The Wave Plus
Winning the permit gets you through the gate. This tour shows you what lies beyond The Wave.
Experience The Wave, then continue deeper into Coyote Buttes North to explore Melody Arch and other remarkable formations most visitors never reach.
This is a longer, more demanding private adventure created for guests who want to make the absolute most of their permit.
- Starting at $649
- 9–10 hours
- Completely private
- Extended hiking experience
- Guest-secured permit required
Quick tour details
- Always private
- 8–10 hours
- Extended backcountry hiking
- The Wave and surrounding formations
- Experienced local guide
- Guest-secured permit required
Don’t just see The Wave. Explore the world around it.
The Wave may be the reason you entered the permit lottery, but it is only one part of the remarkable landscape hidden inside Coyote Buttes North.
The Wave Plus is our most complete Coyote Buttes North experience. After visiting and photographing The Wave, you’ll continue exploring deeper into the surrounding sandstone wilderness.
Possible highlights include Melody Arch, elevated viewpoints, hidden alcoves, colorful sandstone patterns, and other formations beyond the standard Wave route.
This is not a quick hike in, a photo, and a hike back out.
It’s a full day designed for capable hikers who want to see how much more this landscape has to offer.
Permit required before booking
Every person participating in the tour must be covered by a valid Coyote Buttes North permit for the selected date.
Guests are responsible for securing their permits before booking The Wave Plus. Tour pricing does not include the permit, and reserving a tour does not guarantee access to Coyote Buttes North.
Once your permit is confirmed, contact our team to reserve your private guide for the same date.
What makes The Wave Plus different?
Most guided Wave tours focus primarily on reaching The Wave, spending time at the formation, and returning to the trailhead.
The Wave Plus goes farther.
This extended tour gives your group more time to explore the wider Coyote Buttes North landscape, including remote formations such as Melody Arch.
You’ll hike farther, spend more time in the backcountry, and experience places many Wave permit holders never realize are nearby.
Choose The Wave Plus if:
- You want to explore beyond the standard Wave experience
- Melody Arch is high on your list
- You enjoy longer hikes
- You want a full day in Coyote Buttes North
- You are comfortable traveling across rugged, undeveloped terrain
- You want plenty of time for photography
- You want a private guide dedicated entirely to your group
- You may never have this permit opportunity again and want to make it count
What you’ll experience
The Wave
Stand inside one of the world’s most recognizable sandstone formations and see its flowing lines, rich colors, and remarkable textures in person.
Your guide will give you time to explore, take photographs, and appreciate the landscape without making the experience feel rushed.
Melody Arch
Continue beyond The Wave to search out Melody Arch, a beautifully sculpted formation tucked into the surrounding sandstone.
Reaching it requires additional hiking and route-finding, but for capable adventurers, it can be one of the most rewarding parts of the day.
The landscape beyond
Coyote Buttes North is filled with fins, domes, alcoves, ridgelines, colorful patterns, and elevated viewpoints.
The exact route may vary based on your group’s pace, weather, trail conditions, daylight, and the professional judgment of your guide.
A full day outside
This is more than a photo stop.
It is a full day of walking, exploring, noticing small details, and reconnecting with the kind of landscape that makes you forget about everything else for a while.
A more challenging Wave experience
The Wave Plus requires more hiking than our standard private Wave tour.
Guests should be prepared for:
- A 9–10-hour tour day
- Extended hiking through remote terrain
- Deep sand
- Uneven sandstone
- Steep sections and elevation changes
- Very limited shade
- Exposure to heat, wind, cold, or changing weather
- Carrying sufficient water, food, and personal equipment
There are no maintained trails leading to many of the formations visited on this tour. The route crosses open desert and sandstone terrain where navigation can be difficult.
This tour is best suited for active guests who are comfortable spending most of the day hiking outside.
The final route will be based on your group’s abilities, conditions, available daylight, and safety.
Is The Wave Plus right for you?
The Wave Plus is a great fit if you:
- Hike regularly
- Are comfortable being active for most of the day
- Want to visit Melody Arch
- Want to explore beyond The Wave
- Prefer a private experience
- Enjoy landscape photography
- Are prepared for remote desert conditions
- Want to get everything possible from your permit
Consider our standard private Wave tour if you:
- Mainly want to see The Wave
- Prefer a shorter hiking day
- Have mobility or endurance concerns
- Are traveling with younger children
- Want more time and energy left for other activities
- Are unsure about committing to an extended desert hike
Both options provide a private guide and time at The Wave. The difference is how far you want to take the adventure.
Why go private?
A longer hiking day works best when it is shaped around one group.
Your guide can adjust the pace, breaks, photography time, and extended route around your party rather than trying to accommodate unrelated guests.
That means:
- No unrelated guests
- A hiking pace suited to your group
- More flexibility for photography
- More time at the places that interest you
- The ability to adjust the route when conditions require it
- A guide focused entirely on your experience
The Wave Plus is always private. Your vehicle and guide are reserved exclusively for your party.
You won the permit. Make the day count.
A Coyote Buttes North permit is difficult to secure, and many visitors will only have one opportunity to experience this landscape.
The Wave is unquestionably the centerpiece—but stopping there means missing much of what makes Coyote Buttes North extraordinary.
The Wave Plus is designed for guests who look at the landscape beyond The Wave and think, “What’s over there?”
Your guide knows the terrain, the route, and the formations hidden beyond the most familiar viewpoints. We’ll handle the navigation and help you spend your day exploring instead of wondering whether you are headed the right way.
Why go with Coral Cliffs?
The backroads are our backyard
Coyote Buttes North has no maintained trail system connecting many of its formations. Reaching places beyond The Wave requires route-finding, familiarity with the terrain, and an understanding of desert conditions.
Our local guides know this country.
We take care of the transportation, navigation, pacing, and backcountry logistics so your group can focus on the reason you worked so hard to get the permit: being there.
You’ll get:
- A private vehicle and guide
- Transportation to and from the trailhead
- Experienced backcountry navigation
- A route customized to your group
- Time to explore and photograph The Wave
- The opportunity to continue toward Melody Arch
- Insight into the geology and surrounding landscape
- Help making the most of your permit day
Pricing
Private The Wave Plus tours start at $649
Final pricing may vary based on:
- Group size
- Pickup location
- Vehicle requirements
- Seasonal conditions
- Special timing requests
- Additional guide requirements
The permit is not included in the tour price. Every participant must be covered by a valid Coyote Buttes North permit for the selected date.
What’s included
- Private guide
- Private transportation
- Transportation to and from the trailhead
- Guided navigation through Coyote Buttes North
- Time to explore The Wave
- Extended exploration toward Melody Arch and surrounding formations
- Personalized pace and route planning
- Bottled water
What’s not included
- Coyote Buttes North permit
- Meals and personal snacks
- Personal hiking equipment
- Guide gratuity
What to bring
- Your valid Coyote Buttes North permit
- Government-issued photo identification
- Sturdy hiking shoes
- A daypack
- Plenty of water
- Lunch and energy-rich snacks
- Sun protection
- Weather-appropriate layers
- Camera or phone
- Any required personal medications
Our team will provide additional preparation instructions before your tour.
Tour details
The Wave Plus
- Starting price
- $649
- Duration
- Approximately 9–10 hours
- Tour type
- Completely private
- Permit
- Guest-secured Coyote Buttes North permit required
- Transportation
- Guide-driven off-road vehicle
- Hiking
- Extended hiking through sand, sandstone, and rugged natural terrain
- Difficulty
- Challenging
- Primary destination
- The Wave
- Extended exploration
- Melody Arch and surrounding Coyote Buttes North formations
- Group size
- Based on permit and vehicle capacity
The exact hiking route is determined by conditions, daylight, guest ability, and guide discretion.
Frequently asked questions
Is a permit required?
Yes. Every participant must be covered by a valid Coyote Buttes North permit for the selected tour date.
Does Coral Cliffs provide the permit?
No. Guests must secure their permit before booking the tour.
The tour price does not include a permit, and reserving a tour does not guarantee access to Coyote Buttes North.
What happens after I receive my permit?
Contact Coral Cliffs Tours with your permitted date and group size. Our team will confirm guide availability and help you reserve the tour.
What is the difference between The Wave and The Wave Plus?
Our standard Wave tour focuses on reaching and exploring The Wave.
The Wave Plus is a longer 9–10-hour experience with additional hiking to explore more of Coyote Buttes North, including the possibility of visiting Melody Arch and other surrounding formations.
How difficult is The Wave Plus?
The Wave Plus is a challenging hiking experience.
Guests should be prepared for a long day of walking through deep sand, across uneven sandstone, and over sections with elevation changes. There is very little shade, and weather conditions can make the hike considerably more demanding.
Do we definitely visit Melody Arch?
Melody Arch is a primary goal of the extended tour, but all backcountry routes depend on weather, trail conditions, daylight, guest ability, and safety.
Your guide will determine what can reasonably and safely be reached that day.
How much hiking is involved?
The exact distance varies based on the route and conditions, but this tour involves substantially more hiking than a standard Wave tour.
Plan to spend much of the day on foot.
Is this tour private?
Yes. The guide and vehicle are reserved exclusively for your party.
Can children take this tour?
It depends on the child’s age, hiking experience, and ability to handle a long day in remote desert terrain.
Call our team before booking so we can help determine whether The Wave Plus or our standard Wave tour is the better fit.
What if someone in our group cannot complete the extended route?
Your guide can adjust the day based on your group’s pace and ability. However, because the tour is private, the group generally needs to remain together.
If you are unsure about the extended hike, consider booking our standard private Wave tour.
What if the weather is bad?
Safety comes first. The itinerary may be changed because of extreme heat, storms, unsafe roads, snow, ice, or other backcountry conditions.
Our team will communicate with you if conditions could affect your tour.
What should we bring?
Bring sturdy hiking shoes, a daypack, food, plenty of water, sun protection, weather-appropriate layers, required medications, your permit, and photo identification.
We will send a detailed preparation list before your tour.
Go beyond The Wave.
You worked hard to secure the permit. Now make the most of it.
Experience The Wave, hike farther into Coyote Buttes North, and discover Melody Arch and the remarkable landscape beyond the familiar route.
- Starting at $649
- 8–10 hours
- Completely private
- Extended hiking experience
- Guest-secured permit required