USA South Coyote Buttes

South Coyote Buttes is a beautiful sister to North Coyote Buttes, albeit less known than The Wave. South Coyote Buttes is spectacular in its own right: it comprises an area much larger than The Wave with more diversity in colors and geological formations. You will step into into a fairyland of strangely shaped and colored rocks: domes, arches, beehive shaped hills and eroded layers of sandstone as delicate as lace. 
 
Paw Hole, in the southwest corner of South Coyote Buttes has incredible sandstone fins with red hues on one side and verdigris (from lichens) on the other. You will also admire thousands of sweeping cross-bedding planes (layers of sandstone inclined in various angles to the main stratification) that flow all around the corners. Cottonwood Cove has a huge variety of whimsical formations, some of them looking like multi-colored sand castles. The landscape in Cottonwood Cove can change in character between the early morning and the late afternoon light, making it the perfect place for photographers to experiment and create visually unique works of art.
 
This area of the Vermilion Cliffs is very remote and hard to get to. Don't even attempt to drive on these rough and sandy back roads in your rental car. The local tow service, while friendly, will cost you a lot. The great diversity of the area allows for flexible hike lengths, from focused walks to longer loops that will satiate even the most jaded photographers! Hiking in South Coyote Buttes requires a permit but it is usually easier to obtain than for The Wave in North Coyote Buttes (for more details, check the section on BLM Permits).