After a few freezing nights and some incredible scenery at White Pocket, we made the drive over to Coyote Buttes South. While there is a shortcut along a much more challenging sand road than what we’d faced and after reading several warnings about the deep sand and steep roads uphill, I knew we’d take the longer route. So, going the farther path, these are the roads we mostly followed, and mileage is my best guess:
Driving from White Pocket to Coyote Buttes South
* south on 1086 for 5.4 miles
* go straight, merging with 1087 for 4 miles
* west on 1017 for 3.1 miles
* right (south) on 1066 for 3.3 miles
* merge with 1081 for 2.4 miles
* north on 1082 for 3 miles
Yes, and though we’re not sure how, we again took some wrong turns, and those directions above were not perfect. Still, by using the map provided by the BLM that came with the Coyote Butte South passes, using GoogleMaps with discretion when we got a signal, our sense of direction, and watching for road signs, we eventually made it to our destination – the Cottonwood Cove Trailhead - in a little over an hour. And, like last time, the sand seemed to grow deeper and softer the closer we got.
The First Night
One thing to note… as you pull into the parking lot, the area on your right/east is open to camping as it is not a part of the BLM Wilderness. So that’s where Jay pitched his tent each night.
We camped here for three nights, but only had passes for two full days, and our window started the next day. Not being able to hike into the BLM wilderness on the first night because we are rule-followers, we instead made the short walk to the area north and east of our camp site. Much to our surprise, there were some interesting formations and much more land to explore than we realized. The Chess Queen (a rock formation) is in this area, as are numerous eye-catching twists and turns in the rock. Here are a few photos from that evening…
The Chess Queen (the rock formation on the left) rises on the eastern portion of Coyote Buttes South in the quickly fading evening light. Though not in the main area of the teepees, this small area that includes the Queen is worthy of a few hours' exploration.
The Adventure Begins
The next morning, we shook off the frost and made the half-mile or so trek to the buttes we’d come to explore. Trekking uphill in soft sand will get the blood flowing, and for a while I didn’t think about the temps in the high 20s. It should also be noted here Coyote Buttes is much larger than White
Pocket, and over two full days, we only covered a portion of it. And the fun started with a goal that morning of finding a formation known by many names, including the Witch’s Hat, the Dragon’s Head, the Seahorse, and the Harry Potter Hat - and finding it before sunrise!
I was following GPS coordinates for the Witch’s Hat, but having not been here before nor having read anything about the difficulty of navigating through the teepees, I did not realize my quest was akin to navigating a labyrinth.
This view in Coyote Buttes South shows my way through these red sanstone teepees. A mix of sand and rock makes for an adventurous path, and I never really knew where I'd end up. But the scenery was always pretty amazing.
The Witch’s Hat sits high up in the teepees, and eventually, through several ups and downs and skirting steep slopes I recognized the “Control Tower” in the distance, and I knew the Witch’s Hat was close by.
The unusual sandstone formation known as the Control Tower overlooks this area of Coyote Buttes South. In the distance is the iconic Witch's Hat, also known as the Dragon's Head or the Harry Potter Hat. Beyond that, the teepees of this area soaking up the warming light on a very cold November morning.
I have to admit there was some guesswork in finding it, and I got lucky. After taking in the view for a few minutes, I set out to photograph this unique formation in these Mars-like surroundings. This image below was a focus stack of eight images taken from my100mp Fuji GFX and a 20-35 lens, with the most distant focused image also a bracketed photo to make sure none of the highlights along the horizon and sky were blown out.
As one of my favorite view in Coyote Buttes South in the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, I've seen this formation of red sandstone and ribbon rock go by many name, including the "Dragon's Head," the "Witch's Hat," the "Harry Potter Hat" and even the "Seahorse."
The temperature this morning in northern Arizona at abot 6,000'+ in elevation was ~ 25 degrees and the landscape was incredible.
After reveling in this otherworldly rock formation and contemplating both how long and under what circumstances it was formed, I was ready to move on.
And here, I had to make a decision – to take the sketchy, fast, steep, sometimes sandy, sometimes rocky way down, or backtrack around the teepees. I chose the former. And thank goodness this rock is solid and “grippy” on my shoes. All went smoothly, though I had to empty the sand from my shoes at the bottom. Here is a look back up from the direction I came.
After down-climbing from the Dragon's head (seen in the upper portion of this image), I turned around and stopped to take this photograph looking back at the way I descended. I'm glad this rock is very sturdy and "grippy" on my shoes!
From here, I wanted to explore the “Southern Wave,” and ended up searching for the dinosaur tracks nearby, as well. After a little poking around down some of the washes, I came across my first track, that of a theropod from approximately 180 million years ago. To me, that is just mind-boggling.
Near the Southern Wave in Coyote Buttes South, this dinosaur track rests in Navajo sandstone. Made by a theropod approximately 180 million years ago, there were two sets of tracks, indicating two dinosaurs walking side by side.
After more walking and taking in the sights, I met back up with Jay who’d been busy looking for Big Horn Sheep. This is the best I could do without a zoom lens:
From a distance, the bighorn sheep watched us watching them from a perch in Coyote Buttes South. Every once in a while I find myself wishing I had brought along my 400mm lens for these long distance shots. This was one of those times. From where we were, I could not even see the bighorn sheep beneath the upper two.
We repeated these adventures in the evening and again the next day, often going in opposite directions and meeting back up somewhere in or near the teepees when finished.
On the last evening, I wanted to visit the “Rainbow Cove” before meeting up with Jay to shoot the Southern Wave. Then we’d make our way up to higher ground for what turned out to be a beautiful sunset. I started my walk across the sandy field full of prickly plants, shrubs, and the occasional outcrop of sandstone. The direct path was more or less 1.78 miles. As I neared 1.7 miles I grew concerned because there were no walls or caves or coves anywhere nearby. Yet I continued on – on until I came to the edge of a precipitous drop of maybe 300 feet? (guessing). And I was .02 miles from the Cove, most likely high above it. I walked a long way along the edge of the drop, but there was no downward access without walking back at least a half to three-quarters of a mile. I was dripping with sweat (it was 25 degrees that morning) and reluctantly decided to make my way another sandy mile to meet Jay. On this part of my journey, I again ended up much too high, but in a twist of fate, I happened to come upon the Witch’s Hat (remember, it was on higher ground) and was able to take the steep descent to pop out just a few minutes walk from Jay and the Southern Wave. I got lucky. I also learned I needed to have a map downloaded in my GPS with topographic lines, which I did not. Alas, lesson learned.
Just south of its big brother, the much-less-visited "Southern Wave" has curves and swirls to offer without the crowds. And the colors are more pronounced here, as well. I visited this location several times during my days at Coyote Buttes South, and each time found new angles and perspective to photograph.
We took some time photographing this colorful rock swirl, then made our way up high to take in the grand landscape of the Vermilion Cliffs. It was a stunning evening, and the rocks seemed to glow with color even as the light gently faded.
After a few days of exploring Coyote Buttes South, this photograph was taken on my last evening there as the soft light of evening spread across this beautiful, remote, and rugged world. In the distance, two of the famous formations - the Witch's Hat and the Control Tower - can be seen nestled among a labyrinth of twists and turns. From a high point on one of the rock uprisings, the reds and yellows and layers of sandstone make for a stirring and memorable view across Vermilion Cliffs National Monument.
The next morning, Jay stayed back while I trekked to another area southwest of the teepees.
Teepees of Coyote Buttes South fill the landscape in this panorama from the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument. This November morning was cold - in the 20s - but the views were magnificent and the solitude surreal.
There, I took a few images before sunrise, including the Hydra and the Olympic Torch (seen below) then slowly, reluctantly, made my way back to the car.
Just after sunrise, the sun peeks around the base of the "Olympic Torch" in Coyote Buttes South. This iconic landmark in the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument is an interesting site to visit, and the twisted rock makes for some good perspectives.
Parting Thoughts
It was time to head home as our families awaited our return. This night, though, we’d stay at a hotel and once again have a hot shower and clean bed. I must add that we had tacos in Gallup, New Mexico, that afternoon and they were about the best tacos I’ve ever had! Situational? Perhaps. But it didn’t matter.
Here are some coordinates from some of the locations we found (I’m not including everything because exploring is half the fun of this place):
The Chess Queen: N36° 57.577' W111° 53.840'
(not within the boundary of Coyote Buttes but only a 10+ minute walk from the parking area.
The Hydra: 36.95490,-111.98766
Southern Wave: 36.96512,-111.98994
Control Tower: 36.96367,-111.98947 (notice the Witch’s Hat in the distance)
Heading out, this was the path we took, though I am not sure we followed these exact roads. By this point, we knew which roads and which direction the paved roads were!
Coyote Buttes south to Exit
* south on 1082 for 3 miles
* south on 1081 for 2.4 miles
* southwest on 1066 for 3.3 miles
* right on 1017 for 3.1 miles
* south on House Rock Valley Road (1065) for 9.3 miles
* left/south on 89A for ??
* left/east on 160
A day and a half later we were back at our respective homes.
If you made it this far, thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed my retelling of the adventure.
Things I Learned or had Reinforced (and I may add more)
* High clearance 4WD is needed. We heard stories of a guy in a Subaru that was stuck twice during the time we were there. He never showed up in the parking lot! I think they had to tow him out.
* If you camp, it can get cold at night
* Pack in, pack out
* Wide angle lenses and a medium tele are helpful. Big Horn sheep photography requires a little longer lens - I’d suggest 200mm or longer. I wish I’d had my 400mm for those guys!
* I’d also suggest using a GPS or being able to read a map. If you head out before light or stay out shooting after dark, it was easy to get turned around. I used my Garmin as well as Gaia (on my phone) and had a compass. I used each on different occasions but had no trouble finding my way back to the car.
* Bring a battery charger if you camp. The cold weather depletes the batteries.
* Bring a few flashlights and a headlamp.
* Explore all you can. It is an amazing place.
Safe Travels ~ Rob
Red, layered sandstone twists and turns down this narrow wash in Coyote Buttes South.
Loving White Pocket, Arizona
