U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Before highways and railways, before pioneers....the land we know as the United States was truly a vast wilderness. To protect these last remaining areas, in 1984 Congress created the Paria Canyon - Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness. Coyote Buttes' outstanding scenery, desert wildlife, colorful history, and opportunities for primitive recreation will remain free from the influence of man and are protected in this condition for future generations. Its 112,500 acres beckon adventurers who yearn for solitude, scenic splendor, and the chance to explore one of the most beautiful geologic formations in the world.

Things you should know before starting your hike:

• Advance permits are required for day use. There is no overnight camping allowed in the Coyote Buttes permit area.
• Day-use permits are available on-line here, and as walk-in permits at the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Visitor Center in Kanab, Utah, the day before you wish to hike.
• Day users must display half their permit on their vehicle windshield and the other half should be visible on the outside of their backpack.
• Campfires are prohibited.
• Dogs are allowed. They must be kept under control at all times.
• Successful Coyote Buttes North permit applicants will receive a map and directions to the "Wave".
• Group size cannot exceed six in the same permit area on the same day.
• All trash must be packed out, including toilet paper.
• Use of public land for business or financial gain requires a special permit.
• Wilderness is closed to motor vehicles, mechanical transport, and motorized equipment.
• If during your hike, your permit is inspected by BLM representatives, you may be asked to present a government issued I.D. for permit verification.
• Permits are non-transferable.

The web site can only process transactions that use a credit card for payment.  For more information, for answers to permit questions or if you do not want to use the Internet to get your permit, you can call the Paria Canyon Project Permits Desk at (435) 688-3246.

(Please note that voice messages received from international phone numbers cannot be returned.)

.

If you are familiar with this information, go to the calendar to apply for a permit.

Frequently Asked Questions 

Do I need a permit?

A permit is required for hiking in Coyote Buttes North and South. Coyote Buttes North fees are $7.00 per person per day and per dog per day. Coyote Buttes South fees are $5.00 per person per day. If you take your dog into Coyote Buttes South, the fee is $5.00 per dog, per day.

Can I obtain a self-pay permit at the trailhead/access point?

No.  Self-pay permits are only valid for day use within Buckskin Gulch, Paria Canyon and Wire Pass. These permits do not give you access to Coyote Buttes North or South to include the "Wave". Permits for Coyote Buttes North and South must be purchased in advance, either on-line or as a walk-in.

How do I obtain a permit online?

Permits for day hiking in Coyote Buttes can be obtained online here. For Coyote Buttes North, you will need to enter the lottery to obtain a permit four months in advance. Detailed lottery information can be found below. If you are planning a trip less than three months in advance, you have two options: you can check the calendar on the permit page to see if any slots are available, or you can try to obtain a walk-in permit.

For Coyote Buttes South, on-line permits can be obtained using the calendar option only. You can obtain a permit up to four months in advance. If you are planning a trip less than four months in advance, you have two options: you can check the calendar on the permit page to see if any slots are available, or you can try to obtain a walk-in permit the day before you wish to hike. Permits for new hikes are made available at 12 p.m. Mountain Standard Time (MST-Utah) or Mountain Daylight Time (MDT-Utah), depending on the time of year. See schedule below for details.

If you are unable to access the permit pages, you will need to change your security settings to accommodate BLM secure web page requirements. Click "Tools" on the menu bar, then click "Internet Options", "Advanced" tab and then scroll down to the Security Section and check the box "Use TLS 1.0". Click "OK", then try the permit page again.

Coyote Buttes South, and Paria Canyon Overnight

Coyote Buttes North Lottery Schedule

How many permits are issued online?

Half of the available daily slots for Coyote Buttes North and Coyote Buttes South are issued online. The total number of permits will vary by group size, but the total available slots for each area is 20 persons per day. Ten are issued online. The other ten are issued as walk-in permits.

Why is there a lottery and how does it work?

Coyote Buttes North is an internationally renowned hiking destination. In order to make it fair for everyone who wishes to visit, a lottery system has been put in place. (Coyote Buttes South is still on the calendar system) The lottery works like this:

• You can apply up to four months in advance.
• You have an entire month to apply.
• You can apply for up to three entry dates per application. If you are a successful applicant you will only be authorized one trip.
• There is a non-refundable $5 administrative fee to apply per application.
• You will be notified on the first of the month via e-mail whether your application was successful or not.
• See the "Lottery Example" below for a more detailed explanation.

Lottery Example

Let's say you wanted to visit Coyote Buttes North in April. Here is the procedure you would follow.

• Go to the Permit Page between Dec. 1 and Dec. 31.
• Follow the directions, choosing up to three possible entry dates. If successful, you will only be authorized one date.
• You will be notified via e-mail the first day in January whether your lottery application was successful or not.
• After being notified, you will have 14 calendar days to pay for your permit. You can pay online with your credit card. Your e-mail notification will contain a link to a secure web page, where you can go to pay and submit the remainder of your trip information.
• Your permit will be mailed to you four to six weeks after you have paid your fees, unless you chose the option to pick it up in Kanab, St. George, or the Paria Contact Station when you filled out your permit application.

What are the odds of getting a permit online?

Permits for Coyote Buttes South are usually available. If you enter the online lottery for Coyote Buttes North, attempting to obtain a permit for April-June and September-November, the odds were about 4-5% for 2013. For other months (off-season), the odds vary from 8% (August) -25% (January).

How do I obtain a walk-in permit?

If you missed the online lottery and are visiting the Southern Utah/Northern Arizona area, you can obtain a walk-in permit for Coyote Buttes North (the Wave) and Coyote Buttes South at the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Visitor Center in Kanab, Utah. From mid-March to Mid November, walk-in permits can be obtained seven (7) days a week. From mid-November through mid-March, walk-in permits are issued Monday-Friday, except for federal holidays (including Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and President's Day). During this time, permits for Saturday-Monday are drawn on Friday. Please call the number at the bottom of this page if you have any questions about the walk-in permit process. 

Walk-in permit procedures:

• For Coyote Buttes North (The Wave), be at the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Visitor Center in Kanab, Utah (745 E. Highway 89 in Kanab Utah across from Walkers gas station and Wendy’s restaurant) from 8:30-9 a.m. Mountain Standard Time -Utah- (9am Daylight Savings Time in summer) to submit your application. For permits to Coyote Buttes South, be at the same location and submit your application between 9:30-10:00 a.m. The lotteries for Coyote Buttes North and Coyote Buttes South will run at 9 a.m. and 10 a.m., respectively.  
• Walk-in permits must be paid with either cash or by checks. No credit cards can be accepted.
• If there are 10 persons or less seeking permits, you will be issued one on the spot for the next day.
• If all ten permits were not issued the previous day, a same day permit may be available.
• If there are more than 10 persons seeking a permit, there will be a drawing for the next day's 10 open slots.
• Only one person per group may enter the drawing.  If more than one member from your group submits an application, your group will be disqualified from the lottery.
• If you receive a walk-in permit, you must wait two weeks before you can re-enter the drawing.
• Permit holders may be required to show their government issued I.D.

Walk-in Permit Example 

• Three groups show up on a Tuesday. One group of six and two groups of four
• A drawing is held with one potential permit being available for each group
• If the group of six and the group of four are successful, all ten slots are filled
• If the two groups of four are successful, there are still two slots remaining, and the group of six is then faced with a difficult decision, because only two of their party can receive a permit.

Some people have tried to circumvent the process by having more than one person in their group enter the drawing. This is dishonest and unfair to those who follow the rules. Please respect your fellow hikers and the BLM staff.  If more than one member from your group submits an application, your group will be disqualified from the lottery.

Is it possible to get a permit without buying it in advance?

No. But it is possible to get a walk-in permit one day in advance at the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Visitor Center in Kanab, Utah (see previous instructions for walk-in permits).

Are there overnight permits?

No. Coyote Buttes is a day-use area only. There is no water available and there are no areas that cannot be reached in a day hike, so it would not be a good overnight destination.

Am I limited to one trip per year?

No, however, each trip requires a separate application and payment of fees.

Am I limited to one trip per month?

Using the lottery system, you are limited to one trip per month. If you obtain a permit using the calendar, you can obtain as many permits as there are available, but each must be purchased individually. If you obtain a walk-in permit, you cannot obtain another for two weeks.

Are there limits on the total number of people per day in Coyote Buttes?

Yes. We allow 20 people per day into both Coyote Buttes North and Coyote Buttes South. This is a cumulative total from all trailheads/access points.

What is the group size limit?

No more than six persons per group. If the group is larger than 6 people, the group will need to split into two groups of no more than 6 people each and each group is required to enter the area on a separate day and is not permitted to travel with, or enter or exit with, the other group. Infants that cannot walk and will be carried do not need a permit and therefore do not count towards the total group size.

How many groups may enter per day?

The number of groups is not limited. However, group size is limited to six and the combined trailhead/access point entry is no more than 20 persons per day for each area.

Once I have my permit, can I change dates or group size?

Yes, but you are limited in what you can do. A date change requires a $30 fee and available hiking slots on the current hiking availability calendars. A group size increase is handled by obtaining a new permit for the additional group members, keeping in mind that you cannot exceed the group size limit.

• Permits are non-transferable.
• If you need to cancel your trip you can cancel the permit by mailing it back to the St. George, Utah office at:  345 E. Riverside Drive, St. George, Utah 84790.  Once the permit is received, the trip will be canceled and the permit returned to the calendar.

How long will it take to get my permit after I make my purchase?

You can expect your permit about four to six weeks after you pay the permit fee.

If you applied for a permit using the lottery, you will be notified whether you were successful or not on the first day of the following month. For instance, if you apply for a lottery application in July for the month of November, you will be notified via e-mail on August 1.

Are commercial guide permits available?

The BLM Arizona Strip and Kanab Field Offices authorize special recreation permits for commercial guide services.

Do the required permits apply to the entire wilderness?

Permit fees are charged for the Coyote Buttes North and South, Buckskin Gulch, Wire Pass and overnight Paria Canyon permit areas only. The surrounding areas are open to use without permits or limits.

Are permit fees required?

Yes. Permit fees must be paid in advance to permit authorization for each visitor.  There are no special fee considerations for Coyote Buttes North or Coyote Buttes South areas.

What are the fees?

• $5.00 per person per day for Coyote Buttes South and $7.00 per person per day for Coyote Buttes North. There is a non-refundable $5 application fee for the Coyote Buttes North lottery.
• Permits are non-transferable.
• If you need to cancel your trip, you can cancel the permit by mailing it back to the St. George, Utah office at:  345 E. Riverside Drive, St. George, Utah  84790.  Once the permit is received, the trip will be canceled and the permit returned to the calendar.

Does my America the Beautiful Pass give me a discount on permit fees?

No. America the Beautiful Passes passes are only accepted for entrance fees to areas such as national parks or some national conservation areas. Special Recreation Permits for Coyote Buttes and Paria Canyon are not part of the America the Beautiful Pass program.

Does my Senior and Access Passes give me a discount on fees?

Senior and Access passes are not accepted.

Where do I pay my fees?

Fees for online permits can only be paid by credit card. Fees for permits issued by phone can be paid by credit card or check mailed to the BLM Arizona Strip District Office; checks must be received before a permit application is authorized and a permit number is issued.

 Can I get a "raincheck" after I pay my fees?

No. Permits are nonrefundable and non-transferable. “Rainchecks” cannot be issued for any reason. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Are fee refunds made?

Fees are nonrefundable.