Coyote Buttes South: An Epic Alternative to the Wave

Coyote Butte South is the ultimate desert adventure and a perfect alternative for those who weren’t able to snag a super competitive permit for the “Wave” rock formation in northern Arizona.

While permits to see the “Wave” are nearly impossible to get, permits for Coyote Butte South, which is located right next to the “Wave,” are much more readily available.

Coyote Butte South is one of the last few truly untouched areas of the American Southwest and is filled with colorful rocks swirling like waves across the open desert, bearing a striking resemblance to the “Wave.”

I lived in southern Utah and northern Arizona for three months and exploring Coyote Butte South with no other people around was definitely one of my favorite adventures.

If you’re looking for an overlooked and off-the-beaten-path desert adventure, you have to check out Coyote Butte South!

Coyote Buttes South

Coyote Buttes South vs. North

So you wanted to see the famous Wave in Coyotes Buttes North but you didn’t get permits and you’re wondering if Coyote Buttes South is worth it? It is!

• Coyote Buttes South is less popular, and you’re unlikely to see another soul for hours
• While there is nothing as iconic as the Wave in Coyote Buttes South, the landscape is very similar
• Coyote Buttes South is even more remote and rugged.

Permits for Coyote Buttes South

There are only 20 daily permits for Coyote Butte South, meaning you’ll likely see few, if any, other hikers during your adventure. However, that does mean you need to get permits in advance. Luckily, the area is still under the radar of most people, so securing a permit isn’t too difficult.

There are two ways to get a permit for Coyote Buttes South:

• 10 permits per day are available to be reserved online on recreation.gov. Permits are released in monthly batches 3 months in advance at 12:00 noon MT. For example, if you want to visit anytime in April, permits will be released on January 1. If there is a specific day you want to visit, it’s a good idea to purchase permits as soon as they are released.
• The remaining 10 permits are available via a walk-in lottery the day before your trip. The lottery is held at the Kanab Center between 9:30 and 10:30 AM MT.

You can find more information about permits for Coyote Buttes South on the BLM website.

How to get to Coyote Buttes South

Getting to Coyote Buttes South is a challenge. Unless you have a high-clearance, 4-wheel drive vehicle along with the confidence to drive through deep sand, you’ll need to hike an extra 2.5 miles to reach Coyote Butte South.

Coyote Buttes South Access Points

There are three possible access points to Coyote Buttes South:

• Lone Tree | 2WD accessible (high clearance recommended, though not absolutely necessary unless it has rained recently)
• Paw Hole | 4WD (not AWD!) high clearance vehicle required, 2.5 miles past Lone Tree
• Cottonwood Cove | 4WD (not AWD!) high clearance vehicle required, 7 miles (by road) past Paw Hole

Map of Coyote Buttes South

The map below displays the location of the three access points, as well as the road and “trail” between the main sections. Remember there is no official hiking trail so this is more just for reference.

All three entrances are located off House Rock Valley Road, which begins about 40 miles west of Kanab, Utah off Highway 89.

House Rock Valley Road is unpaved and rock/bumpy. You should be safe with any vehicle, but you’ll definitely feel more comfortable if you at least have high clearance.

House Rock Valley Road gets very muddy when wet and becomes impassible, even with high clearance/4WD, when it’s raining or has recently rained. Do not attempt to drive on the road if it has recently rained or rain is in the forecast.

Getting to the Lone Tree Access Point

Once you’re on House Rock Valley Road, you’ll drive for about 16 miles, until you reach BLM Road 1079. At this point, you’ll see a road to the left (BLM Road 1079) and some big signs that warn visitors not to go any farther if they don’t have high clearance and 4WD.

The small parking lot to the left of the sign is Lone Tree Access point. If you don’t have high clearance or 4WD, this is where you need to park.

Getting to Paw Hole & Cottonwood Canyon

If you continue along BLM Road 1079, you’ll reach the Paw Hole entrance point in about 2.5 miles. To reach Cottonwood Cove, you’ll continue along the sandy road for another 7 miles.

The road to Paw Hole and Cottonwood Cove poses an extra challenge because it combines deep sand, uneven conditions, and exposed, sharp rock. You can’t drive fast like you normally do through sand because of the rock, and you can’t drive slowly over the rock, because you’ll get stuck in the sand.

Before I left, I called the BLM office to get a better sense of the road conditions and ask if it would be possible to reach Paw Hole in my AWD Subaru Forester.

The folks I talked to basically laughed at me and said that they were always helping people with Subarus who get stuck trying to make it to Paw Hole or Cottonwood Cove. After seeing the roads, there was no way we would have made it even the 2.5 miles to Paw Hole without getting stuck.

Remember that this area is very remote and does not have any cell service. If you get your vehicle stuck, you may not see anyone else for hours or days.

If you park at Lone Tree, you’ll need to walk the 2.5 miles along the road to the Paw Hole Access Point on the way in and on the way out. This is what we did, and it was annoying to hike along a dirt road for so long, but it was definitely worth it!

Coyote Buttes South with a tour

• Cost | $175 to $200 per person

If you are eager to visit Coyote Buttes South but don’t want to worry about driving on rocky, sandy roads and don’t want to hike an extra 5 miles to reach the area, you can book a guided tour that will provide all the needed transportation.

Guided tours are very popular in Coyote Buttes South, and while we’re generally hesitant to pay for tours, we definitely see the benefit here.

There are a number of companies offering tours of the Coyote Buttes South area with prices around $175-$200 per person. Some popular tour companies are:

• Dreamland tours
• Paria Outpost and Outfitters
• Kanab Tour Company
• Grand Circle Tours
• Southwest Adventure Tours

Coyote Buttes South | Trail Guide

We visited Coyote Buttes South in early June 2022. We were able to book permits for a Saturday about 2 months in advance. As noted above, we don’t have a high-clearance/4WD car so we parked at Lone Tree and hiked along the road to Paw Hole before continuing to Cottonwood Cove.

We ended up hiking about 13.5 miles total, with 1,700 feet of elevation gain, over the course of 8 hours.

Hiking trails (or lack thereof)

The first thing to know about exploring the Coyote Buttes South area is that there are no designated hiking trails. From the Paw Hole access point, there is a bit of path for a short while but it isn’t maintained and becomes impossible to follow after maybe a mile or so.

On one hand, we found the lack of trails super exciting because that meant we were able to explore wherever we wanted.

On the other hand, not having trails makes navigation and travel a lot harder. You’ll be bushwhacking through low shrubs, constantly assessing your surroundings, and making sure you’re headed in the right direction.

It is absolutely vital that you have a means of offline navigation, such as an offline map downloaded on AllTrails, a GPS, or a map and compass.

You are responsible for your own safety, and this includes knowing where you are, where you want to go, and how to get back to safety.

Paw Hole vs. Cottonwood Cove

There are two distinct areas in Coyote Buttes South: Paw Hole and Cottonwood Cove. Paw Hole covers the southern area, while Cottonwood Cove stretches into the northern part of Coyote Buttes South. The two areas each feature unique types of rock formations.

If you only have time for one area, we’d recommend Cottonwood. It’s significantly larger with more impressive features and more to see.

Paw Hole

The Paw Hole area of Coyote Buttes South is easier to access, but it’s not as visually stunning as Cottonwood Cove. Nonetheless, Paw Hole is still amazing and if it’s all you have time to do, it’s definitely still worth it.

Paw Hole is known for large orange “teepees” of rock that rise out of the ground in swirling patterns. I think the formations kind of looking like soft-served ice cream cones if they were made out of orange sandstone!

Cottonwood Cove

Cottonwood Cove features more of the swirling, wave-like formations you’d expect to see in Coyote Buttes North (the “Wave”). We’ve explored almost every corner of the American Southwest and Cottonwood Cove might be the most unique area we’ve seen!

It truly doesn’t seem possible that a place like this should exist! The rocks, striped in hues of yellow, orange, red, and purple, rise out of the sand in unimaginable patterns.

Is it possible to hike between Paw Hole and Cottonwood Cove?

Yes! But it isn’t easy. If you look at the map of Coyote Buttes South, you’ll see that Paw Hole is actually quite narrow and Cottonwood Cove opens up a bit as it extends to the east. To hike between them, you’ll traverse across an open expanse of sagebrush and deep sand, with nothing much to see.

Hiking Distances

With no designated trails, it’s difficult to say exactly how long your hike in Coyote Butte South will be. Having hiked all the way from Lone Point to Cottonwood Cove, here are the estimated distances you can expect to hike between the different access points and areas of Coyote Butte South:

Lone Tree Access Point

• Lone Tree to Paw Hole: 7 miles (2.5 miles to Paw Hole + 2 miles exploring the Paw Hole + 2.5 miles back to Lone Tree)
• Lone Tree to Cottonwood Cove: 13 – 15 miles (2.5 miles to Paw Hole + 2 miles exploring Paw Hole + 2 miles to Cottonwood Cove + 2 miles exploring Cottonwood Cove + 5 miles back to Lone Tree)

Paw Hole Access Point

• Paw Hole: 2-3 miles (just exploring Paw Hole area)
• Paw Hole and Cottonwood Cove: 8-10 miles (2 miles exploring Paw Hole + 2 miles to Cottonwood Cove + 2 miles exploring Cottonwood Cove + 2 miles back to Paw Hole)’

Cottonwood Cove Access Point

• Cottonwood Cove: 2-3 miles (just exploring Cottonwood Cove area)

Insider Tip | If you can drive all the way out to Cottonwood Cove, you can stop at Paw Hole on the way in or the way out. You don’t need to hike between Cottonwood Cove and Paw Hole.

Coyote Buttes South | FAQs

When is the best time to visit Coyote Buttes South?

The best time to visit Coyote Buttes South is the spring (March – May) and the fall (September – November). Temperatures will generally be milder during these times. The summer months (June-August) will be brutally hot with temperatures consistently over 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

In the winter (December – February), snow is possible and temperatures can be below freezing. If there is snow, the area will be inaccessible due to the road conditions.

Where should I stay near Coyote Buttes South?

The closest town to Coyote Buttes South is Kanab, Utah. Kanab is small but there is a decent selection of lodging options. Visiting Coyotes Buttes South is certainly one of the best things to do in Kanab!

There are two campgrounds located close to Coyote Buttes South:

• Stateline Campground | Located about 6 miles north of BLM 1079 along House Rock Valley Road, right on the border of Arizona and Utah, Stateline Campground is the closest camping option to Coyote Buttes South. The campground has 7 first-come, first-served sites with fire rings, picnic tables, shade structures, and pit toilets. There is no fee to camp here.
• White House Campground | Located 2 miles down White House Road off Highway 89, White House Campground is about 45-60 minutes from BLM 1079. This is a more popular campsite than Stateline, as many people camp here before entering Grand Staircase Escalante or the Paria River/Paria Canyon areas. Sites are first-come, first-served and cost $12 per night.

Can I camp in Coyote Buttes South?

No, camping is not permitted inside the permit area for Coyote Buttes South. However, there are a few dispersed camping sites along BLM 1079 leading towards Paw Hole and Cottonwood Cove.

If you have a high clearance 4WD vehicle that can handle the road conditions, this would be an awesome area to spend the night before your adventure.

Other Useful Resources

Looking for more to do in the area? Below are a few other awesome things to do in the northern Arizona/southern Utah area:

Questions about visiting Coyotes Buttes South? Let us know in the comments below!

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