Hike The Rock Line Trail To The New Wave In Page, Arizona Red Around the World

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On my quest to do all the things in Page before leaving, I learned about the Rock Line Trail/The New Wave Trail! The only hike in Page, like really close to town, I knew of was the Hanging Garden Trail.

We did that and a couple of days later hit the trail to the New Wave. I literally drove past this hundreds of times and had no idea there was a trail here.

new wave trail page arizona — The beginning of the Rock Line trail

I would always see people parked/camping in this spot and it turns out there’s a trail here! The New Wave trail is right across from the Wahweap park entrance closest to Page and the Glen Canyon Dam.

Like, directly across. I think we just went in the middle of a sunny day so the lighting for pictures could have been better, but harsh lighting aside, this trail really surprised me.

I had low expectations. Really low. I mean, it’s comparing itself to The Wave, that’s a lot to live up to (I assume because I haven’t been to The Actual Wave.)

I don’t remember how I found this trail, but i want to say it was AllTrails because I had been scouring it looking for everything I still had to do in Page.

path on rock lane trail new wave hike page arizona

rock formation and navajo mountain on new wave trail page arizona

I figured while my parents were visiting was the perfect chance since it was close and easy and we didn’t need 4-wheel-drive for it.

The trail is pretty easy to see from the unofficial parking area, it’s a little lane lined by rocks (probably why it’s the Rock Line Trail, or at least in my head) similar to the Hanging Garden Trail.

It’s super easy to follow so no worries of getting lost. After a short walk, you come to a fork. We went to the left first which is just a little side trail, but I loved it and would definitely recommend not skipping this.

I actually think this little side trail was my favorite part of the whole thing. You kind of walk along the side of a rock formation, looking across at the other trail. You can actually see the rock line trail outline from this side.

rock lane trail new wave hike page arizona

It looks like the trail stops at one point near a sort of dip hill, thing? But it doesn’t, you can go over that and keep going a bit further. The textures here were so good, I could have taken a thousand pictures just of the ground here.

After a while, we headed back down to the fork to hike the main loop. You can see the trail headed toward the left side of a bug rock formation and the whole thing is just a loop around that. It’s not as bad as it looks though.

view of lake powell from new wave trail page arizona — The trail and a Lake Powell view

I think the first little dip in the rock (doing the loop clockwise) where you kind of go over and between two formations is the official New Wave. But it’s so much not like the wave, I couldn’t really even tell. I just think that was it.

I sort of see the resemblance but this has no business calling itself the New Wave. The Beehive Loop or the Rock Line Trail are are much more appropriate names.

view from rock lane trail new wave hike page arizona — A dirt road below the trail

There was another small group not far from us here but those were the only other people we saw on the whole hike and I don’t even think they did the whole loop. We didn’t see/or hear them again.

That sounds ominous but I think they just turned around. The trail on this side has one sort of slanted spot but it isn’t anything really difficult to navigate. It’s close to the curve near the end of this side.

rock formation on rock lane trail new wave hike page arizona

view of new wave trail page arizona — Looking across at the loop part of the trail, you can even see it on the left a little!

I really enjoyed the back part of the loop and the part heading back towards the car. I think this whole thing would be really great for exploring and rock scrambling (safely, only to a point you’re comfortable with).

There a pothole type things, crazy textures, wild formations, and awesome views. You can see Lake Powell from some parts of it towards the beginning, and have views of the ridge/plateau behind it.

Overall, it’s not the most thrilling trail ever and it is no consolation for missing out on The Wave, but if you want a fun, not crowded hike that isn’t a slot canyon in Page, the Rock Line/New Wave/Beehive Loop is a great choice.

Other names for the New Wave Trail

Rock Line Trail
Beehive Loop
The Beehive Trail

Where is the New Wave Trail in Page?

The trailhead for The New Wave in Page is just on the other side of the Glen Canyon Dam (the side opposite of Page) across from the Wahweap Marina/Glen Canyon park entrance. If you’re coming from Page it will be on your left.

There is a dirt parking area, a lot of people camp here, and it will be on the left side of the dirt road (people camp on the right) and you should be able to see the beginning of the Rock Line Trail (literally a lane between rocks).

fork in trail on new wave hike page arizona — The fork for the loop

How long is the New Wave Trail?

1.9 miles round-trip including the side trail, 1.25 miles for just the loop and stem to the parking lot. There is about 200 feet of elevation gain.

Is the New Wave Trail hard?

Not really. There is one section that is a little angled and feels a little weird walking along but it’s not bad. The hardest part is probably the sun and heat but the hike itself isn’t bad at all.

Is there a fee for the New Wave Trail?

Nope! It’s technically in Glen Canyon but there is no fee for this part. If you want to go into Glen Canyon and go to Wahweap Marina, you’ll have to pay for that.

National Park Goodies

If you’re planning to visit three or more national parks within a year from your trip, definitely get the America the Beautiful pass. It will save you money in the long run if you’re going to more than three parks in a year. Buy the pass here.
If you’re planning on doing a lot of hiking on your trip, or even at home, check out AllTrails! This is my favorite app to find, keep track of, and track my hiking activity. And it’s FREE! Sign up here.
This Ultimate National Park Planning Bundle is a must-have. You get two ebooks and a planner, saving 50% by getting them as a bundle! If you want all the details, this is the bundle for you. Buy the Ultimate bundle here.
This National Park Planner (one of the ebooks from the bundle above) is perfect if you just want some guidance in your planning. Buy the planner here.
Get yourself a little National Park notebook to write all about your adventures while you’re on the road. These from Field Notes are all very cute! If you want one for all of the NPS sites (400+!) then this one is for you!
Before your trip, get some national park apparel for your trip!
Consider reading some of these books set in national parks before your big trip, on your adventure, or once you get home to take you back to the parks until next time.

Is the New Wave Trail in Page as good as the actual Wave?

No. I mean, I haven’t been to the actual Wave, but based on pictures they’re not the same. It might be as good as it (I don’t know) but they’re good in different ways. Don’t do this hike expecting to see something exactly like The Wave.

Is the New Wave Trail in Page worth it?

Yes! I really enjoyed this one I would just not go into it expecting scenery like the Wave. But it’s a great hike in Page that isn’t busy at all. It’s got good views and some good rock scrambling if you want. You can hear traffic on a lot of it but it’s still good.