“witness the abstract latticework of Mother Nature, if you can find it”
An isolated, notoriously hard-to-reach patch of sandstone in a remote corner of the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument. The area of White Pocket on the Paria Plateau in Northern Arizona is very impressive indeed! While many are lured and wait their turn to visit the infamous "Wave" in the North Coyote Buttes, the "White Pocket" area to the east is seldom visited. Maybe because of its remoteness or the requirement of 4WD to access the area. The impressive White Pocket will fill the senses beyond imagination! The drive to the swirling, twisted, multicolored natural artwork is an adventure in its own right, and the exploration by foot is endless. Whether spending just a couple of hours or an entire weekend, "White Pocket" will surely become "top of the top" in the list of special places. This area has colors, shapes and textures that are hard to beat, but remember that it is an extremely fragile environment and the utmost care should be taken to preserve this place. Tread lightly and make it a point to see if you can leave the area without anyone ever having known that you were there. Stay on the slickrock when possible, but be careful not to snap off thin fins and don't trample the delicate vegetation between the small mounds of beautiful stone. This area should, and can be, saved for any and all that visit in the future. We recommend finding of of the many local tour operators to take you out to this remote location. White Pocket is one of the region’s most precious features. Over the ages, natural phenomena have sucked the color out of the Navajo sandstone. The pocket’s mosaic-like form is also the abstract latticework of Mother Nature; weather has created the irregular polygons on the pocket’s surface.
Reviews
Surreal moon-like landscape. Amazing views.
There are no trails, and it's easy to get lost. Use a GPS/compass/take pictures of landmarks in order to find your way back. There is no cell phone coverage.
You'll need a 4WD with high clearance to get to the trailhead. Roads inside the Vermillion Cliffs are badly marked, and the maps are not accurate. Download the google maps route ahead of time, and buy a map (National Geographic publishes the "Paria Canyon, Kanab" map). Be sure to take extra water and food.
Stop by the Kanab visitor center to get more information. Some of the roads may be flooded, so it's good to check in with rangers. The rangers also have a list of the companies that organize tours to the area, and the rental places where you can get a 4WD. And if you are there by 9am, try participating in the lottery for the North Buttes (i.e. the Wave), and then for the South Buttes at 10am.
Unlike North and South buttes, you do NOT need a permit to visit the White Pocket.
You need a good vehicle to get here - soft sand etc... but the views are out of this world. Some of the formations are almost look like it was a movie set for a different world. Does not require much hiking once you get there.
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White Pockets
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