You have probably heard of The Wave in the North Coyote Buttes section of the Vermillion Cliffs NM. It’s a very popular destination on the Utah/Arizona border. To be able to hike to it, you have to enter a lottery. In high season, the chances of winning are about nil. There is no sense in us entering the lottery, because of the seven mile round turn hike plus the time you need to wander around once you get there is way over our physical limits.
There are other sections of Vermillion Cliffs that are just as mystical, but are not as popular, since high clearance 4WD is required to get to them. That’s one reason why we bought a Jeep so we could drive close to these places.
The first one we visited is called White Pockets. It took us 1:45 minutes to drive the 36 miles to it. The last 10 miles is through fairly high sand. One other couple was there with us. Sweet! It was another all day affair, but worth it we think.
White Pockets – Vermillion Cliffs NM
Tuesday – March 17 – Off at dawn to Pah Hole and Cottonwoods. Left at 7, back at 2:30. Another long drive and tiring day.
Pah Hole – South Coyote Buttes – Vermillion Cliffs NM
Paw Hole is all about oranges. It is not a large area by any means. Dorothy and I both agreed that White Pockets is superior to Pah Hole.
Cottonwood – South Coyote Buttes – Vermillion Cliffs NM
Cottonwood is a mix of oranges, whites and pastels spread over several square miles. With binoculars you can just make out The Wave from here. Dorothy likes Cottonwood over White Pockets. I like it second best of the three areas.
Beautiful photos, Don.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your travels
Ed