached the confluence with Buckskin Gulch. The canyon walls rise to impressive heights on both sides and make you feel insignificant. We only wandered a short distance down Buckskin Gulch as it wasn't long before we encountered freezing cold, deep pools. They were knee and thigh deep and were murky so it was slow going.  The bottoms were sandy but had huge rocks so we had to feel for every step, lest we would stub our toes. The water was so cold I kept wondering where the glacier was that was feeding these pools."
Paria River Canyon is 38 miles one way from White House trailhead to Lees Ferry.  A superb backpacking trip, the Buckskin Gulch confluence is 7 miles from the White House trailhead.
Left: Buskskin Gulch
Not as well known, but no less spectacular is an oasis of rock called the White Pocket in Coyote Buttes South.
"I can guarantee you this is not like any place you’ve ever been.  The rock patterns and formations could keep a photographer enthralled for days in this area.  There are lots of nooks and crannies to explore and scramble up, down and around.  After the sun has set there is a magic few minutes where the red rock just glows, it is a truly inspiring place to be. one of the coolest places I’ve ever been. "
Right: The White Pocket
Its not an easy place to find but the details are in the Arizona book by Laurent Martres.  This road is challenging and potentially dangerous.  It is a deep sand track and a high clearance, 4WD is mandatory.  Check with the Paria Ranger Station recent road conditions.  Make sure you have a shovel and lots of supplies in case you get stuck, towing is pricey and there is no cell coverage out there.  A GPS can be useful as well to navigate the maze of roads.  There is more than one route - but the one we preferred (as of 2011) is:
36°51'43.10"N 112° 3'46.51"W
36°51'33.26"N 112° 0'39.32"W
36°50'36.67"N 111°57'41.48"W
36°53' 2.97"N 111°55'13.80"W
36°56'14.64"N 111°54' 6.62"W
36°57'20.15"N 111°53'43.69"W
Coyote Buttes South is also the home of the Cottonwood Teepees, another remarkable set of rock formations.