Located just one hour from Las Vegas in Nevada, the Valley of Fire State Park is an “Adventure in Color”, offering unparalleled panoramic vistas, scenic drives, hiking trails, petroglyphs, and more!
It’s a great destination for any Southwest U.S. road trip or a day trip from Las Vegas.
Valley of Fire State Park History
Established in 1935, the Valley of Fire is Nevada’s oldest and largest state park, and it’s one of the best attractions for nature and outdoor lovers near Las Vegas.
The park hosts more than 40,000 acres of red Aztec sandstone formations. According to the Nevada State Parks website, “The sandstone is from the Jurassic period and is the remnant of the sand left behind by the wind after inland seas subsided and the land rose.” How neat is that?!
When the sun hits the rocks just right, especially at sunrise and sunset, it looks like they’re on fire, giving the park its name, “the Valley of Fire”.
How to Get to Valley of Fire State Park
We visited Valley of Fire State Park as a part of a larger U.S. Southwest road trip, starting from Las Vegas and visiting all of Utah’s national parks, Lower Calf Creek Falls, the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park and Page, Arizona along the way.
If you’re looking for a direct shot to Valley of Fire, it’s located 50 miles northeast of Las Vegas and takes about an hour to get there by car.
A Broad Recommendation: due to the lack of cell service throughout this area, you should download Google offline maps and pack extra water, snacks and warm clothes in case of an emergency.
Valley of Fire State Park Information
Valley of Fire is open year-round from sunrise to sunset, and the visitor center is open daily from 9 am to 4 pm. Note that anyone who’s in the park before sunrise or after sunset and is not camping overnight will be fined.
Two main roads, the Valley of Fire Highway and White Domes Road or Mouse’s Tank Road, will take you through the park. The two entrances to the park are located at either end of the Valley of Fire Highway, and the visitor center is located at the intersection of the two roads.
There are restrooms located at Atlatl Rock, Seven Sisters, the Cabins, Mouse’s Tank Trailhead and White Domes. Plan your pitstops accordingly!
It’s also notable that there’s nowhere to eat onsite. Make sure to bring food with you if you plan on spending a full day or longer in the park.
Valley of Fire allows dogs, but they must be on leash at all times, and they’re not permitted in the Visitor Center.
Valley of Fire State Park Fees
There’s an entrance fee of $10 per vehicle for in-state residents, $15 per vehicle for out-of-state residents, and $2 if you’re on a bicycle.
A Broad Recommendation: you can’t use the U.S. Park Pass here, so you’ll need to have some cash on hand. At the time of our visit, there was no one manning the entrance, and we had to pay via a lockbox. Since we only had $20 bills, we ended up paying with one of those – at least we contributed more to the park!
Valley of Fire State Park Reservations
A reservation system will be coming to Nevada State Parks in 2023. For now, the park is still first-come, first-served.
Valley of Fire State Park Lodging
We stayed one night at the Boulder Dam Hotel in Boulder City, Nevada and spent around $125 total.
A Broad Recommendation: We recommend booking through hotels.com. They offer great deals and give you one free night for every ten nights you complete. I also use Rakuten at the time of my purchase to get cash back!
Valley of Fire Camping
Although we didn’t do this ourselves, camping is another great option. The park is especially beautiful during golden hour and at sunrise, and camping gives visitors the opportunity to experience these magical moments!
There are two campgrounds with a total of 72 campsites inside the park. They’re first-come, first-served, and you can stay up to 14 days during any 30-day period. RV sites with power and water hookups are also available.
The cost is $20 per vehicle, per night for in-state residents and $25 per vehicle, per night for out-of-state residents. Sites with utility hookups are an additional $10.
Group-Use Campsites
There are also three group-use campsites, each accommodating up to 45 people with no minimum person count. These are available by reservation only; reservations for the upcoming year can be made as early as the first Wednesday of November. A reservation fee of $25 per site, per night is required at the time of booking.
Valley of Fire State Park Weather
Temperatures can reach 120 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer, so we’d advise avoiding this time of year if at all possible! Spring and fall are great times to visit, as they offer milder temperatures and long days. Winter is another option, since temperatures are even cooler, but you’ll have less daylight to work with.
We visited the Valley of Fire in November, and it was still really hot! But, we felt that this was a great time to visit overall.
Valley of Fire State Park Half-Day Itinerary
You’ll want to spend at least half a day here to see as much of the park as possible. This is the route we followed. We felt this was the perfect way to see the park, since we arrived late in the afternoon after driving the four hours or so from Page, Arizona.
We started our afternoon at Atlatl Rock, which only takes a few minutes, then made our way to the Fire Wave to complete that trail, the Seven Wonders Loop and the White Domes Trail. After that, we made our way to Rainbow Vista and Mouse’s Tank before ending our day with another short hike to Elephant Rock.
Valley of Fire State Park Hikes
Atlatl Rock
- Difficulty: easy
- Round-trip distance: 0.1 miles
- Average time: 10 minutes
A short walk and climb up a staircase will give you a view of the best-preserved petroglyphs in the park. These petroglyphs date back more than 2,000 years to when the Basketmaker culture inhabited the area.
Please do NOT vandalize the petroglyphs! All artifacts and signs of early civilization are protected by state and federal law, and you could receive a hefty fine for messing with these.
Fire Wave Trail and Seven Wonders Loop
- Difficulty: moderate
- Round-trip distance: 1.5 or 1.8 miles
- Average time: 1 to 2 hours
According to the trailhead sign, “The Fire Wave is an impressive display of striated sandstone that has eroded over time to create a beautiful wave effect.”
The out-and-back hike to the Fire Wave is around 1.5 miles, but you can go further and complete the full 1.8-mile Seven Wonders Loop. This part of the trail will take you through the Pink Canyon, i.e. a pastel pink slot canyon.
Since this is a loop hike, you can go in either direction. We chose to hike in a clockwise direction, visiting the Fire Wave first then continuing onto the Pink Canyon. At the end of the hike, you’ll cross the road and end up back at the parking lot.
If you’re limited on time during your visit and can only do one or two hikes, this one is a must-do! It’s not too strenuous, and it takes you to some of the most photogenic parts of the park.
White Domes Trail
- Difficulty: moderate
- Round-trip distance: 1 mile
- Average time: 1-2 hours
This moderate, fun hike takes you through the Mojave Desert, the White Domes, i.e. white sandstone rock formations that contrast the surrounding red sandstone rock formations, and a cool slot canyon.
Along the trail, you’ll see a historic movie site where the 1966 film, The Professionals, was shot.
The Valley of Fire is recognized across the nation for its unique and picturesque geologic formations, making it a popular spot for commercial photography and videography. It’s also been featured in movies like Star Trek Generations and Electric Horseman.
Rainbow Vista and Fire Canyon Overlook Hike
- Difficulty: easy
- Round-trip distance: 1 mile
- Average time: 1 hour
This lovely hike leads you to panoramic views of the Valley of Fire. 150 million years in the making, the canyons, domes, towers, ridges and valleys you’ll see here are carved from sand deposited back when dinosaurs walked the earth. Pretty amazing, right?!
This was one of my favorite views, especially since the sun was beginning to set when we were here!
Mouse’s Tank Hike
- Difficulty: easy
- Round-trip distance: 0.75 miles
- Average time: 30 minutes
This hike takes you to a natural rock basin where rainwater collects. We actually thought it looked like a heart. Do you see it too?
Mouse’s Tank is named after an outlaw who used the water basin for drinking water, while spending days, and sometimes even months, hiding out in the area.
Along the way, you’ll also see some more petroglyphs. These were created by Native Americans and date back to 2000-4000 years ago. Again, don’t touch or vandalize the petroglyphs. They’re protected by state and federal law, and you could receive a hefty fine for doing so.
Elephant Rock Loop
- Difficulty: easy
- Round-trip distance: 0.2 or 1.2 miles
- Average time: 10 mins to 1 hour
Located near the east entrance of the park lies Elephant Rock. As the name alludes, this rock formation looks just like an elephant!
You can do the 0.2-mile out-and-back hike, or if you’re feeling more adventurous, you can hike the 1.2-mile loop instead. Either way, you cannot walk back along the road.
Valley of Fire State Park to Las Vegas
After the sun has set, make your way back to Las Vegas via Lake Mead Boulevard. Along the way, you’ll see a beautiful, lit-up view of Las Vegas. We stopped at a gas station to fuel up and to grab some snacks and could still see the lights from there.
Have you ever visited the Valley of Fire State Park? How did you like it? And, what else would you recommend for a visit here? Let us know in the comments!
XOXO Travel A-Broads
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