The Valley of Fire is a brilliant, colorful spot located in Nevada, just one hour from Las Vegas. Filled with panoramic vistas, hiking trails, petroglyphs, and stunning red and pink rock formations, the Valley of Fire makes an excellent day trip from Vegas.
What is the Valley of Fire?
The Valley of Fire is a state park located 50 miles northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada. Its 46,000 acres are filled with red rock formations made from Aztec sandstone. On a sunny day, these rock formations look like they are on fire, giving the park its name, the Valley of Fire.
Several movies were filmed here, including Total Recall, Viva Las Vegas, The Professionals, and Star Trek Generations.
A visit to the Valley of Fire can last just an hour or two (if you drive through the park, only stopping at scenic overlooks and hiking one or two short trails) or all day, if you choose to explore every nook and cranny of this place.
We spent about four hours here, hiking several of the trails and seeing the main highlights.
Best Things to do in the Valley of Fire
Here is a map with the main attractions and hiking trails in the park.
How to Use This Map: Click the icons on the map to get more information about each point of interest. Click the star next to the title of the map to add this map to your Google Maps account. To view it on your phone or computer, open Google Maps, click the menu button, go to “Your Places,” click Maps, and you will see this map on your list.
Enjoy the Landscapes
Driving through the Valley of Fire is the easiest way to enjoy the view. Pink, red, and orange sandstone rocks create amazing vistas that you can see from your car. The main road, Mouse’s Tank Road, curves its way through these rocky formations, creating beautiful views. You don’t even have to get out of your car to enjoy this!
Elephant Rock
Located next to the east entrance, this arch rock formation resembles an elephant, with a little bit of imagination.
The Beehives
These strange looking sandstone formations can be seen in just a few minutes. Get out of your car, take some photos, or climb up to on top of the highest dome for great views over the park.
Mouse’s Tank
The hike to Mouse’s Tank is relatively short (only .75 miles round trip), ending at a natural rock basin where water collects after rainfall. This is an easy but unexciting hike and along the way you can spot petroglyphs on the rocks. If you are short on time, I’d skip this hike and save your time for some of the better trails in the park.
Rainbow Vista
This hike is more worthwhile. Only 1 mile round trip, this hike ends with a climb up onto a large hill for a panoramic view over the Valley of Fire.
You can continue east on the trail past the panoramic point, but I’d skip this too. The best part of Rainbow Vista is the view from on top of the hill.
Pink Canyon
Pink Canyon, also called Pastel Canyon, is a spot that many people don’t seem to know about. It’s an unmarked spot to visit but it’s one of the prettiest places we saw in the Valley of Fire. Parking is limited to only one or two cars (GPS coordinates: 36°28’47” N 114°31’36” W). From the parking spot, head east into the canyon.
It only takes about 10 minutes to walk through this short, shallow canyon, and with its pink scalloped walls it’s a beauty.
The Fire Wave
This is one of the most gorgeous spots in the Valley of Fire. White and red zebra print sandstone creates a great photo opportunity. It’s a 1.5-mile round trip hike out to the Fire Wave.
White Domes
This 1.25-mile loop hike was our favorite hike in the park. It’s also the most challenging, with a descent at the beginning and then a climb back up to the parking lot at the end. Even so, it’s not difficult, and it’s a great place to bring kids to let them climb over boulders on the trail and walk through a narrow slot canyon.
The easiest way to do this hike is to go clockwise, starting and ending in the car park. By doing it this way, you walk down the relatively steep, rocky path and later walk up a more gentle incline on a singletrack trail.
Seven Sisters
Located on the Valley of Fire Highway, this is a quick stop to see a cluster of seven sandstone rock formations.
Atlatl Rock
Climb the staircase at Atlatl Rock to see the best display of petroglyphs in the Valley of Fire.
Arch Rock
This large arch in the sandstone can be seen from the Scenic Loop Road near Atlatl Rock.
Fire Cave
Also located on the Scenic Loop Road is the Fire Cave and Windstone Arch, two more arches that may be worth making the short hike to if photography is your hobby.
Getting Here
The Valley of Fire is located 50 miles northeast of Las Vegas. It takes roughly one hour to drive here. Most of the drive is on Interstate 15, a wide highway. Once you turn onto the Valley of Fire Highway, it becomes a two-lane road through a desert landscape.
To enter the park, it costs $10 per vehicle, which you will pay at the fee booth before entering. You will be given a map of the park with suggested spots to visit.
For more information, visit the official Valley of Fire website.
Do you have plans to visit the Valley of Fire? If you have any questions or suggestions, comment below!
More Information for Your Trip to Las Vegas:
- 15 Things to do in Las Vegas with Teenagers
- 8 Amazing Slot Canyons to Explore in the American Southwest
- 2 Amazing Days in Death Valley: Our Itinerary from Las Vegas
- Two Fun, Short Hikes to do in Red Rock Canyon, Las Vegas
- 10 Days in the American Southwest: The Ultimate Road Trip
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Comments 21
Thanks
Hi Julie. This looks fantastic!
Question…is the order of sites that you list above the same order in which you experienced them? Could this be used as an itinerary for roughly 4 hours in the park?
Thank you in advance!
Author
Hello Jay. Good question! How I wrote this, it would be a little out of order to visit these sites as I have them listed. Here’s the order of what we did: Beehives, Pink Canyon, Fire Wave, White Domes hike, Rainbow Vista, Mouse’s Tank, Atlatl, and Arch Rock and then you can see the Fire Cave. Once back on Fire Canyon road, you can see the Seven Sisters and Elephant Rock. We first visted the sites that we thought would be the most crowded, and since we were here in the morning, we did get to see several places relatively crowd free. And then midday we visited the “less spectacular” spots. If you are very fast, you can see all of this in 4 hours, but you will have to move fast. Have fun! Cheers, Julie
Hi Julie
Thank you so much on Grand Canyon hike
I saved the map S. Kaibab- Bright Angel and following your footnote
Too bad your family won’t be there while I’m there this Sunday
You could be my guided
Will keep you posted when I’m return
*Zion 50k is my race this Sat.
Author
That sounds great! Good luck on Saturday!! 🙂 Cheers, Julie
I’ll be on my way from Vegas airport to Zion race this wkend (4/12-4/15)
Stumbled to your website and find out it’s very helpful I’ll checkout Valley of Fire on Monday. I have about 6hrs to explore there hope I can get to hike all the spots you’re recommended
One more thing… Grand Canyon South rim I’ll be there all day on Sunday..any recommendations to hike in & out Phantom Ranch?
I plan camp in rental car (I’m frugal)
Is it safe and allowable inside the park??
Author
Hello Mindy. Good luck in your race! I don’t know anything about camping out in a car in the Grand Canyon. You might have to do a little more research on this. 6 hours should be enough time in the Valley of Fire…our favorite 3 spots are Pink Canyon, the Fire Wave, and White Domes. As for hiking to Phantom Ranch and back…make sure you start very early in the morning (at sunrise). I assume that since you are racing in Zion you have a high level of physical fitness. In order to hike to the river and back in one day you need to be in great shape. Go down the South Kaibab and up Bright Angel because you can get water on the Bright Angel Trail. If you haven’t seen it yet, here is the link to our article on this hike. Happy hiking! Cheers, Julie
Super excited to try our family vacation in your suggested style. One question about this Valley of Fire and the other nearby Red Rock Canyon hikes: will we have cell signal to be able to access your guidance and suggestions and maps?
Thank you for your awesome site!
Author
For Red Rock Canyon, you might have cell service. Not so sure about the Valley of Fire since it is more remote. However, you can click the star on the map in this article, it gets added to your Google account. Open up the map on your phone in the morning while in Vegas and you will cache the map (just don’t close Google Maps on your phone). All of these sites are on the park map are well labeled (except for Pastel Canyon) so that can be your fall back. Have fun! Cheers, Julie
My sister and I used this article to have an amazing day at Valley of Fire. Your tips were invaluable. Well done & thank you!
Author
You’re welcome!
If i go in to the valley of fire,where do i come out going north to canada
Author
If you will be driving to Canada, take Route 15 north through Salt Lake City. If you will be flying, the closest airport is in Las Vegas. Cheers, Julie
Hello. I’m planning to visit Valley of Fire in a few weeks, but I have a question – notice I’ve never driven a car in America – when I drive to Valley of Fire (via GPS) will I then automatically come to the starting point like the information center? I get the fee and all that – but when I then start my driving around the park is there signs ect to show where to stop for the different sights and also when you go on the trails, are they starting from the parking spot and is there signs along the trail to make sure im on the right path? more like I definitely dont wanna get lost in a desert haha. AMAZING photos btw!
Author
Hello Sandie. Yes, it’s very easy to get around the Valley of Fire. You will first pay your fee at the ticket booth and I believe they give you a map with your entrance fee. There are signs for all of the main viewpoints and hikes along the roads. The only thing in this post that does not have a sign on the road is the Pink (Pastel) Canyon, but I give the coordinates for the parking location in this article. You can also save all of these points on your GPS or on Google Maps like I did on the map in this post. Once you are there, you’ll see how easy it is to get around. Almost everything is located on Mouse’s Tank Road. The hiking trails are well marked and easy to follow. Enjoy…it’s a beautiful spot! Cheers, Julie
Thank you for the tips! I have a conference in Vegas in about a week, and my husband is tagging along. We’re flying in a day early, and we plan to visit Valley of Fire. Your blog has become my travel go-to!
Author
Nice to hear! Have fun…the Valley of Fire is a nice little break from Vegas. Cheers, Julie
After reading this post, I also read about your experience at Red Rocks. Did you experience any crowds or traffic at the Valley of Fire like you did at RR? It will probably be noon-ish before we can get there (crossing fingers that our flights are all on schedule!!). Thanks for all your great info!
Author
We visited the Valley of Fire on December 26 and Red Rocks on December 27, which was mid-week in 2017. Red Rocks was much more crowded than the Valley of Fire. We were in the Valley of Fire for most of the day and crowd levels were relatively low. I think Red Rocks gets more crowded because it is so close to Vegas and more well-known. But I also think that the word is out and the Valley of Fire is getting to be more popular. Even so, I think you will be OK at the Valley of Fire. Just keep in mind that it will probably be more crowded on a weekend day than a week day. Have fun! Cheers, Julie
Very helpful. Thank you!
Author
You’re welcome!