It's very difficult to get a permit to Coyote Buttes North (a.k.a The Wave), but relatively easy to get a permit to Coyote Buttes South. Not that Coyote Buttes South is lacking in natural beauty and amazing rock formations. It hasn't been popularized like Coyote Buttes North (it does lack an instantly recognizable feature like The Wave) and it's much harder to access. To reach the stunning Cottonwood Teepees area a 4WD vehicle with high clearance is needed to navigate the patches of deep sand. We took the longer, but easier, route to Cottonwood (via Red Pocket corral to Poverty Flat to avoid Paw Hole) and it took us about two hours of driving from Highway 89. The route was pretty rough at times - several times Norah complained from the backseat "Daddy, I can't concentrate. This road is too bumpy. It's driving me nuts!".

So yes, it's more work to get there, but it is so worth the effort and then some. What an amazing place with a spectacular array of rock formations and colors. There is no trail here - you just wander around and marvel at every step and turn. With striated sandstone, brain rocks, melted rocks, teepees, bee hives, "layer cakes", small arches, fins, sandstone lace, and colors ranging from yellow to red there is no shortage of interesting scenery to capture your imagination. To allow enough time to really explore the area, immerse yourself in the surreal beauty and catch sunset/sunrise, I highly recommend camping. There are several nice spots to camp right outside the wilderness boundary. What a unique and fascinating area - one of the highlights of our trip!