Desert Landscape Photos of Coyote Buttes From TheWorldinLight
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Coyote Buttes in the Paria Canyon region of Utah and Arizona is an area famous for unusual
multi-colored and multi-patterned sandstone rock formations. The visually stunning
colors include reds, yellows, oranges, and browns, sometimes in
patterns that swirl and flow together within the same rock formations.
The formations here are descriptively named, for example, beehives
and teepees. In one area, the formations have taken the shape of
surf breaking on an ocean beach, giving rise to the name “The Wave”.
Coyote Buttes and The Wave are located in Paria Canyon, just inside
Utah along the border with Arizona. Hiking here is regulated by the Bureau of Land
Management, which issues purchased permits up to six months in advance. Be
forewarned - this area is highly poplular and permits sell well in advance.
To purchase permits, visit the BLM website at:
Coyote Buttes permits.
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Coyote Buttes #12
The area known as Coyote Buttes is under the control of the Bureau of Land Management, which issues
a very limited number of permits for hikers to enter the area.
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Coyote Buttes #230
There are several specific locations worth visiting in the Coyote Buttes area. I suggest Buckskin Gulch - perhaps the
longest slot canyon in the world - as well as "The Wave", a spectacularly scenic portion of the buttes.
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Coyote Buttes #244
Some sections of Coyote Buttes are so tightly controlled by the BLM that reservations must be made months in advance.
However, if you haven't planned that far in advance, there is a daily lottery for a limited number of entry passes
valid for the following day.
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Coyote Buttes #250
Throughout much of Coyote Buttes there aren't really hiking trails. And this works fine because the area is so
beautiful, it's a pleasure to wander and explore and discover beautiful nooks and crannies within the rocks.
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Coyote Buttes #234
The sandstone in Coyote Buttes is full of streaks and striations of contrasting colors, making
this area very photogenic.
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Coyote Buttes #1
In some places the colors in the sandstone swirl, almost as if a painter has is beginning to
mix paints on a palette.
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Coyote Buttes #3
Coyote Buttes is a remote but beautiful area near the border of Arizona and Utah. It is a section of the Paria River
Canyon and the Vermillion Cliffs Recreation Area that is full of amazing sandstone scenery.
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Coyote Buttes #17
Coyote Buttes is full of beautifully colored, striated and textured sandstone.
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Coyote Buttes #4
In the early spring, the arid region known as Coyote Buttes comes alive with beautiful wildflowers.
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Coyote Buttes #0342
There is an area inside of Coyote Buttes known as "The Wave". This name comes from the wavy shapes
of sandstone walls that look almost like breaking surf on an ocean beach.
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Swirling Stone
Coyote Buttes is a bit like a fascinating maze of sandstone hills, mounds, and fins.
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Coyote Buttes #0381
There are no trails in this part of Coyote Buttes. But if you took a beeline from the nearest
parking area directly to The Wave, you'd hike about 3 to 3.5 miles one way. If you hiked to The
Wave in this fashion you'd certainly see a lot of amazing scenery. But you'd miss a lot, too.
This is an area that deserves being explored.
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Coyote Buttes #0382
The Wave is both a photographer's dream and nightmare. The range of textures, colors, and shapes
of sandstone here is phenomenal. Every camera angle seems worthy of a photograph. Getting correct
photographic white balance to produce a photo
that accurately displays the reality of The Wave is a challenge. Just take a look at the many
photographs posted on websites and you'll see a range of colors spanning the gamut from bland to
gawdy, from orange to red to yellow - and these for the same locations!
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Coyote Buttes #0402
The Wave is both a photographer's dream and nightmare. The range of textures, colors, and shapes
of sandstone here is phenomenal. Every camera angle seems worthy of a photograph. Getting correct
photographic white balance to produce a photo
that accurately displays the reality of The Wave is a challenge. Just take a look at the many
photographs posted on websites and you'll see a range of colors spanning the gamut from bland to
gawdy, from orange to red to yellow - and these for the same locations!
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Robert Stephens
TheWorldinLight Photographic Gallery
P.O. Box 893
Sterling Heights, MI 48311
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