The Wave is a sandstone rock formation located in North Coyote Buttes of the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument on the Arizona and Utah borders.

The swirling stone waves combine water and wind-eroded sandstone dunes, calcified vertically and horizontally, and fossilized over 190 million years. The rich red-vermilion rocks get their colors from iron oxide pigments.

Only 20 people can visit The Wave in Vermilion Cliffs daily — hence, the lottery and waitlist! The exclusive destination is reachable exclusively by foot through a challenging 6.5-mile round-trip terrain. The distinct rock formation rests 3,000 feet above the benchland below. 

The scene offers some of the best photography of public lands in the United States.