Question: Who doesn’t love a good sandstone rock formation? The Wave is a series of eroded geological rock troughs located near the Arizona-Utah border. It is known for both the beautiful striations carved into the faces of the rocks, and the fact that the hike to get there is a real bitch.
“The Wave” is made up of Navajo Sandstone hailing from the Jurassic age, which means it is almost as old as Mick Jagger’s drug problems. Originally the troughs were eroded by rainwater, but as the drainage basin at the bottom shrank, the formations made the executive decision to switch to wind erosion, which created steps and risers cut into the rock walls.
Since The Wave is so textured, it has become a well-known place to take fancy-schmancy photographs, although due to the extreme shadows it looks different depending on what time of day you shoot.
To reach The Wave you have to hike across three miles of open desert, so bring a water bottle and possibly some scorpion repellent. It isn’t easy to find, and you also have to get a day-use permit from the Bureau of Land Management in order to visit, so plan ahead.
