Have you ever ridden a sand wave? Chances are you probably didn’t ride this one. It’s not at Mavericks, and it’s 200 million years old.

Originally a sand dune up to 60 feet high, this wave was part of a vast sand-blown desert on the super continent of Pangea. The desert was much bigger than the modern Sahara and was part of a massive and sinking basin that received sediment from areas as far as the ancient Appalachian Mountains. Known today as “The Wave,” it’s located in the Coyote Buttes of the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs in Coconino County, Arizona.

How Ancient Winds Formed The Wave

Large dunes require strong winds. The Wave has layers that record the changing winds, which brought sand from different directions. The rhythmic and cyclic alternating laminae represent periodic changes in the prevailing Paleo era winds, which pushed the huge sand dunes back and forth across the massive desert.

Over time, more sediment came into the basin via a huge ancestral river system on the scale of the Mississippi. After being covered by other sediments, the dunes solidified into Navajo Sandstone. If you have been to the Grand Canyon, or just about anywhere else in the Colorado Plateau, you have probably seen the Navajo Sandstone. To give you an idea of the amount of sand in the Navajo Sandstone: It’s about what the modern day Mississippi River would put out in about 10 million years of flow!

After another 200 million years of first burial and then uplift, erosion has uncovered and exposed the Wave. The thin ridges and ribbing are primarily from differential erosion of these layers by the wind. However, water has also played a part. Vertical movement and precipitation of iron and manganese within ancient water tables probably created the Liesgang bands, which are the alternating ribbons of red, orange, and pink that make The Wave so visually appealing.

The 1996 release of the German nature documentary “Fascinaztion Natur” created a huge influx of European tourists that hasn’t stopped. Access has since been restricted to only 20 hikers a day to preserve the natural rock formation and prevent overcrowding. These days, you need to apply for the required permits four months in advance. So if you want to check out these Paleo dunes, plan ahead!