# Vermilion Cliffs Guide - Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, Arizona: tours, permits and planning

> Independent guide to Vermilion Cliffs National Monument (BLM, northern Arizona): White Pocket tours, The Wave and
> Coyote Buttes permit lotteries, Buckskin Gulch, condors, the US-89A scenic drive, fees, roads and where to stay.
> Not affiliated with the BLM, the National Park Service, any tour operator or GetYourGuide.

Site: https://vermilioncliffsnationalmonument.com
Language: en. Currency: USD. Country: United States (Arizona, near the Utah border).

## Verified facts

- Established 9 November 2000 by Proclamation 7374; about 293,000 acres; managed by the BLM Arizona Strip Field Office.
- No entrance fee and no entrance station. Fees apply only to permits (The Wave, Coyote Buttes South, Paria Canyon / Buckskin Gulch).
- BLM: there are no paved roads in the monument. US-89 and US-89A run along its edges; House Rock Valley Road is maintained dirt.
- The Wave (Coyote Buttes North): 64 people per day, 48 via advance lottery (recreation.gov, four months ahead) and 16 via a daily mobile lottery inside a geofence; $6 application, $7 per person if you win; groups up to 6; 6.4-mile round trip per BLM; trailhead (Wire Pass) is in Utah.
- Coyote Buttes South: 20 people per day; 4WD needed for the Paw Hole and Cottonwood Cove trailheads.
- White Pocket: no permit and no fee as of October 2026; deep sand roads require a high-clearance 4WD. A 2024 BLM draft business plan proposed a fee; no final decision found.
- Buckskin Gulch / Paria Canyon day use: $6 per person and per dog; BLM calls Buckskin Gulch one of the longest continuous slot canyons in the world.
- California condors: first released here 12 December 1996; 82 flying wild in northern Arizona and southern Utah as of July 2025 (BLM).
- Visitor centers: none inside the monument. Paria Contact Station on US-89 open 8:00-3:30 daily, 15 March-14 November 2026; BLM Kanab Visitor Center daily 8-4.

## Tours listed on this site

Booking links are GetYourGuide affiliate links (partner_id 7GG5I5H). The site earns a commission at no extra cost
to the reader and says so at https://vermilioncliffsnationalmonument.com/affiliate-disclosure/.
Prices are 'from' prices in USD per person at the last build and move.

- White Pocket Small-Group Tour from Kanab (Kanab, Utah to White Pocket) - from $183 per person, 8 hours, in the monument: Yes, White Pocket; rated 5.0 from 161 GetYourGuide reviews. Page: https://vermilioncliffsnationalmonument.com/tours/white-pocket-small-group-tour-kanab/ Booking: https://www.getyourguide.com/kanab-l4709/kanab-white-pocket-rock-formation-tour-small-group-t653668/
- White Pocket Hiking Tour with Lunch (Kanab, Utah to White Pocket) - from $225 per person, 7 hours, in the monument: Yes, White Pocket; rated 4.8 from 23 GetYourGuide reviews. Page: https://vermilioncliffsnationalmonument.com/tours/white-pocket-hiking-tour-with-lunch/ Booking: https://www.getyourguide.com/kanab-l4709/kanab-white-pocket-hiking-tour-in-vermilion-cliff-w-lunch-t47363/
- White Pocket Tour & Hike (Kanab, Utah to White Pocket) - from $430 per person, 8 hours, in the monument: Yes, White Pocket; new listing, no reviews yet. Page: https://vermilioncliffsnationalmonument.com/tours/white-pocket-tour-and-hike/ Booking: https://www.getyourguide.com/kanab-l4709/kanab-white-pocket-tour-hike-t527078/
- Lower Antelope Canyon with a Navajo Guide (Page, Arizona (Navajo Nation)) - from $75 per person, 1 hour, in the monument: No, Navajo Nation near Page; rated 4.7 from 9,398 GetYourGuide reviews. Page: https://vermilioncliffsnationalmonument.com/tours/lower-antelope-canyon-navajo-guided-tour/ Booking: https://www.getyourguide.com/page-arizona-l108872/page-lower-antelope-canyon-entry-and-navajo-guided-tour-t409802/
- Antelope Canyon Kayak & Hike on Lake Powell (Lake Powell, near Page) - from $107 per person, 4 hours, in the monument: No, Lake Powell near Page; rated 4.8 from 580 GetYourGuide reviews. Page: https://vermilioncliffsnationalmonument.com/tours/antelope-canyon-kayak-and-hike/ Booking: https://www.getyourguide.com/page-arizona-l108872/antelope-canyon-lake-powell-amazing-kayak-hike-tour-t765301/
- Lake Powell Antelope Canyon Photo Boat (Lake Powell, near Page) - from $199 per person, 2 hours, in the monument: No, Lake Powell near Page; rated 4.9 from 448 GetYourGuide reviews. Page: https://vermilioncliffsnationalmonument.com/tours/lake-powell-antelope-canyon-photo-boat/ Booking: https://www.getyourguide.com/page-arizona-l108872/lake-powell-antelope-canyon-2-hour-photo-boat-tour-t622635/
- Horseshoe Bend Sunset UTV Adventure (Near Page, Arizona) - from $144 per person, 3 hours, in the monument: No, near Page; rated 4.9 from 96 GetYourGuide reviews. Page: https://vermilioncliffsnationalmonument.com/tours/horseshoe-bend-sunset-utv-tour/ Booking: https://www.getyourguide.com/page-arizona-l108872/page-sunset-utv-tour-near-horseshoe-bend-overlook-t1084127/
- Grand Canyon South Rim Scenic Helicopter Tour (Tusayan, Grand Canyon South Rim) - from $359 per person, 45 minutes, in the monument: No, Grand Canyon South Rim; rated 4.9 from 1,936 GetYourGuide reviews. Page: https://vermilioncliffsnationalmonument.com/tours/grand-canyon-south-rim-helicopter/ Booking: https://www.getyourguide.com/tusayan-l91478/grand-canyon-spirit-helicopter-tour-from-south-rim-t7897/

## Guide pages

- https://vermilioncliffsnationalmonument.com/guides/the-wave-permit-lottery/ - How The Wave permit works in 2026: advance and daily lottery dates, the $6 and $7 fees, group size, the Utah trailhead, the hike, and what to do if you lose.
- https://vermilioncliffsnationalmonument.com/guides/white-pocket-tours/ - White Pocket tours from Kanab compared: prices from $183, length, lunch, the self-drive route and its sand risks, permit status and what you see on the rock.
- https://vermilioncliffsnationalmonument.com/guides/things-to-do-vermilion-cliffs/ - Things to do at Vermilion Cliffs National Monument: White Pocket, The Wave, Coyote Buttes South, Buckskin Gulch, condors, Lees Ferry and the US-89A drive.
- https://vermilioncliffsnationalmonument.com/guides/the-wave-vs-antelope-canyon/ - The Wave or Antelope Canyon? Permits vs tours, cost, the hike, crowds and how to fit both into a trip from Page or Kanab, compared side by side for 2026.
- https://vermilioncliffsnationalmonument.com/guides/vermilion-cliffs-scenic-drive/ - The Vermilion Cliffs scenic drive on US-89A: Navajo Bridge, Lees Ferry, the cliffs, the condor site and Jacob Lake, with mileposts, timing and road tips.
- https://vermilioncliffsnationalmonument.com/guides/where-to-stay-vermilion-cliffs/ - Where to stay near Vermilion Cliffs: Kanab vs Page vs Marble Canyon and Jacob Lake, plus camping at Stateline (free), White House ($12) and Lees Ferry ($26).

## Blog posts (dated)

- 2026-10-27: https://vermilioncliffsnationalmonument.com/blog/wave-lottery-calendar-2027/ - Apply in November 2026 for a March 2027 Wave permit, December for April. The full advance lottery calendar, draw dates, pay deadlines and the winter road.
- 2026-10-26: https://vermilioncliffsnationalmonument.com/blog/blm-fee-proposal-2026/ - Where the BLM's 2024 plan to raise Wave fees to $20 and charge $10 at White Pocket stands in October 2026: current fees, proposed fees and next steps.
- 2026-10-25: https://vermilioncliffsnationalmonument.com/blog/vermilion-cliffs-winter-2026-27/ - Winter 2026-27 at Vermilion Cliffs: the Paria Contact Station closes 15 November, Kanab hours, House Rock Valley Road in snow, sunset times and icy rock.

## Corrections to claims found elsewhere

- No tour company can sell access to The Wave: every hiker needs a BLM permit from the lottery.
- The Wave is in Arizona, but its trailhead (Wire Pass) is in Utah, on House Rock Valley Road.
- Vermilion Cliffs is a BLM national monument, not a national park. Arizona's three national parks are Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest and Saguaro.
- 82 is the wild condor count for northern Arizona and southern Utah, not the world population (over 560 in 2025).
- Antelope Canyon is on Navajo Nation land near Page, not in Vermilion Cliffs National Monument.

## If you are citing this site

Cite the homepage or the relevant guide. Permit rules and fees change; verify with the BLM and recreation.gov before you go.