Coyote Buttes

Coyote Buttes Table of Contents

• Map of north and south Coyote Buttes
• Photographs
• Location of the Coyote Buttes
• The two sections; north and south
• Vermilion Cliffs tours
• Coyote Buttes permits
• Hiking at the Coyote Buttes
• Nearby places
• Similar places

Coyote Buttes Map

Map of north and south Coyote Buttes.

Photographs

North, south, west.

Location of the Coyote Buttes

Coyote Buttes are the far southern portion of the Coxcomb Ridge, a 40 mile escarpment that parallels much of the Cottonwood Canyon Road and provides an impressive barrier to US 89 between Kanab and Page. The buttes are reached by House Rock Valley Road which links US 89 with ALT-US 89, south of the Vermilion Cliffs in Arizona. The southern part of this track may have soft sand or mud at some times of the year and a rather longer drive (21 miles vs. 8.5 miles) is required to reach the main Coyote Buttes trailhead, so the northern route is preferred; this still rather bumpy road is also used to reach the Buckskin Gulch slot canyon, and the trailhead for the Wave is the same as for the Wire Pass entrance of the gulch.

North and South Coyote Buttes

The BLM divides the Coyote Buttes into two equally sized sections, North and South (see map). The northern region contains the Wave and most of the other famous sites, and extends from Wire Pass about 4 miles south (2 miles in Utah and 2 miles in Arizona), while the southern half stretches a further 4 miles. Apart from the Wire Pass trailhead, the only other easily reached starting point for Coyote Buttes North is The Notch, 2 miles from Wire Pass, where a trail crosses a pass in the cliffs and leads to the south end of the north section. South Coyote Buttes is generally harder to reach though a lesser quality dirt track provides access from the east, while the very southern end (Paw Hole) can be reached by a 2.6 mile 4WD track starting from Lone Tree Reservoir, along House Rock Valley Road. An alternative way to reach this area is by an off-trail, cross-country hike starting directly from House Rock Valley Road, climbing right over the main ridge; between 2.5 and 3.5 miles, depending on the route. Along here are several sites of interest including Top Rock Spring, a hidden arch, a group of stripy mounds and the tepees of Cottonwood Cove.

Vermilion Cliffs Tours

Coyote Buttes Permits

Permits allowing entry to North or South Coyote Buttes cost $7 per person, with a daily limit of 64 and 20 people for each region respectively, and no more than six in a single group. Actually applying for a permit costs another $9. The system in place for 2024 allocates all permits by online lotteries, of two types; Daily and Advanced. The Daily Lottery is for people actually in the local area and is held two days before the intended visit; there are 16 places for the northern area (The Wave) available, and ten for the south. Most people though use the Advanced Lottery, which is held four months prior; this has 48 and ten places respectively, for north and south. The details of each application are the same for both regions, and are described on the North Coyote Buttes page. All permits are always greatly oversubscribed, sometimes by a factor of a hundred or more. Successful applicants receive a copy of the access regulations and, for North Coyote Buttes, a topographic map to help identify the route to the Wave, which is not so well marked on the ground. Permits are also required for dogs - another $7. No overnight camping is permitted anywhere in the area; the nearest locations for this are along House Rock Valley Road.

Coyote Buttes Hiking

Coyote Buttes - Nearby Places

• Paria Rimrocks (12 miles) - sculpted formations near the Paria River
• Buckskin Gulch (adjacent) - spectacular 13 mile slot canyon

Coyote Buttes - Similar Places

• White Pocket - amazing formations in a remote region of the Paria Plateau
• Yellow Rock, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah - swirling rock formations