Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness Trails

We hiked to The Wave from Wire Pass trailhead with our 5-year-old daughter, who LOVED it. After you register for the hiking permit online, the BLM sends a very detailed set of instructions in color, including GPS coordinates / landmarks. As you hike across slickrock you'll also see cairns pointing to the most efficient routes. It got pretty hot mid-day in early April so I can't even imagine hiking this in the summer, try to go in spring or fall... What an experience exploring the Wave. We were there 2 hours and it felt like 15 minutes. My only complaint -- a German photographer who camped out at the best spot with his tripod. Luckily after lunch he moved a few feet so we could take photos. How rude! And they say American tourists are the most annoying.

Hiked to "The Wave" a fantastic canyon and geological formation still so pristine that there really isn't a trail to follow. I constantly had the sense that I was the first person to tread in some of the areas of the canyons and boulder fields. We made this trek in early December and the weather was fantastic. I would imagine a summer hike would be almost intollerable in triple digit temperatures. Register with the Bureau of Land Management in Kanab to get a permit (only 20 person per day allowed) and you should expect to see a Ranger sometime during the day. Starting from Wire Pass Trail Head the route to THE WAVE is approximately 2 hours one way (~4 miles). This is a great day hike, and only a bit technical if you decide to scramble up the sandstone face to the Arch above The Wave. Otherwise a very moderate hike with High Desert scenery you'll only find in Northern Arizona. One major consideration is the access road to the trail head from Hwy 89. If the road is wet and muddy do NOT even attempt to get through. Several sections of the road are totally empassable after a rain. Be careful and tread lightly on the sandstone portions of the area... One careless step and you will damage the delicate carvings that have been forming from thousands of years of erosion from wind and rain. This area is a real treasure!