Just across the Utah-Arizona border, in the Coyote Buttes North area of the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, The Wave is one of the most striking rock formations in the American West. The undulating sandstone surface — red and orange strata flowing in parallel curves like a frozen sea — has been photographed so extensively that the actual experience of standing inside it retains its power partly by exceeding what any image can convey.
Getting there requires a permit from a highly competitive lottery administered by the BLM. The hike itself is about 3 miles each way across open slickrock, navigated by compass bearing and rock cairns rather than a marked trail. The permit covers a specific date and the permit holder's party only; rangers patrol and check. The closest base is Kanab, Utah; the BLM Kanab Field Office is where daily lottery winners pick up their permits.