The Wave is a rock formation in Coconino County, Arizona. It is part of Vermilion Cliffs National Monument. It sits roughly 46 km (29 mi) E of Kanab.
The Wave is a sandstone rock formation located in Arizona, US, near its northern border with Utah. The formation is situated on the slopes of the Coyote Buttes in the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness of the Colorado Plateau. The area is administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) at the Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument visitor center in Kanab, Utah. The formation is well known among hikers and photographers for its colorful, undulating forms and the difficult hike required to reach it. Due to the fragile nature of the formation and the large number of people wishing to visit it, a daily lottery system is used to dispense permits for up to 16 people and/or 4 groups (whichever comes first) two days before (visitors must apply within a geofence area encompassing the greater Kanab visitor center, Vermilion Cliffs, and Page areas). Additionally, 48 online...From the Wikipedia article “The Wave (Arizona)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At The Wave the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 30° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:32 AM | 90° E | 6:40 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:09 AM | 60° ENE | 7:52 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 42m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:17 AM | 89° E | 6:27 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:38 AM | 119° ESE | 5:15 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 37m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Rock towers and buttes glow red and orange in the first and last half-hour of sun; midday light flattens their shape.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:13 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:20 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:03 PM | 9h 54m |
| February | 6:51 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:33 PM | 6:09 PM | 6:35 PM | 10h 51m |
| March | 6:14 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:14 AM | 6:01 PM | 6:36 PM | 7:02 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:28 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:29 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:30 PM | 13h 09m |
| May | 4:52 AM | 5:21 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:59 PM | 14h 09m |
| June | 4:38 AM | 5:09 AM | 5:47 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:21 PM | 14h 41m |
| July | 4:51 AM | 5:21 AM | 5:59 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:18 PM | 14h 28m |
| August | 5:18 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:49 PM | 13h 35m |
| September | 5:45 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:45 AM | 6:03 PM | 6:37 PM | 7:03 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:10 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:11 AM | 5:17 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:19 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:40 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:45 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:47 PM | 10h 12m |
| December | 7:06 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:15 AM | 4:33 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:42 PM | 9h 38m |
Local time (America/Phoenix), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From The Wave, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:26 AM – 5:46 AM | 0.3 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:32 AM – 5:02 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:25 AM – 4:15 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 11:33 PM – 3:33 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:42 PM – 3:12 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:36 PM – 1:46 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:57 PM – 11:47 PM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:05 PM – 9:45 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:19 PM – 7:49 PM | 0.5 | 14° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.93 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 26% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (52%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 65 | 69 | 81 | 87 | 97 | 103 | 103 | 101 | 100 | 87 | 75 | 64 |
| Low °F | 4 | -2 | 17 | 20 | 25 | 38 | 50 | 47 | 32 | 17 | 14 | 5 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.1 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 1.0 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this rock formation
- Stay on trails; desert soils and lichens take decades to recover from footprints.
- Find a spot where the formation sits against open sky to emphasize its silhouette.
- At night, a formation under the Milky Way or star trails makes a strong anchor.
- Use the sunrise and sunset azimuths below to know which face will be lit.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
Season: Spring and autumn are best in desert regions; winter snow on red rock is rare but spectacular.
Suggested gear: Wide and telephoto lenses, Tripod, Headlamp. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of The Wave, closest first.
Natural ArchNatural Arch
Mountain PeakNatural ArchNatural ArchNatural Arch
Wilderness Area
Natural ArchNatural ArchCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph The Wave?
What time is golden hour at The Wave?
Where does the sun rise and set at The Wave?
Can you see the Milky Way from The Wave?
Do you need a permit to photograph at The Wave?
How far is The Wave from Kanab?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.