The Best of Valley of Fire State Park

If you’re looking for something to do on your trip to Las Vegas that is NOT on the strip, then Valley of fire is for you! Its a great outdoor activity and one of the prettiest places I have seen. Valley of Fire was Nevada’s first State Park and is just an hour outside of the city. Here are our favorite places inside the park and details on the prettiest hikes.

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Valley of Fire State Park
Hours: Dawn – Dusk
Entry Fee per Vehicle: $10 Nevada Residents / $15 Out of State Residents
Valley of Fire has restrooms and picnic tables at almost every trailhead. There are also some spots with cell phone service. Valley of Fire is dog friendly and has campgrounds if you are interested in camping.
Visit Valley of Fire’s website with more info HERE.
View and Print a map of the park HERE.

Mouse Tank Road
Alright so this isn’t a hike, but it is by far the prettiest stretch of road in the park. You can drive it in between the Visitor’s Center and White Domes Trail. It is one of the most photographed spots in Valley of Fire. There are quite a few pullover spots to stop and admire (and photograph) the road.

Mouse Tank Trail
0.8 Mile, Easy
This trail is short and easy (like most of the trails in Valley of Fire) and offers some really cool petroglyphs. Make sure to look up on the rock faces and cliffs to see them. There are all kinds of petroglyphs and you don’t have to go very far on the trail to see them.
View this trail on All Trails HERE.

Rainbow Vista Trail
1.1 Mile, Easy
Rainbow Vista offers a gorgeous overlook view of Fire Canyon. You can also drive to Fire Canyon Lookout if you are short on time. One thing that amazed me about Valley of Fire is that all of the trails are soft sand. The sand was cold on my feet too. Rainbow Vista does offer a really cool peek through rock.
View Rainbow Vista Trail on All Trails HERE.

Fire Canyon Overlook
If you want to skip Rainbow Vista you can drive directly to Fire Canyon Overlook instead. There are restrooms here and plenty of parking.
View the Overlook on All Trails HERE.

Fire Wave Trail
1.5 Miles, Easy
This trail was one of my top two favorites so it must be on your list! This easy trail leads to the “Fire Wave”, a gorgeous striped rock formation. The colors are incredible and really feels as though you are walking through a wave of red and white fire.
View Fire Wave Trail on All Trails HERE.

White Domes Trail
1.1 Miles, Easy
This is my other favorite trail at Valley of Fire. The skinny canyon you’ll walk through on this hike is breath taking. The rock coloring is really cool, much like the stripes of Fire Canyon. There are also tons of rock crevices and unique shapes of stone on this trail.
View White Domes Trail on All Trails HERE.

Valley of Fire Visitor’s Center
The Visitor’s Center is open daily from 9am – 4pm. These are the nicest and only non-port-o-potty restrooms in the park. The visitor’s center has a small exhibit with history about valley of Fire and how it was formed. There are park rangers available to answer questions and you can pick up guides and maps. A small gift shop offers souvenirs and grab and go food/drink options.
View the website for more info HERE.

valley of fire state park visitor's center

Don’t forget to pick up a FREE Nevada State Parks Passport. You can stamp it with Valley of Fire’s exclusive stamp.

Elephant Rock Trail
0.4 Mile, Easy
The only other hike I personally suggest doing is Elephant Rock. While it is actually visible from the road there is nowhere to pull over and stopping is not allowed. In the parking lot for Elephant rock you will find this cute Polaroid Photo Backdrop to snap a photo. From there take a left and stay towards the road (there are signs that say not to walk directly along the road). Elephant rock is a quick walk from the parking lot to snap a photo and admire this gigantic rock formation.
View Elephant Rock Trail on All Trails HERE.