Last Updated on: 15th August 2024, 05:14 pm
Some describe visiting northern Arizona’s White Pocket as like walking across a giant glob of strawberry swirl ice cream. Others liken it to exploring an alien planet. Whatever it may remind you of, nearly all those who visit White Pocket call it one of the most extraordinary geological formations in the US Southwest – if not the world.
White Pocket is located inside the Vermillion Cliffs National Monument, with the closest town being Kanab, Utah. It’s part of the Coyote Buttes area, along with a much better-known attraction: The Wave, which lies just six miles northwest.
The Wave, however, has become so popular that a strict lottery system was implemented several years back. Now visitors only have an estimated 4% chance of getting a permit. At the time of writing, no such permit system exists for White Pocket, but it’s still best to visit with a tour for reasons we’ll explain shortly.
For more information on booking a White Pocket tour, along with where to stay in Kanab, be sure to check the end of the article.
Visiting White Pocket
As mentioned above, in contrast to The Wave, White Pocket is currently accessible to all visitors. And being located on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land, it’s also free to visit.
But there’s one major caveat. About two hours each way from Kanab, the road there can be very rough – even if you have a 4×4. Some sections consist of very deep sand, while others may be entirely impassable if it’s recently rained.
Of course, some people make it just fine on their own. But if you happen to get stuck, getting a towing company to come rescue you costs no less than a couple thousand dollars!
Tours, on the other hand, cost only a couple hundred. So even if you’re more of an independent traveler, taking a tour is a bargain when you consider the worst-case scenario.
Having made the journey countless times, tour guides know the roads intimately and can spot obstacles or other anomalies that outside visitors will likely miss.
To learn more about different tour options to White Pocket, be sure to check below.
Arriving at the site, the White Pocket butte is about 100 yards (91 m) from the parking lot. And before long, you’ll find yourself walking on top of its bizarrely shaped rock.
White Pocket has no official trails and visitors are encouraged to freely explore. You can also climb on top of many of the formations (at your own risk, of course). Just be sure to leave everything as you found it.
By coming with a guide, you’ll be taken around to the most interesting areas so you won’t feel like you’ve missed anything, while you’ll also be given time for independent exploration at the end.
According to our guide, a ‘pocket’ is simply a natural formation that holds water. In the 1800s, the area was discovered by local cattle ranchers who needed somewhere to take their cattle during the long dry season.
Also in the 1800s, locals added a small concrete structure as a way of trapping more water. But otherwise, all the pools here are natural.
But how was White Pocket formed? To date, geologists still aren’t entirely sure, though there are a few prominent theories.
White Pocket is comprised of red sandstone with white sandstone layers on top. The upper layers may have fallen from a large dune as a result of an earthquake, mixing with existing layers of sand.
Another possibility is that a miniature volcano erupted here during the Jurassic era (199.6 million to 145.5 million years ago).
In either case, the impact was large enough to cause contortions, which eventually hardened into the bizarre yet beautiful swirly formations we see today.
And of course, after the initial hardening of the rock, it was then subject to millions of years of erosion.
The colors, meanwhile, were likely caused by the presence of minerals like hematite, goethite or limonite. And as you explore White Pocket, you’ll encounter multiple sections consisting of wavy stripes of alternating red and white layers.
Incredibly, White Pocket is said to be almost completely geologically unique in the world. But there may be similar formations in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula and perhaps in Jordan.
After being shown some interesting places to climb up and take photos, it was time to stop for a brief lunch. Sitting down in a shaded area, we had some sandwiches and additional snacks provided by the tour company.
And after that, it was time to check out more highlights.
As mentioned, White Pocket is home to numerous pools of water that you’ll typically find year-round. But not long before my visit, it had rained more than it had in years in the region.
As such, we were given a unique opportunity to photograph pools that aren’t normally there. And there was also a lot more greenery on the butte than normal.
While White Pocket is much lesser-known than The Wave, it does seem to slowly be gaining in popularity. Though not terribly crowded, there were indeed multiple other tour groups exploring the area at the same time.
Even though it was a bit more crowded than expected, I was still able to get plenty of shots without random people in the way.
But if you’re thinking of visiting White Pocket, it may be better to do so sooner than later.
The Wave, too, was also seldom visited at one point, so it may only be a matter of time before word gets out about White Pocket. According to our guide, there are already discussions going on about whether or not to introduce a similar lottery system for White Pocket.
While overcrowding is not yet a factor, as this is public land, some people come out here for all-night parties and do a poor job of cleaning up. Fortunately, I didn’t spot any garbage during my visit.
Reaching the opposite edge of White Pocket, one can see pretty far off into the distance. Looking closely, you can spot parts of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in southern Utah, and even parts of Bryce Canyon National Park!
And looking off to the side, you’ll see an even larger butte just nearby. As a whole, White Pocket actually consists of two main buttes: Upper and Lower. A large majority of visitors only visit the Lower Butte – and that’s all we explored on our tour.
But while it’s said to be impossible to reach the top, I’d love to explore the Upper Butte at some point in the future.
Roughly in the center of the Lower Butte, you’ll find one of White Pocket’s swirliest and most-photographed formations. It really does look like some kind of sweet dessert – except for the fact that it’s solid and you can climb it.
White Pocket Photography Tips
If you’re visiting White Pocket as part of a tour, you’ll be there when the light is at its harshest. And as the White Pocket butte is largely a white, reflective surface, it can make the sky appear especially dark in photos. Just do an image search of ‘White Pocket’ to see what I mean.
One technique I’ve learned over the years in these situations is to deliberately (but carefully) overexpose my photos.
Typically, I shoot most photos at one stop brighter than what my camera light meter suggests. I then darken them in RAW image processing software (Capture One in my case). This isn’t quite the place to go into why this method works, nor do I claim to be a photography expert. But from my experience, this method makes most daytime outdoor photos look better.
But at White Pocket, I found that even shooting one stop over the middle of the light meter was still giving me very dark skies. And so I overexposed most of my photos by around two stops. And after processing the images, I ended up with a normal-looking light blue sky in most cases.
Of course, I sometimes overdid it, with plenty of photos ending up a bit washed out. But I took so many photos throughout the day at slightly different settings that I ended up with hundreds that I’m happy with.
Finished with the guided portion of the tour, at around 13:15 we were given another 90 minutes or so to freely explore before heading back.
While we’d already seen most of the highlights by this point, there were still plenty of little details and new vantage points to check out.
While our guide didn’t mention it, I overheard another tour guide mention a cave separate from the butte. I waited a while, hoping they’d be done by the time I went there. Unfortunately, they were still inside and I didn’t end up having enough time to go back later.
But the cave is said to contain ancient Anasazi petroglyphs, revealing that White Pocket was indeed known about centuries before ranchers came across it in the 1800s.
Next, I found even more wavy sections of the butte as I gradually made my way back to the starting point. And there were still a few highlights near the entrance that I hadn’t yet encountered.
One of them was a fairly large hoodoo reminiscent of what you’ll find at the Toadstool Hoodoos of Grand Staircase-Escalante. And another major landmark of White Pocket is a tree – but not just any tree.
Supposedly, a photograph of this particular tree was featured in a Mac OS wallpaper background a few years ago, which led to increasing interest in the site. While I am a Mac user, I didn’t recognize the scenery, but it’s nonetheless very cool to see a lone tree on such terrain.
Many describe this part of White Pocket’s terrain as ‘brain rock,’ in contrast to the swirly patterns you’ll encounter elsewhere along the butte.
Eventually, we all met up at the parking lot and began heading back. On the return journey, we stopped somewhere along the road at a viewing spot for condors, a type of vulture.
And we also headed over to the Jacob Lake Inn, just outside of the Grand Canyon North Rim. It’s most famous for its cookies, and having been reminded of dessert throughout the day, it was a fitting end to the excursion.
Additional Info
While White Pocket can be visited independently, as mentioned above, the conditions can be quite rough – and quite expensive if you get stuck. That’s why it’s best to book a tour.
I went with Dreamland Safari, one of the most prominent tour companies in Kanab. While it wasn’t a private tour, there were only several people in total along with our driver/guide.
The tour cost about $200 per person (before taxes and fees). Departing at 8:00, we didn’t return to Kanab until late afternoon, making this a full-day adventure.
All in all, I had a great experience with Dreamland Safari Tours and would definitely recommend them. You can easily book your tour directly through their website.
Numerous other companies also run tours to White Pocket, such as Grand Circle Tours. And if you prefer a private experience, you can also book this highly-rated tour online.
While it may be a small town of about 5,000 people, Kanab has plenty of hotels to choose from.
I stayed at Travelodge by Wyndham Kanab, a basic hotel that was perfect for resting after long days out in nature. They also provide free breakfast. Other popular options close to the center include Comfort Suites and the Hampton Inn.
Camping is another great option. The nearby Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park, for example, has campsites ranging from $25-40.
And as the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, also just nearby, is managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), you’re allowed to camp in most of the area for free.
This also includes spending the night in your RV. If you don’t have your own, consider renting one on a site like Outdoorsy.
If you’re looking for somewhere with amenities, however, you may prefer to camp at an established campsite. This is a helpful resource for camping sites in the region, while you can look for primitive camping sites on FreeRoam.
As Kanab is a small town, the best way to get there is to drive. While you don’t need a 4×4 for the locations mentioned above, consider renting one anyway, as the Southwest in general is full of rough dirt roads.
For those doing broader travels throughout the region, Kanab makes for a good stop in between Page, Arizona and St. George, Utah.
The nearest major airports to Kanab are Las Vegas (about four hours) and Salt Lake City (about five hours).