A Crazy (and Lucky) 72 Hours

Upper Antelope Canyon, Lower Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, The Wave, and The Narrows — all in 72 hours. Need we say more?

The internet and social media has done a lot to popularize hikes and outdoor adventures across the country that are particularly photographable. For various reason, access to these places may be challenging. For example, popularity may have caused the government to charge a fee or require a permit. Other times, it’s mother nature that provides her own limitations. Or perhaps the land is held privately or by tribal authorities and thus requires a paid reservations.

Whatever the barrier to entry, the ways in which we access the most sought after place keeps them pristine and protected. So, even when we roll our eyes at the process, know that it’s for the greater good, and have a bit of patience.

They say that the hardest permit to get in the federal public lands system (Recreation.gov) is North Coyote Buttes in the Paria Canyon-Vermillion Wilderness — better know as The Wave.

The Wave is a stunning sandstone rock formation straddling the border between Arizona and Utah. It’s undulating, wave-like shape and vibrant colors have made it an incredibly popular destination for hikers, photographers, and outdoor influencers. Access is highly restricted, with a limited number of permits issued daily to preserve its delicate environment.

We’d previously entered the lottery for The Wave and lost. Four months out, they award permits for 48 people. And then two days out they add another 12. The catch is that while you can enter the advanced lottery from anywhere, to enter the short-term lottery, you must be in a specific geo-fence designated area known as the geo-fence.

The geo-fence is designed pretty well to make sure that very few populated areas are include. For example, it runs right up to the Eastern gate of Zion, but does not include any part of the National Park. It does however include Page, Arizona — which along with Kanab, Arizona are the decent-sized towns that service the short-term Wave lottery.

So, we decided to hang out in Page and enter the lottery everyday. On our way, we entered the geo-fence near Pipe Springs National Monument, with only about 45 minutes before the deadline. The problem: no cell service. So, we borrowed some WiFi at Pipe Springs and submitted.

Lo and behold, we won! It was a Wednesday evening. We needed to be in Page for an 8am briefing on Thursday, and then we’d be hiking on Friday. Honestly, we were a bit in awe because we know people who have entered the long-term lottery evey chance they’ve had for years and never won. Our advice is to go to the geo-fence. Of course, maybe we were just lucky.

So, while in Page, we set up camp at Wahweap Campground, part of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area on Lake Powell. From there is was a 10 minute drive — across the Glen Canyon Dam — to Horseshoe Bend of the Colorado River, one of the most photographed river bends in the US.

After the briefing and Horseshoe Bend, we had reservations to visit both Upper and Lower Antelope Canyons. We did Upper with Anventurous Antelop Canyon and Lower with Ken’s Tours. Both sections of the canyon (which are on different sides of the highway, for what it’s worth) sit on land owned by the Navajo Nation, who runs it as a national park. All tour guide services are Navajo-run, and that’s the only way to see the canyons.

The pictures are phenomenal. You know how sometimes you’re in a beautiful place and you can’t seem to capture it with your camera; the photos just don’t do it justice? This place is the opposite. The photos turn out even better — especially if you have a good guide who can point you toward the exact right shots. Time of day also matters, so we booked 11am and 3pm tours, respectively to maximize overhead sunlight.

We can’t recommend Upper over Lower. The recommendation is to do both. But, Upper is probably a better experience, while Lower offers better photos op-eds. But neither one is running away with either award. They are both spectacular.

Friday is Wave Day. The drive was about an hour. And we made it there before 6am. We weren’t the first on the trial, but we were close. There is no point in wasting words to describe this place, but we’ll waste a few.

In any other place, the trail would be worth it without the attraction at the end. Though, coming back it was very, very hot. The trail is closely monitored. We were asked for out permits, and the consequences are not worth it. Don’t try to sneak by on this one, seriously.

Besides The Wave you see in photographs — of which we took hundreds of photos and spend hours at — there is a “second Wave” beyond. After that there is a bit of a climb (follow the trail on All Trails) to an amazing windswept alcove —you’ll know what that is when you see it — and Melody Arch and some natural rock windows. These extra excursions are well worth it.

All in all, we hiked 8 miles and it was brutally hot (did we say that?).

Now here’s the best part. Now that we’re at The Wave, we’re about halfway back to Zion. And since the Narrows wasn’t open a few weeks ago when we were there, we were curious if it was open now. So, we looked into it, and — lucky us — the flowrate was low enough. So, we kept going west to Springdale.

We had dinner in the brewpub, rented out equipment, and boondocked in a paid parking lot (where camping is allowed) in town. We entered the park at 5:30am, boarded the second shuttle and took it to the end of the route. We were hiking by 6:45am.

On this day less than 15 people made it all the way to Big Springs — the end point for day hikers hiking “bottom-up".” On the way back it becomes evident that thousands of people find their way at least part way into the Narrows, so being in a the select group that did the whole thing feels pretty good.

Those of us who made Big Springs trekked over 10 miles round-trip, 80% of which is in water. GPS tracking is pretty unreliable in the canyon, so it’s best to just keep walking until you get to the end. At points water was over six feet and to getting through a couple tough spots took a leap of faith.

Renting equipment, including poles, from the outfitters near the Springdale Gate is a must. The full journey has to be one of the harder day hikes in the National Park system, but the great thing about the Narrows is that anyone can enjoy it if they can walk the first (dry) mile and not worry about being a little wet. The best payoff may have been the return hike, which is downstream. There is enough air in a water proof pack to serve as a bit of a floatation device, so you can just launch yourself into the shallow water and float past all the other hikers who are trying not to get to wet.

We had enough time to grad dinner and drive back to Page for one more night. What an adventure. It took both a lot of planning, some serendipity, and plane old grit to get everything done. And now we have the Instagram posts to prove it!

Next stop: Mesa Verde.