Permitting may tighten under proposals aimed to protect obsessed visitors.
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — A geological gem awaits hikers in the wilderness along the Arizona-Utah border. Swirls of searing reds, oranges and yellow fold into a bowl that visitors from around the world seek out on an unmarked path past sandstone buttes and sage brush.
It’s said to be one of the most photographed spots in North America, but The Wave in the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument isn’t without dangers. A series of heat-related deaths in 2013 led to an outside review of safety risks, increased patrols and a new radio transmitter.