Vermilion Cliffs in winter 2026-27

When does the Paria Contact Station close for winter 2026-27?

On 15 November 2026. It reopens in mid-March 2027. Until 14 November it is open daily from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

The Paria Contact Station sits on US-89 between mileposts 20 and 21 on the Utah side, close to the turn for House Rock Valley Road. The BLM lists the 2026 season as 15 March to 14 November and the station as closed from 15 November 2026 to mid-March 2027. Drinking water in the parking area stays on all year.

While it is closed, overnight permits for Paria Canyon and Buckskin Gulch are picked up at the Paria River District office, 669 US-89A in Kanab, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., closed on federal holidays. Planning a Saturday start? Collect the permit on Friday. Day-use fees at Wire Pass and Buckskin Gulch are paid at the trailhead kiosk or on recreation.gov, so they are not affected.

Is the BLM Kanab Visitor Center open in winter?

Yes, every day from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., closed on Thanksgiving (26 November), Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

The BLM Kanab Visitor Center is at 745 East Highway 89 in Kanab, phone 385-599-8735, and charges no fee. With the contact station shut, this is the place to ask in person. The BLM says staff "can provide weather reports, hiking recommendations, and road reports".

Go the afternoon before any dirt-road day. A ten-minute stop beats an hour of digging.

Can you drive House Rock Valley Road in winter?

When it is dry, usually yes with a high-clearance vehicle. After rain or snow it can be impassable for every vehicle, four-wheel drive included.

House Rock Valley Road is the dirt road from US-89 to Wire Pass (8.3 miles), Stateline Campground and, much further on, the sand tracks to White Pocket. The BLM's road conditions page says the Utah stretch from US-89 to Stateline Campground "is not periodically maintained" and "is impassable when wet", and that in the rainy season and winter the road "may become impassable for all vehicles".

Cell signal is unreliable once you leave the highway, and the BLM suggests carrying enough food, water and clothing to spend a night if something goes wrong. In winter that means real warm layers in the car, not a fleece.

White Pocket is a different kind of drive: deep sand that only a high-clearance 4x4 crosses, about two hours or more each way from Kanab. A guided trip such as the small-group White Pocket tour puts the driving on someone who does it every week. Our scenic drive guide covers the paved loop on US-89 and US-89A if the dirt is off the table.

How short are the days in Kanab in December 2026?

Under ten hours. On 21 December 2026 the sun rises at 7:40 a.m. and sets at 5:17 p.m. in Kanab.

The times below are for Kanab, in Mountain Standard Time, from sunrise-sunset.org. Arizona and Utah share the same clock from 1 November 2026 until Utah moves to daylight time on 14 March 2027, so the times also work for Page and the monument.

The Wave is 6.4 miles round trip on an unmarked route. With a 7:40 sunrise, a sunset before 5:20 and ice in the shade, start at first light and give yourself a turnaround time. Civil twilight adds about half an hour of usable light at each end, and no more.

Is it safe to hike The Wave and White Pocket in winter?

It can be, on a dry, clear day with an early start. The BLM warns of ice-covered sandstone and cold, and the road is the bigger risk.

The Wave's permit page says winter visits "may involve hiking on ice-covered sandstone and exposure to cold". Shaded rock stays icy longer than rock in the sun. Wear boots with real grip, and step around dark patches instead of across them.

The BLM's advice does not change with the season: at least a gallon of water per person per day, tell someone where you are going, and carry a map and GPS. Cold weather makes people drink less. Drink anyway.

One upside: winter is quiet. Permit fees are not refunded if the road closes, so a winter Wave date is a gamble, but a dry winter week out here is calm and cold, and in our opinion one of the best times to see the rock.

Is Lees Ferry Campground open this winter?

The NPS campground takes no reservations and costs $26 a site per night. The park's Lees Ferry page currently flags the upper loop as closed for renovation, so call before you drive down.

The NPS campground listing gives 54 sites, $26 per site per night since 2 January 2025, potable water, grills and tables, no hookups and no open fires. In April 2026 the park announced the upper loop was open for the spring and summer season, while the Lees Ferry page now says it will be closed to all visitors for renovations. The Glen Canyon line is 928-608-6200.

Closer to the Wave trailhead, Stateline Campground is free and first come, with 8 sites, vault toilets and no water. It sits on House Rock Valley Road, so the same wet-road rule applies. In a stormy week, a motel in Kanab or Page is the safer base; our where to stay guide compares them.

A dry winter day is the time for White Pocket: a guide drives the sand from Kanab and you only bring layers and water.

★ 5.0 · 8 hours · from $183

Explore the small-group White Pocket tour → Tour details

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