In checking the BLM site for a permit to "The Wave" it indicates that chances of obtaining a permit for popular months ( Oct, in my case ) would be met with about a 10% chance of success. Farther down in the website it said that commerical guide services received special consideration. My question...can anyone identify any of these guide services and are you apt be successful going through one? My travel time would be great just to get there as well as my time frame limited, so it might be worth paying a guide depending on what they charge. Does anyone have a range here. Thanks in advance for any information.
Joe Rogers
Posted by Doug Koepsel on March 27, 2011 at 8:38 PM
Doug is correct. Not sure where you saw that phrase "commerical guide services received special consideration".
Hope you'll still try for an online permit in July for October, Joe. Applying for a permit for a weekday will improve your odds. You also have a fair shot at one of the 10 permits available daily during the walk-in lottery on the day before the trek.
Thanks, Doug and John
I was refering to the page How to Obtain a Permit....about three quaters down it addresses the question in the affirmative, but, maybe I am misreading it....reading what you have linked indicates they do not. At any rate I am going to try for the permit. Looks like I have to wait until July to apply. Again, thanks to both of you.
Joe Rogers
I went last June, but didn't decide to go 'til early May; therefore, all of the online permits were taken. My advice, if it's possible but I recognize that you have limited time, is that you try to set aside three days in the area and hope that you try to apply for each of those three days. If you can't get in via the online route, then you can enter the lottery. But, when I was there, there were about thirty people trying to get those ten lottery permits (it was a rainy day), and the days before, there had been fifty to sixty people trying to get the lottery permits. OTOH, you could just try to walk in, but the fine if you're caught is ~$500! :)
On the other other hand, if you'll have 4WD (or, you can rent in Page, which is what I did), you can almost certainly get a permit online or at the BLM ranger station for South Coyote Buttes. You also can get to South Coyote Buttes with a car, but then you'll have to hike in the last couple of miles. Additionally, you don't need a permit to go to White Pocket, but you'll definitely need 4WD.
Good luck,
Tim!
Posted by Doug Koepsel on March 30, 2011 at 11:05 AM
When I was there on the 13th, the BLM ranger had hiked in checking permits and supposedly wrote someone a ticket, so they do check.
Also, they are no longer giving extra numbers in the hopper for each day at the ranger station that one does not draw a walk-in permit, so each day one only has one number in the hopper regardless of past unsuccesses.
Discussion
6 repliesJoe Rogers
"There are no commercial permits set aside for guiding companies, so hiring a guide and obtaining permits are the responsibility of the individual."
http://www.blm.gov/az/st/en/arolrsmain/paria/coyote_buttes/guides.html
Hope you'll still try for an online permit in July for October, Joe. Applying for a permit for a weekday will improve your odds. You also have a fair shot at one of the 10 permits available daily during the walk-in lottery on the day before the trek.
I was refering to the page How to Obtain a Permit....about three quaters down it addresses the question in the affirmative, but, maybe I am misreading it....reading what you have linked indicates they do not. At any rate I am going to try for the permit. Looks like I have to wait until July to apply. Again, thanks to both of you.
Joe Rogers
I went last June, but didn't decide to go 'til early May; therefore, all of the online permits were taken. My advice, if it's possible but I recognize that you have limited time, is that you try to set aside three days in the area and hope that you try to apply for each of those three days. If you can't get in via the online route, then you can enter the lottery. But, when I was there, there were about thirty people trying to get those ten lottery permits (it was a rainy day), and the days before, there had been fifty to sixty people trying to get the lottery permits. OTOH, you could just try to walk in, but the fine if you're caught is ~$500! :)
On the other other hand, if you'll have 4WD (or, you can rent in Page, which is what I did), you can almost certainly get a permit online or at the BLM ranger station for South Coyote Buttes. You also can get to South Coyote Buttes with a car, but then you'll have to hike in the last couple of miles. Additionally, you don't need a permit to go to White Pocket, but you'll definitely need 4WD.
Good luck,
Tim!
Also, they are no longer giving extra numbers in the hopper for each day at the ranger station that one does not draw a walk-in permit, so each day one only has one number in the hopper regardless of past unsuccesses.