Valley of Fire is probably one of the best day trips from Las Vegas. From short trails, to reddish and pink landscapes, to scenic roads, visiting Valley of Fire is a sure-fire way to spend a great day. Throughout this post, you’ll find the best things to do in Valley of Fire, as well as all the tips for planning a trip to this park.

The Valley of Fire State Park takes its name from the rock formations found there. These have a reddish colour that, when the sun hits them hard, they almost look like they’re on fire. The rock formations are Aztec sandstone and originate from the Jurassic period.

Visiting Valley of Fire State Park is one of the most popular activities in the state of Nevada, mainly because it’s about an hour’s drive from the bustling city of Las Vegas. The park’s main sites can be visited in just a few hours (and you don’t have to do that many hikes!), but it’s also possible to spend a whole day in the park.

Founded in 1935, this is Nevada’s oldest and largest state park and covers more than 40,000 hectares. Inside the park, there are many interesting rock formations, petroglyphs, scenic roads, fun trails and the list goes on. So keep reading to find out what to do in Valley of Fire.

In addition, in this post, you’ll also find other relevant information for organising a trip to Valley of Fire:

• Best time to visit Valley of Fire
• How much time do you need to visit Valley of Fire
• Where to stay to visit the Valley of Fire
• Best hikes in Valley of Fire
• Valley of Fire’s Entrance Fee

Valley of Fire State Park is located in the Moapa Valley in the state of Nevada and is very close to Las Vegas. From Las Vegas to the Valley of Fire is about 74 km (46 miles) and the trip, without traffic, takes less than an hour.

Although it may not be as large as some of the US national parks, Valley of Fire is beautiful and, oddly enough, quite fun. I can’t quite explain why, but the truth is that I had a great time in this park 😁. The trails aren’t too demanding and the landscapes are absolutely breathtaking.

The fact that the park is smaller makes it possible to visit a large part of it calmly and without rushing around. So, I definitely think Valley of Fire is worth a visit.

Since this park is located in the Mojave Desert, temperatures in the summer are quite high. It’s common for temperatures to reach or even exceed 40 °C (104 ºF) at this time of year. Due to the excessive summer heat that is often found in Valley of Fire, some of the trails (notably the Seven Wonders Loop, one of the most popular in the park) are closed during the hottest months due to the risk of severe dehydration.

The best months to visit Valley of Fire are March to May (spring) and October to November (autumn). During this time of year, the temperatures are much milder and the days are longer, making the visit more enjoyable. In addition, some of the trails are less likely to be closed during these months.

For example, in my case, I visited in mid-April and the temperatures were already quite pleasant (above 24 °C/75 °F during the day), without it being too hot yet.

Winter (December to February) is also a good time to visit the Valley of Fire, as the temperatures never get too low. However, the days are shorter, which may result in you being able to visit fewer attractions in the park.

Valley of Fire covers around 40,000 hectares, making it a relatively small park. As such, I recommend between half a day to a full day to visit Valley of Fire. Half a day will allow you to see the main points of interest in Valley of Fire (including hiking, at least, one of the trails).

On the other hand, one day in Valley of Fire will allow you to explore the park in a more relaxed way, taking in almost all of its attractions, including more than one trail. This Valley of Fire guide assumes a full day in the park! However, at the end of the post, I’ll share my favourite spots in the park for those who only have half a day to visit it.

💡 EXTRA TIP: My visit began at around 11 am and ended just after 6 pm and I was able to visit all the places I’m going to mention in this article.

These are the ticket prices for visiting Valley of Fire:

• Cars with Nevada licence plates: 10 USD
• Cars with licence plates from other states/countries: 15 USD

In addition to these car entry fees, there are also some additional costs for those who want to camp inside the park (20 USD/25 USD for vehicles with/without Nevada licence plates) or those travelling with bicycles (2 USD per bicycle). I suggest you check the most up-to-date prices on the official Valley of Fire website.

Tickets can be bought at any of the park’s entrances, and the park provides a paper map when you buy the ticket.

💡 EXTRA TIP: Since Valley of Fire is a state park and not a US national park, the well-known America the Beautiful annual pass is not valid here.

Mobile coverage in Valley of Fire is relatively limited, so you should be prepared for not having access to the internet. In my case, for example, the whole time I was in the park, I rarely had mobile coverage. So, I suggest downloading the park’s map so that it’s available offline on Google Maps.

In any case, the park’s attractions are well-marked and there are only two roads where you can drive inside Valley of Fire. So, the paper map you get at the entrance to the park will, most likely, be enough to find your way around for most of the day. Contrary to what usually happens, that’s what I did on this trip and I confess that it felt good to let the GPS rest for a bit😅.

Alternatively, there is WiFi in the park, but you have to pay for it. The prices are relatively affordable, but I don’t know if it’s worth it. You can find more information about WiFi in Valley of Fire here.

💡 EXTRA TIP: The areas in the park where you’re most likely to get mobile coverage are the two park entrances, Fire Canyon Overlook, the Atlatl Rock platform, the White Domes car park and the P3 car park.

Valley of Fire from Las Vegas is just 74 kilometres (46 miles) by car, taking less than an hour. From Las Vegas, most of the route is via motorway and you’ll have no trouble driving there.

The best way to get to the Valley of Fire is by car. And the truth is that you’ll also need one to get around the park. However, as the distance from the Valley of Fire to Las Vegas is relatively short, there are several options of tours departing from Las Vegas. For example, this tour includes pick-up from your hotel in Las Vegas, transport to the Valley of Fire, some snacks as well as a quick stop to admire the Mojave Desert.

💡 EXTRA TIP: When I visited Valley of Fire, I was doing a road trip through other national parks in the United States. There’s no doubt that renting a car was the best option, as it gave me a lot of freedom to prepare my itinerary. I rented a Toyota RAV4 from Avis in Los Angeles and really enjoyed their service. Although I didn’t need this feature in Valley of Fire, I paid a bit more and decided to rent a high-clearance vehicle, which is an excellent option if you want to drive on some of the dirt roads that exist in the US national parks.

Two possible entrances to Valley of Fire are located on the Valley of Fire Highway: West Entrance or East Entrance. Those coming from Las Vegas should enter the park through West Entrance.

Public transport within the park is non-existent, so the best way to visit this park is with your own vehicle.

For this park, a “normal” vehicle is enough, and you don’t need a 4×4. However, if you are planning to visit other parks in neighbouring states on the same trip, a high-clearance vehicle can be very useful.

Given the proximity of the city of Las Vegas to this park, one of the best options for finding accommodation near Valley of Fire is Las Vegas. There is a huge selection of accommodation in Vegas and at different price ranges.

I had the opportunity to try out two hotels in Las Vegas and I can recommend both. The first recommendation is Hyatt Place Las Vegas, relatively centrally located, but away from all the hustle and bustle. The hotel has a slightly old-fashioned décor, but the room was very spacious and had all the conditions for a restful night’s sleep.

The second recommendation is Club Wyndham Grand Desert. This is a resort and perfect for longer stays, as it includes services such as a swimming pool and gym and the rooms have all the amenities for a longer stay. It’s relatively more central than the hotel mentioned above (being closer to the Las Vegas Strip) and has parking available.

In any case, since the aim of this night in Las Vegas is to head to the Valley of Fire the next day, I suggest other accommodation options in Las Vegas a bit further away from the city centre:

There is no accommodation inside the park. However, it is possible to camp at Valley of Fire State Park. There are two campsites near the West Entrance, where you can find places to make campfires, water, picnic tables and showers. Camping sites must be booked in advance.

Camping at Valley of Fire costs 20 USD per vehicle with a Nevada licence plate (25 USD for vehicles with plates from other states) and an additional 10 USD for sites in the park that have connections to other services.

An important tip when planning a trip to Valley of Fire is that there are no restaurants or supermarkets inside the park. To make the most of your time in the park, I suggest bringing some snacks for the day and a picnic for lunch.

At some of the stops along the park, you’ll find tables with shelters from the sun. This is where I had lunch and I recommend you do the same. On the map below, you can see the areas of the park where you can have a picnic.

There is also a Visitor Center located between the Valley of Fire Highway and the White Domes Road (open from 9 am to 4 pm daily). However, it is not possible to buy food here. You’ll only find toilets, water and some information about the park at the Visitor Center.

As the mobile service is very limited inside the park, I suggest you carry a map of the park with you at all times, as well as download the park’s maps offline beforehand.

Most likely, they’ll provide a paper map (similar to the one below) at the park’s entrance. Nevertheless, I am sharing it with you so that you can better plan your trip to Valley of Fire.

Despite its small size, Valley of Fire is a beautiful park with activities for all ages and preferences. The activities I’ve listed below are all the ones I did during my visit to the park!

This visit was quite extensive and covered the most iconic places in Valley of Fire. All the places below are listed in a logical order for those travelling from Las Vegas.

Anyway, at the end of this list, I’ll leave you a suggestion of a different itinerary in Valley of Fire for those who have less time to visit the park 🤩.

The first stop on this Valley of Fire itinerary is located just after the West Entrance. Located on the Valley of Fire Highway, the Beehives are orange rock formations that resemble, as the name suggests, beehives.

The car park is located next to the road and you can see these rock formations as soon as you get out of the car. However, I suggest sparing 5 to 10 minutes there to explore these giant beehives.

There are a few places where you can admire Native American rock engravings in Valley of Fire and Atlatl Rock is clearly one of the most popular. These petroglyphs are located on a rock more than 15 metres high, and there is a small ladder to climb up to an area where you can observe them.

💡 EXTRA TIP: Very close to this rock, you can also have a look at Arch Rock. However, I confess that I didn’t find Arch Rock that spectacular and decided to only give it an “honourable mention” in this article. It used to be possible to visit Fire Cave as well, but unfortunately, the arch that the rock formed has collapsed and is no longer visible.

The Seven Sisters was one of my favourite spots in the park. Basically, it’s just a set of seven orange-coloured rock formations (hence the name ‘Seven Sisters’) that are quite photogenic. There’s not much to see really, but it’s fun to stop there and explore this area for a bit.

Close to the East Entrance, you can also visit Elephant Rock, which resembles an elephant. From the car park, it’s about 300 metres round trip to see this rock. However, it is possible to take a hike on a loop trail of 2 km (1.25 miles) nearby.

After driving east on the Valley of Fire Highway, I suggest turning back towards the Visitor Centre, where Mouse’s Tank Road begins (it appears on the official park map as White Domes Road but as Mouse’s Tank Road on Google Maps). This is the most scenic road in the park and home to the must-see spots in Valley of Fire.

💡 EXTRA TIP: Near the Visitor Centre, you can also visit Balanced Rock. However, in my opinion, it’s not worth the effort to get closer to this rock. You have to walk about 600 metres (0.4 miles) round trip to visit this rock. However, this rock formation is visible in the distance from the Visitor Centre’s car park.

The Mouse’s Tank road has no exit, so you’ll have to drive it in both directions. The journey in one direction is about 9 kilometres (5.5 miles).

Travelling along the road itself is a must on a visit to the park, but I also recommend taking the time to explore the various stops along the way.

In fact, this road is so popular that one of the most famous photographs of the Valley of Fire is taken here. There is a rock to which you can climb (it’s quite easy getting up there, don’t worry!) and from where you have a panoramic view of the road. These are the coordinates of the place where most people take photos of this road (including myself in the photos above!)

One of the first stops on the Mouse’s Tank Road is the Mouse’s Tank trail. Hiking in Valley of Fire State Park is one of the best options and this trail is proof of that 😄.

This trail is relatively short and is quite easy, although much of the path is over sand and in some sort of canyon. The name of this trail comes from two holes in the ground that collect rainwater. These “tanks” were used as a hiding place by a man who was on the run for having committed some crimes at the end of the 19th century.

Along the trail, you can also admire some petroglyphs. Make sure not to miss them!

Useful information about the trail

• Distance: 1.2 km (0.75 miles) out and back
• Difficulty: Easy
• Duration: 30 minutes
• Parking available near the beginning of the trail

The Rainbow Vista trail is also relatively simple and quick to follow. At the end of the trail, you get a panoramic view of the Fire Canyon, where the rocks have a darker red colour.

It’s a relatively easy trail to walk, but there is one part where you might need a bit more skills to get down (and then up, as the trail isn’t a loop) the rock in the photo below.

I’m not very good at climbing rocks and I managed to do so, so I don’t think you’ll have any trouble. I am mentioning this just in case you have reduced mobility.

Useful information about the trail

• Distance: 1.6 km (1 mile) out and back
• Duration: 45 minutes to 1 hour
• Difficulty: Easy
• Parking available near the beginning of the trail

Taking a short diversion from Mouse’s Tank Road, you can also drive along Fire Canyon Road, which takes you to a viewpoint of the Fire Canyon. In my opinion, it’s not as spectacular as the view of the Fire Canyon from the Rainbow Vista trail.

However, this viewpoint is easier to access (as it’s located next to the car park) and can be a great alternative for those who don’t want to hike the trail or are short on time.

Pink Canyon is probably one of the most breathtaking places in Valley of Fire. As you’d expect, it’s a relatively narrow, pinkish canyon. I visited at the end of the day and many parts of the canyon were in the shadow, but the rocks clearly had a light pink colour. It really is one of the best things to do in Valley of Fire 😍!

Although it is possible to access parts of this canyon right next to Mouse’s Tank Road, parking along the road is not allowed, so my recommendation is that you combine your visit to Pink Canyon with the Fire Wave on the Seven Wonders Loop (more on this fantastic trail in a bit)!

Another of the most photographed places in Valley of Fire is the Fire Wave. It’s a landscape in shades of pink, red and white that looks straight from another planet. An absolutely must-visit on Valley of Fire. If you can visit this spot near sunset, the rock’s colours become even more vibrant.

You have to walk along a small trail to get to the Fire Wave, but it’s fairly simple. Although it is possible to return to the car park from the Fire Wave, if you have some time, I recommend hiking the Seven Wonders Loop, which also includes the Pink Canyon. More about this trail in number 11.

💡 EXTRA TIP: The Fire Wave out-and-back trail is almost as long as the Seven Wonders Loop, so the latter option turns out to be more enjoyable as you always see something new along the way.

Useful information about the trail

• Distance: 2.4 km (1.5 miles) out and back
• Difficulty: Easy
• Duration: 1 hour
• Parking in the P3 car park on Mouse’s Tank Road
• If you park your car in car park P3, the trail starts on the right-hand side of the road, facing north
• The trail is closed from 1 June to 30 September due to the high temperatures that often occur during that time of year

If you only want to walk one trail in Valley of Fire, then I recommend the Seven Wonders Loop. It’s indeed the longest trail in the park, but it’s also the one with the most amazing views, probably making it the best hike in Valley of Fire.

Despite some warnings that the trail might be a little demanding, I found it relatively easy to walk and hardly came across any other visitors while I was there (perhaps it helped that it was the last thing I visited in the park).

As it’s a loop trail, you can hike it in either direction. However, I suggest you start the trail at the P3 car park and start by visiting the Fire Wave.

To get to the Fire Wave, park in the P3 car park and, facing north, the trail starts on the right-hand side of the road. This is an important detail because I didn’t find much information about the start of the trail on-site.

The trail to the Fire Wave is a bit uneven, but I found it relatively easy. Moreover, until reaching the Fire Wave, the route is mostly downhill.

After visiting the Fire Wave, you can continue towards the Pink Canyon. There is a warning on site that the trail from there is moderately strenuous. I decided to continue towards the Pink Canyon even though I was afraid it would get difficult. However, that never happened and it was fun and fairly easy to hike this trail.

After visiting the Pink Canyon, you have to cross the Mouse’s Tank Road to continue the trail and discover a few more pastel landscapes.

The trail was a lot of fun and it was here that I saw the most beautiful landscapes in Valley of Fire. This trail is something you really shouldn’t miss in Valley of Fire.

Useful information about this trail

• Distance: 2.9 km (1.8 miles) loop
• Difficulty: Moderate
• Duration: 2 hours to 2h30
• In some parts of the trail, you may need a bit more skills to climb up some rocks, but I didn’t find it too demanding

💡 EXTRA TIP: At the end of Mouse’s Tank Road, it’s also possible to hike the White Domes Loop trail (1.8 km, 1.1 miles, loop trail), which includes passing through narrow canyons. The trail is one of the most demanding in the park and looks like a lot of fun. I didn’t end up hiking this trail, but if you arrive at the park an hour early, you can add it to your itinerary and end the day here.

If you don’t have a whole day available to visit Valley of Fire, I’ll share with you my suggestion on how to spend half a day in the park (from 8 am to 1 pm, for example):

• Drive along the Valley of Fire Highway and make two quick stops at Beehives and Seven Sisters
• Drive through Mouse’s Tank Road
• Walk the Rainbow Vista trail with views over the fantastic Fire Canyon
• Hike the Seven Wonders Loop, to see the spectacular Fire Wave and Pink Canyon

Hiking trails in Valley of Fire are a lot of fun. However, depending on the weather conditions at the time of your visit, you should be careful. In fact, before planning your trip, check that the trail you want to hike is open at the time of your visit, as some are closed in the warmer months.

If you’re hiking in Valley of Fire, these are some of the recommendations you should take into consideration:

• Protect from the sun with a hat, sunglasses, light clothing and suncream
• Ensure the necessary hydration while hiking any trail
• Make sure you have food when you enter the park as there is nowhere to buy food inside the park
• Plan your visit in advance to avoid going on the trails at the hottest time of the day
• In the colder months, it’s important to be prepared for cold temperatures
• On days with fewer hours of daylight, make sure you return from the trail when there is still light since it gets dark earlier
• If you’re going to walk a trail alone, tell someone you know that you’re doing it

Finally, don’t forget the Leave No Trace principle, by complying with its 7 principles: prepare your visit in advance, dispose of rubbish in appropriate places, leave everything the same way as you found it, minimise the impact of any campfires, respect wildlife, be respectful to other visitors and comply with the camping rules.

Disclaimer: this post may contain some affiliate links, which means I get a small commission if you buy something through my links. This doesn’t represent any additional cost to you and you’ll be supporting my work here on the blog😊