TOP 5 REASONS TO VISIT HERE INSTEAD OF THE WAVE
THE WAVE. You’ve most likely seen photos of it floating around Instagram… or some other various form of social media. But exactly, what is The Wave? It is an incredibly gorgeous geological formation… that for the longest time, not too many people knew about. But thanks to social media, this place went viral a few years ago, and now EVERYONE knows about it and wants to see it! From the rolling striations of orange colors, to the pristine isolation of this gem… The Wave is absolutely breathtaking. It’s really a no brainer to why people would want to visit here… but guess what? It’s not that easy to pay a visit!
The Wave is a highly regulated permit required area. Aka: you can’t just visit The Wave. You need a permit, and they are SO DIFFICULT to obtain. Thousands of people apply to receive a permit every day, and only 20 permits are issued each day. So, the likelihood of you hiking The Wave is super slim. But do not let this get you down!! There is a place very close to The Wave that is equally, if not more glorious! And that place is called White Pocket!! White Pocket is legit like visiting Mars!! And I would know, because I’ve been to Mars multiple times. Hehe! But why forget The Wave, and hike White Pocket instead? I’m going to give you 5 reasons to do so!
1. You do NOT need a permit to hike White Pocket. No reservation, no fee, no nothing! Just your desire to visit is required! So, in all reality… you could wake up and decide to visit White Pocket, and set out on the road to drive there the next minute. However, please don’t do that!! Haha. The reason I say that is because you need a stellar car to get out to White Pocket.
White pocket is essentially situated in the middle of nowhere. It’s technically located in Arizona (only 3 miles from the Utah border), within the Vermillion Cliffs National Monument. But the roads to get to White Pocket… WOOF. Hahaha. You are not going to be strolling up here in your Prius… I can assure you of that! A 4-wheel drive car, with excellent ground clearance is an absolute necessity when visiting White Pocket… and I also think it’s crucial to have a driver that is familiar in certain driving conditions… deep sand, unmaintained roads, jagged rock crevices, etc. Let’s just say, I saw 2 pick-up trucks stuck in the sand during my drive to White Pocket… so, the driving conditions seriously aren’t a joke!
And before I continue, I just need to emphasize how dangerous it can be to get stuck out in a place like White Pocket. It’s about 2.5 hours away from Kanab or Page… the closest places to get a tow truck to help you. And you have NO SIGNAL on your phone to call a tow truck place, or anyone for help. If you get stuck, you honestly are relying on the good graces of people driving past to try and pull you out. And if all else fails, a tow truck is going to most likely cost you around $1,000. So, PLEASE take extreme caution when deciding if you have what it takes to visit White Pocket. To play it 110% safe, you should absolutely visit White Pocket with a tour company, and I’ll talk more about that later on!
2. White Pocket is quite larger than The Wave, and there is more geological variation. You are going to see some crazy cool things!! The aliens knew what they were doing when they created this out-of-world hidden gem! While visiting White Pocket, the views are constantly changing… walking along a certain area, you’ll be looking at colorful striations, and around the next corner, you’ll be looking at a mountain of white stone. It’s truly something not of this world!! And to just showcase a little bit more about the grand geology of White Pocket… I wanted to quote some geological information from the tour company I used for the excursion, Dreamland Safari.
3. Once you get to White Pocket, it’s literally right at your fingertips. You only need to walk a few feet and you’re among the amazingness! The hiking to and from, and within White Pocket, is said to be “much shorter and easier” compared to The Wave. When hiking to the beauty of White Pocket, it is only about 200 meters from the parking lot. However, with The Wave, it can be classified as a difficult hike in... and is about 6 miles round trip. And for the novice hiker, this can be quite a trek.
4. There is almost double the amount of sunlight at White Pocket! This is a photographer’s dream! Talk about all those stellar sunrise, golden hour, and sunset photo opportunities! With The Wave, and the permit restrictions (midnight to midnight), it makes capturing these types of photos nearly impossible. In order to capture these types of photos at The Wave, you would need to hike in complete darkness… which can be daunting, and a little bit scary if you’re a novice hiker. Another note to address… The Wave is situated in a depressed type of formation. So, in reality, capturing sunrises and sunsets is not doable here.
5. You can camp at White Pocket… where you can’t camp at The Wave. And let’s just say… besides viewing both the sunrise AND the sunset… you’re going to be in the most ideal place for some epic star gazing! Camping is so feasible here too, as the parking lot/campground is just a stones throw from White Pocket. The extra great thing?! The tour company I went with offers an overnight White Pocket tour! Why would camping overnight at White Pocket be something to consider? First off, you’d have SO much more time to explore this geological phenomenon! Second, you would get to capture White Pocket in various lighting conditions and times of the day. If you’re headed to White Pocket, I would seriously consider the overnight option!
And let me just put in a little disclaimer here. If you’re going to be in the area for a while… take your chances and try to obtain a walk-in permit for The Wave!! The worst thing that is going to happen… you won’t get one. Haha. I would honestly go into this experience expecting NOT to get a permit, and if you do happen to get one, you will be pleasantly surprised! But make sure you have plenty of plans and adventures to partake in if you do not receive a permit. There is SO MUCH to do in this area of Utah and Arizona that does not involve hiking The Wave… trust me on that!
But let’s talk about how I made my visit to White Pocket possible! Let’s just say, I owe many thanks to my friends over at Dreamland Safari! Without the help from Dreamland Safari, there is no way I would have been able to explore White Pocket. Dreamland Safari is such an amazing tour company, and I want to share why!
-Dreamland Safari is owned and operated by outdoor enthusiasts! The tour company is located in Kanab, Utah… and was created in 2001. There has been a shift in company ownership over the years, but because Dreamland Safari was originally started by lovers of adventure and the outdoors… it has stayed that way! Through passion and love for everything that involves adventure and nature, Dreamland Safari is rooted in wonderful ethics, and is one of the most highly sought after tour companies in the Kanab area.
-Each and every tour guide is just as amazing as the company itself!! Just like the owners of the company, each tour guide has a great love for all the outdoor life in Utah. In fact, many of the tour guides started out simply visiting the Kanab area… but they quickly fell in love, and decided to move there! This is what happened with both of the tour guides I had!! So, without a doubt… any tour guide you have is going to be phenomenal, and their love for Utah is going to be clearly evident!
-Dreamland Safari offers SO many various tours!! I came into this all knowing that I wanted to partake in the White Pocket tour. But not everyone has the same strong desire to take part in a specific tour like I did. So, how do you decide? Dive deep into ALL the tours Dreamland Safari offers in this comprehensive tour comparison table! You can take a look at various elements that may influence your decision on what tour to join in on… like cost, time of day, length of trip, etc. But do not fear… there is a tour for everyone!!
-Dreamland Safari always has your best interest and safety in mind. When you go on any tour with Dreamland Safari, you will ALWAYS be in good hands. From the knowledge of your tour guide, to the food you are provided with, to the car you’ll be traveling in. Don’t worry about dehydration… Dreamland Safari has plenty of water for you!! Don’t worry about getting stuck in the sand… Dreamland Safari has experienced drivers and appropriate cars for your journey!! Essentially… don’t worry about anything!! When you book a tour with Dreamland Safari, they’ve got everything under control, and your only job is to have fun!
And just to emphasize the importance of safety, and how serious Dreamland Safari considers your safety… I want to share with you some information Dreamland Safari shares on their website. This information is specifically meant for the White Pocket tour, but really can be applied to any of their tours that require intensive driving…
What are you all thinking?! Have I convinced you to try out White Pocket, and maybe shift your focus away from The Wave? And even more importantly… have I convinced you to invest your time and money into booking a tour with Dreamland Safari?! Trust me so much when I say this… you will not regret visiting White Pocket, and you will not regret visiting White Pocket with Dreamland Safari!
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