Looking for an out of doors journey in Nevada? The 46,000-acre Valley of Fire State Park must be added to your bucket listing. The US has heaps of lovely nationwide parks, however their State Parks are fairly spectacular as nicely. In reality, the Valley of Fire is one of the finest state parks in Nevada. The park is known for its attribute Aztec sandstone, which provides the park a memorable crimson glow and it’s full of fascinating rock formations and mountain climbing trails. Earn some stamps in your Nevada state parks passport and put together for some thrilling experiences.
So, what are the finest issues to do in the Valley of Fire? From the finest hikes to the finest pure points of interest and viewpoints, this information will cowl all the finest issues to do in the Valley of Fire. Let’s dive straight in.
Best Hikes in the Valley of Fire State Park
If you like mountain climbing, you’ll love the Valley of Fire State Park. The Valley of Fire hikes are sometimes difficult however all the time rewarding. The routes go fascinating pure points of interest – be it petrified logs or an enormous, bizarrely formed rock formation.
However, these Valley of Fire hikes are the finest of the finest.
1. Old Arrowhead Trail
Old Arrowhead path is a brief and candy hike in the Valley of Fire. Only 1.1km out and again, the path takes round fifteen minutes to full. If you need a straightforward introduction to exploring the park on foot, we advocate selecting the Old Arrowhead path.
What is there to see en route? Well, if you’re fortunate, a herd of Bighorn Sheep and one of the park’s most well-known websites. Wildlife in the Valley of Fire will be elusive, so animal lovers ought to attempt their luck mountain climbing this route. Apart from Bighorn Sheep, hikers can spot the Arrowhead Arch, views of Lake Mead, and get a way of that lovely Nevada desert surroundings.
Arrowhead trailhead will be discovered solely 0.8 km from the west entrance, simply off the Valley of Fire Highway. You can rapidly acknowledge the path by its arrowhead signpost.
2. White Domes Trail
The White Domes hike is the path for you in order for you minimal effort and a excessive reward. This 1.8 km path has been used for a lot of a Hollywood setting with its dramatic geological buildings, and a slot canyon to navigate. Only half-hour lengthy, the observe packs quite a bit into a brief interval. For the enjoyable lovers amongst you and people on a time restrict, the White Domes path is a superb possibility.
Watch the Sixties western movie The Professionals earlier than mountain climbing the White Domes path. This means, you’ll probably spot many movie places when strolling the path. Squeezing by way of the slot canyon at the finish can also be a enjoyable means to finish the expertise.
The White Domes trailhead is accessed off of the primary street. Turn onto Mouse’s Tank Road, which ultimately switches to White Domes Road and comes to a lifeless finish at the hike’s trailhead.
3. Seven Wonders Loop
Google Maps is a should for this hike. You’ll want glorious navigation abilities, a way of journey, and unflappability underneath stress. Why? The entire path is unmarked and unofficial.
You’ll have to depend on faintly trodden paths and a navigation app to stroll by way of canyon slots, go multi-colored sandstone rock formations, and over the sandy desert panorama. However, you’ll mix many of the park’s finest points of interest in one hike. The finest pure points of interest en route are Fire Cave, Thunderstorm Arch, Crazy Hill, Pastel Canyon, and Fire Wave. After the Fire Wave, you comply with the Fire Wave path again to your start line at the Fire Wave car parking zone.
The path is barely 4 km lengthy and may take lower than two hours to full. However, all the time go away your self additional time in case you are taking a incorrect flip. The Seven Wonders Loop shouldn’t be one to sort out an hour earlier than darkish.
4. Fire Wave Trail
While we’ve briefly coated Fire Wave in the Seven Wonders path, Fire Wave can also be a worthy hike by itself. In reality, some might say that it’s the finest (if not hottest) path to hike in the Valley of Fire.
The 2.5 km path is extraordinarily newbie pleasant and well-marked for simple navigation. You’ll traverse giant rocks and boulders, recognizing yellow indicators and cairns alongside the means for instructions. Fire Wave is positioned at the path’s finish and is a surprising pure attraction. The sandstone formation has completely different rock colours, organized in wave-like patterns which can be extremely photogenic. Fire Wave is a wonderful place to be at sundown or dawn, and the mushy lighting is ideal for admiring the phenomenon.
Allow round an hour to hike there and again, plus slightly longer to admire the Fire Wave. The Fire Wave trailhead will be discovered off Mouse’s Tank Road, simply earlier than the White Domes trailhead. You may need to mix these two trails for an final expertise.
Make positive to verify the Nevada State Park Website for path closures. Both the Seven Wonders and the Fire Wave trails have been closed for the summer time of 2022 as a result of of excessive warmth.
5. Elephant Rock Trail
Elephant Rock is one of our absolute favourite Valley of Fire hikes. It doesn’t take a lot thought to guess what the rock formation at the path’s finish seems to be like. It actually does give the impression of an elephant – trunk and all.
This simple path is simply 0.5 km lengthy. In reality, you possibly can truly full it in round ten minutes. You’ll barely get a sweat on and get to see one of the park’s finest pure points of interest. Because of its brief size and recognition amongst guests, Elephant Rock is incessantly included on Valley of Fire excursions. And, as a result of of its location, we advocate dropping by Elephant Rock as you exit or go away the park, relying on whether or not you discover the park from its west to east or vice versa.
Elephant Rock is positioned on the roadside of the Valley of Fire Highway, simply after the East Entrance. We recommend parking in the East Entrance automobile park and strolling 5 minutes to the Elephant Rock trailhead.
6. Pink Canyon Trail
Looking for a photogenic hike? Pink Canyon is the one for you. The canyon will get its two names from its distinctive, pastel pink shade. Only 0.6 km lengthy, the canyon hike takes round half-hour to full and is definitely one of the finest issues to do in the Valley of Fire.
Hikers can take pleasure in strolling by way of the fantastically coloured sandstone canyon, which has a mushy sandy flooring that helps hold the hike cool earlier than the noon solar. We advocate visiting in the early morning, as aside from being cooler, you’ll discover the canyon colours extra enhanced. The pastel pink is damaged up by stripes of orange, brown, white, and even inexperienced – a surprising show of geology.
Like many of the hikes in this information, Pink Canyon is positioned off of Mouse’s Tank Road. The trailhead is positioned a ten-minute drive alongside the street from the Valley of Fire Visitor Center.
7. Petrified Wood Trail
Have you ever needed to see the petrified wooden phenomenon in particular person? Wondering what I’m speaking about? Well, it’s a advanced, attention-grabbing course of the place logs are buried underneath sediment. Without oxygen, wooden steadily turns to stone as the log begins to rot. When these logs ultimately work their means up to the floor, they seem petrified.
The Valley of Fire has a petrified logs loop that guests can hike and consider the aftermath of the course of for themselves. The path is barely 0.5 km lengthy and passes a quantity of logs. The trailhead is positioned simply after the turn-off for Campground Road, and also you’ll have to hold your eyes peeled for a gravel observe on the proper with petrified log indicators. The trailhead shouldn’t be accessible on Google Maps, however you possibly can all the time drop by the customer middle in case you get caught.
8. Crazy Hill Trail
Only 1 km lengthy with 23 meters in elevation, the Crazy Hill path is an efficient possibility for novices. The ‘hill’ is a big sandstone mound formed by erosion over hundreds of thousands of years. It is an summary pure attraction, and the weird combine of colours is fascinating and nicely value strolling to.
Again, you can see it finest to go to in softer mild hours like sundown or dawn. It solely takes round ten minutes to hike the Crazy Hill path, so you possibly can all the time squeeze it in at the finish of your day in the Valley of Fire. The trailhead is centrally positioned on Mouse’s Tank Road, which is useful when slotting it into your itinerary.
9. Natural Arches Trail
Ready for a problem? Natural Arch path is a 6.8 km out and again route that takes roughly an hour and a half to full relying in your health. The prize of the path sadly fell due to erosion, however the Natural Arches path nonetheless has lovely views and different arches to see for many who are up to the problem.
The problem is the thick sand, which makes mountain climbing rather more tough. The Natural Arch trailhead is straightforward to discover and marked on Google Maps. You’ll discover a parking lot in case you flip off the Valley of Fire Highway. It is positioned between the historic cabins and Elephant Rock.
10. Top of the World Arch Trail
The Top of the World Arch path is comparatively brief however undoubtedly not candy. At 7 km lengthy, you is likely to be forgiven for considering this path is a medium-difficulty possibility. However, the route is fully unmarked and requires quite a bit of navigational abilities. You’ll want to arrive armed with an offline navigational app and you must understand how to learn a map with orienteering abilities.
The path has an actual backcountry ambiance and is incredible for providing you with the ‘desert hike’ expertise. Plus, there’s a enormous sandstone arch midway to hold you motivated. Allow round two hours to full the path, though longer in case you doubt your sense of course. Expect quite a bit of giggles, pack water, and time your hike with noon temperatures in thoughts.
11. Prospect Trail
Got the health and motivation for an extended path? Good for you. Prospect path is a 15 km out and again path that’s thought of reasonably difficult and requires lots of scrambling. You’ll want a sturdy pair of sneakers and be prepared to get caught in.
It isn’t all problem after problem, although. Walking the Prospect path is one of the hottest issues to do in the Valley of Fire for a purpose; it has gorgeous views over the state park. You’ll spot the Fire Canyon, Arch Rock, and Atlatl Rock from the summit of Prospect path go.
Don’t miss the trailhead, as it’s simple to drive previous. Pass the two turn-offs for Arch Rock Campground and search for a small gravel car parking zone by the roadside. Google Maps ought to assist and has the path marked.
12. Rainbow Vista Trail
The Rainbow Vista path is a straightforward hike that leads you to a viewpoint overlooking Fire Canyon. At solely 2km lengthy, enable round half an hour to full this out and again stroll, plus slightly longer to admire the views. The path is well-maintained and straightforward to navigate – excellent for novices or these brief on time.
Rainbow Vista will be mixed with a hike by way of Fire Canyon, because it supplies a unique perspective. The combination of colours is gorgeous, particularly throughout hours of softer lighting. You may need to hike this path at dawn or sundown.
Start the path at the Rainbow Vista car parking zone. Rainbow Vista car parking zone will be discovered alongside Mouse’s Tank Road, simply 5 minutes drive from the Valley of Fire Visitor Center.
13. Mouse’s Tank Trail
You’ve heard quite a bit about Mouse’s Tank Road up to now, however what about the path that gave it its namesake? Mouse’s Tank path is just one.2 km lengthy, but one of the most entertaining issues to do in the Valley of Fire.
Mouse’s Tank path is a sandy observe by way of the base of a canyon. You can expertise the feeling of strolling by way of a canyon – which is a must-do in case you haven’t finished so earlier than. However, Mouse’s Tank additionally has a whole bunch of petroglyphs. If you take pleasure in studying about historic historical past or are an artwork fanatic, you must undoubtedly contemplate mountain climbing this path.
14. Fire Canyon Trail
Fire Canyon is a incredible addition in order for you to make the Mouse’s Tank path tougher. Simply proceed previous the Mouse’s Tank and take the path additional. You’ll ultimately attain Fire Canyon Wash – a surprising part with a blur of orange and crimson alongside the canyon partitions.
The Fire Canyon extension is difficult, and you ought to be ready for scrambling and narrows to navigate. At 11.5 km, Fire Canyon is not any simple feat, particularly in scorching climate. You’ll want to fastidiously plan your hike and time it to coincide with cooler temperatures. The route takes three to 4 hours to full, relying on the place you flip round and the way lengthy you cease at points of interest alongside the means.
15. Silica Dome Trail
Silica Dome is one of the most original pure points of interest in the Valley of Fire. Visiting is undoubtedly one of the finest issues to do in the park. The dome is a vivid white, thanks to its geological composition. The excessive silica focus provides the Silica Dome its white shade, which is a surprising distinction to the orange and crimson sandstone surroundings round it.
The Silica Dome path is lower than 2 km lengthy and takes round thirty minutes to full. Be ready to climb the dome itself, so the ultimate part is sort of steep. However, anybody with a average health degree ought to simply full the path – so long as they’ve water and a sturdy pair of boots. Of course, enable your self longer to admire the dome and the views from the prime.
Silica Dome is accessed by the trailhead at the finish of Fire Canyon Road. The street is definitely reached, and you are taking a proper onto Fire Canyon Road after turning off the freeway down Mouse’s Tank Road.
Best Viewpoints in the Valley of Fire State Park
If you need to go to Valley of Fire State Park, you don’t want to seize your mountain climbing boots in case you don’t need to. This part covers all the finest viewpoints in the park.
You can simply drive to these points of interest and they’re reachable from the roadside. It is secure to say that you just gained’t be lacking out, and none of these choices contain strolling additional than 500 toes.
16. Atlatl Rock
Ready for some historical past? Atlatl Rock is an enormous sandstone rock coated in historic petroglyphs. Atlatl Rock is accessed by a brief path solely round 250 toes lengthy, and that primarily consists of steel steps.
To assist guests see all the Atlatl Rock petroglyphs, an additional steel staircase has been constructed into the aspect of the rock face. You can climb the ultimate set of stairs to attain a viewpoint the place you may get shut to all the etchings.
The viewing space is a pleasant contact and useful for these with restricted eyesight. Atlatl Rock is our prime suggestion in order for you a rewarding viewpoint in the Valley of Fire. It is conveniently positioned off the Valley of Fire Highway on the smaller Campground Road.
17. Fire Cave
Fire Cave is only a brief drive from Atlatl Rock, and you could want to go to them each concurrently. Fire Cave is an immersive, photogenic, and thrilling attraction. Located simply subsequent to the street, it’s a handy place to rapidly go to a pure attraction.
Fire Cave is also referred to as Windstone Arch, however it’s undoubtedly completely different from the different arches that you just’ll see in the Valley of Fire. The arch is in the cave, hidden from sight from the street. You’ll want to head alongside Campground Road with sharp eyes and particular directions to discover this particular viewpoint.
Rather than having a proper viewing space, guests can enter the Fire Cave itself. Find the little entrance gap and marvel at the vivid orange, curving cave partitions up shut.
18. Seven Sisters
You should embrace the Seven Sisters in your itinerary while you go to Valley of Fire State Park. The seven sandstone rock formations are spectacular rock towers, left standing alone following hundreds of thousands of years of erosion. The surroundings is otherworldly, and also you’ll really feel such as you’ve leaped straight into a movie set.
The Seven Sisters are a incredible roadside attraction. You can attain the rocks in seconds, so it’s good for many who don’t need to hike in the Valley of Fire. You’ll see the Seven Sisters simply after passing the turn-off for Mouse’s Tank Road.
Valley of Fire Common FAQs
Now that we’ve coated the finest issues to do in the Valley of Fire let’s take a fast take a look at some widespread FAQs.
How to get to the Valley of Fire State Park
The simplest way to attain the Valley of Fire is by flying into Las Vegas and renting a automobile. You can fly immediately into the metropolis from most worldwide departure cities and simply take an inner flight from completely different US states. From the metropolis middle, simply drive north for thirty minutes, turning onto the Valley of Fire Scenic Byway to enter the park. The spherical journey ought to take lower than two hours, though you must enable a full day (or a number of days in order for you to camp) to discover the park.
Alternatively, you possibly can fly into Las Vegas and e book one of the many Valley of Fire excursions. A Valley of Fire day journey tour consists of transfers and is an efficient possibility for many who can’t drive or don’t need to fear about navigating their means to the Valley of Fire.
Lastly, you possibly can take a street journey to the Valley of Fire. By far the most adventurous possibility, street tripping to the Valley of Fire is finest suited to these with the freest time.For extra inspiration, you possibly can try our guides on the finest US street journeys right here.
How to Visit as a Day Trip from Las Vegas
One of the hottest Las Vegas actions is visiting the Valley of Fire as a day journey. If you need issues to do exterior the Las Vegas strip (which we’ve got an entire information on right here), escaping the metropolis’s chaos for a day is a refreshing addition to your itinerary. Since you’ll probably fly into Las Vegas to go to the state park, why not mix the two? A Valley of Fire day journey, right here you come.
It is a 1.5-hour spherical journey to the Valley of Fire from Las Vegas metropolis middle, taking forty minutes every means. You can simply lease a automobile in Las Vegas, and we advocate renting a automobile so you possibly can discover the park independently and at leisure. You’ll have extra alternative about the place and the way lengthy you possibly can cease, plus a better sense of freedom and journey.
Of course, you possibly can additionally e book one of the park excursions in case you don’t fancy driving. The excursions go away from Las Vegas and sometimes supply lodge pick-up companies, which is sensible in order for you the final comfort. You’ll have a set route, so that you gained’t want to plan an itinerary both – good if you’re taking a last-minute journey or simply dislike planning journeys.
Getting Around the Valley of Fire State Park
Sorry public transport lovers, to get round the Valley of Fire, you will want a automobile or coach. As we’ve coated above, your two choices are to lease a automobile or e book a tour from Las Vegas. You gained’t give you the chance to discover on foot, and there are undoubtedly no buses or trains working round the Valley of Fire.
Luckily navigating your means round the park is straightforward. Google Maps is sweet to have on standby, however you shouldn’t want it as there may be one simply primary street that runs by way of the entire park. It is value mentioning that you must obtain a map of the park, although, as cellular service will be patchy.
You can verify the official web sites for street closures, particular entrance charges, and climate warnings.
Best Time to Visit the Valley of Fire State Park
Before we get to the finest time to go to the Valley of Fire, let’s simply say keep away from visiting in the summer time months. The Valley of Fire is in the desert, and in the summer time months, the warmth turns into insufferable and generally harmful. Trust us once we say mountain climbing and even driving by way of the Valley of Fire in summer time is disagreeable.
Similarly, you can see a tenting restrict at most group campsites in spring and fall. During these durations, the park is way busier, and you can see extra crowds at every attraction and booked-out campsites. This could possibly be a optimistic if you’re a solo feminine traveler searching for security in numbers, however in case you don’t desire a crowd, skip spring and fall.
So, when is the finest time to go to? Winter. In December and January, the common temperature is 14 levels Celsius – excellent for mountain climbing and lengthy, stress-free drives. And if that sounds a bit too chilly, simply plan a visit in November when the temperatures are a mean of 19 levels Celsius. Winter has the coolest temperatures and barely any crowds, which is a win-win in case you ask us.
Final ideas
The Valley of Fire is an thrilling Nevada State Park and one of the finest locations to go to in the US. Whether you are taking a tour from Las Vegas, camp for a weekend, or lease a automobile to drive your self for the day, you’ll have recollections to final a lifetime.
There are infinite issues to do in the Valley of Fire, and these eighteen are simply the finest of a incredible bunch of choices. We hope you could have an exquisite time visiting the Valley of Fire.