Valley of Fire State Park
Overton, Nevada
Terrain // Dirt | Found On // Campendium | Our Stay // February 23 – 29, 2024
Nature's Canvas:
The Spectacular Colors of Valley of Fire State Park
Valley of Fire State Park is one of our favorite spots to visit. With 40,000 acres of fiery sandstone and stunning red rock formations, it makes for some of the most beautiful scenes we’ve witnessed. Crowds gather fast in this park. With its growing popularity, the park had 760,000 visitors in 2021, the most out of all of the state parks in Nevada.
About The Park // 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. These lands were used by Native Americans for 4,000 years. Their petroglyphs (rock carvings) are fascinating sights. The area became known as Valley of Fire State Park in the 1930's. It is Nevada’s first and largest state park.
Wildlife // Most of the animals that reside in Valley of Fire are nocturnal. That said, you are likely to see big horn sheep in the middle of the day. Many species of reptiles are common, including desert iguanas, chuckwallas, and a variety of lizards. If you’re lucky enough to come across a desert tortoise, be sure to leave it alone.
Hiking // There are roughly 8 designated hiking trails in the park. There are are relativly easy and average out to less than a mile each. My favorite is the Fire Wave, White Dome, and Seven Wonders Loop Trail. Hiking is not recommended in summer due to the high heat, with temperatures often exceeding 100 degrees.
Best Time to Visit // We vote during the fall and winter months. The park has seasonal trail closures that begin in the middle of May through the end of September. Wait times in the summer can be up to an hour if the park reaches maximum capacity. You can see the majority of the park in one day if you hustle.
Entrance Fees // $10.00 ($15.00 for Non-NV Vehicles)
Where We Stayed
Valley of Fire West Dispursed Camping
While you can stay inside the park for $20 / night, we opted to camp on BLM land about 20 minutes outside the park. This dispersed camping spot is about 6 miles off I-15 on a paved road. When you turn off the paved road, it is only half a mile to spacious level sites.
Food & Drink
In-and-Out – These burgers hit every time. I need a petition to get some here in Ohio.
Twisted Sourdough Pizza Co. – This giant mozzarella stick popped up on our feed, so we had to try it for ourselves. We also ordered a chicken alfredo twisted cone and pepperoni pizza that were all delicious. So many carbs.
Frankensons Pizzaria – I feel a little bad saying this, but we had two orders of the worst wings we’ve ever had from here 😭 Keith Lee had raving reviews for the food, so we figured we’d check it out. Man-oh-man was it disappointing. Not sure if I have significantly different taste than Lee or if we visited on a super “off” day for Frankensons. We won’t be back...
Park Features
Scenic Drive
The whole park is pretty much a scenic drive. You’re surrounded by gorgeous geography everywhere you turn in this park. The photos above where captured on White Domes Road that runs north and south through the park.
Fire Wave Loop Trail
My favorite hike in Valley of Fire is actually a tri-hike trail that combines Fire Wave, White Dome, and Seven Wonders Loop Trail. This 3.2-mile loop trail is generally considered moderate to challenging. It’s very popular and rightfully so because it is absolutely gorgeous. There is such a wide variety of landscape scenes on this hike, it feels like you’re walking on another planet. The Mars scene from Total Recall was filmed here!
Mouse’s Tank
Mouse’s Tank is an easy, .75-mile hike over loose sand. Petroglyphs line the walls and the rocks are full of tiny cave cutouts. You can easily imagine this place filled with a community of people.
Rainbow Vista
Rainbow Vista is an excellent photo point and easy 1-mile hike over loose sand. The contrast of the green shrubs and red rock is spectacular.
Arch Rock
This was Michael’s favorite stop in the park. While arch rock is viewable from the road, it’s a great place to get out and explore. On the other side of this formation to a secluded rock cavern full of plants. There’s also some cave spots you can climb up to if you aren’t afraid of heights.
Elephant Rock Loop Trail
Elephant Rock Loop Trail is a moderate 1.25-mile loop over loose sand and rough terrain. It was HOT when we did this hike, so be sure you bring plenty of water. Since the elephant is the main attraction at the beginning of the hike, we barely saw any other hikers while on this hike.
Beehives Rock Formations
The Beehives not only demonstrate the unique design that can be created by nature, but is an excellent representation of geologic cross bedding. Cross bedding are the grooved lines going in different directions made by wind or water at different times.
Okay to See (Or Miss)
Some of the callouts they included on the map feel like a bit of a stretch. But we had a bunch of time to kill, so we figured we would check out everything on the map.
Atlatl Rock
This was cool because you got to see 4,000-year-old petroglyphs up close and personal. Fun fact: an Atlatl is a two-foot-long wooden stick used by ancient tribes to give more force to their darts or spears.
Balancing Rock
It was balancing alright! This is located between the visitor center and White Domes Road. Technically it’s a 0.1-mile out-and-back hike.
Clark Memorial
Sergeant John J. Clark was a Canadian who enlisted in the New York Infantry and served in the Civil War. He was discharged in 1863. In 1915, it is presumed he died of thirst while traveling from Bakersfield to Salt Lake City.
Fire Canyon Overlook
It makes for a pretty view and a very quick stop.
Historic Cabins
These three cabins were built in 1935, soon after Valley of Fire became a state park. They are constructed of native sandstone and were used for many years. They now serve as a reminder of the work accomplished by the Civilian Conservation Corps.
Lone Rock
Yep, it’s a lone rock! This felt like they were grappling for one more thing to add to the map 😅
Petrified Logs
It’s cool that these once mighty pines turned stone are millions of years old. However, they’re all enclosed by a chainlink fence, preventing you from getting too close, so they were a little anti-climactic.
Seven Sisters
This is more or less a glorified picnic area. That said, there was a private wedding taking place in a fenced-off area. I’m sure it made for some nice photos.
CAMPENDIUM
Campendium is another camping resource we use when looking for free/cheap places to stay. It’s free to use the app, but we have a subscription for $50 a year that provides an ad-free experience and detailed coverage maps you can filter by elevation, public land boundaries, and wildfire and smoke conditions. Plus, you can save your favorite places and trails in the area.
It is a leading online platform for camping enthusiasts, offering a user-friendly interface to discover and review campgrounds across North America. With detailed information, user reviews, and photos, Campendium helps both seasoned travelers and newcomers plan memorable outdoor adventures. If you're into camping, Campendium is basically your go-to sidekick for discovering awesome spots and connecting with a bunch of like-minded outdoor people.
