Day Trip to Valley of Fire State Park

Day Trip, Hiking, Nevada, North America, United States

Valley of Fire is Nevada’s oldest and largest state park and is located only an hour from Las Vegas! I’ve wanted to visit this park for as long as I can remember. While in town for a conference in November, Mike and I spent a day visiting the park.

There is a $15 entrance fee for non-Nevada residents and $10 for residents. There was an attendant at the booth when we arrived around 7:30am, and they did accept cards.

Mouse’s Tank Viewpoint

First, we stopped at possibly the most famous view from the park. Mouse’s Tank Road is the main road that goes through the park and is very scenic. It winds through the red rocks and narrow canyons. To get the iconic photo, you’ll park on the side of the road (look for “Mouse’s Road Scenic Lookout” on Google Maps) and climb up a rock for the view. The view overlooks the road that cuts through the surrounding red rocks.

We arrived around 7:45am, about an hour and 45 minutes after sunrise. There was no one else here, which was nice because we could take all the photos we wanted!

Fire Wave

Next, we did two hikes – Fire Wave and White Domes. We actually did White Domes first, but looking back I’d recommend doing Fire Wave first. Fire Wave has very little shade and gets hot quickly, where White Dome has a little shade.

The Fire Wave Trail is an out-and-back trail that is 1.5 miles round trip. You’ll hike the relatively easy trail to the Fire Wave, which is a huge sandstone rock that has a wavy pattern of red, white, and pink layers. The view along the hike is also very pretty. Stick to the trail markers, because it would be easy to get lost if you don’t. We started this hike around 9:15am. It was 70 degrees at the time, but the sun made it feel so much hotter! I recommend starting as early as possible and bringing sun protection.

White Domes

The next trail is the White Domes Loop, which is about 1.1 miles. There are pit toilets at the trailhead. We started this hike at 8:30am, and there was only one other car in the parking lot. We completed the hike going clockwise. First, you’ll come to an old movie set. Several movies have been filmed here. The path is easy to follow because there are several trail markers. The “trail” is mostly just loose sand for a good portion, and it felt like we were walking on the beach!

After the movie set, you’ll come to a slot canyon about a third of a way in. The slot canyon is very narrow in a couple parts, making for great photos. I also loved that we were the only ones here.

The rest of the hike was beautiful as well. As you come out of the slot canyon, you’ll get views of the surrounding mountains.

Fire Canyon / Silica Dome Viewpoint

Next, we drove to the Fire Canyon / Silica Dome Viewpoint. Here, you can see Fire Canyon, a red and orange sandstone canyon, as well as Silica Dome, a white rock formation. There are a few short trails nearby, but it was really starting to get warm at this point, so we only hit the Viewpoint.

Balancing Rock

Balancing Rock is located next to the Visitor Center. It’s accurately named – a large boulder is perfectly balanced on another rock. You can walk about 0.15 miles to the rock from the parking lot or view it from the road like we did.

Visitor Center

Last, stop by the Visitor Center. It was closed when we arrived at the park early that morning, so I wanted to check it out. There are also clean bathrooms and a gift shop there.

Valley of Fire is a must if you are in the area. It’s such an easy day trip and so worth it!