We spent 2 amazing days hiking, exploring and taking photos of the stunning rugged red rock landscape in Valley of Fire State Park from dawn to dusk. And we honestly think it’s one of the most underrated places to visit in the American southwest.
It was November 2021 and we were on a road trip from Seattle to Sedona. We’d just spent 5 days in Vegas and we were on our way to Zion, but we’d seen photos of Valley of Fire and knew we couldn’t miss it.
Our excellent decision to spend a night in Overton (the only nearby lodging option) meant we could easily do sunset and then sunrise in the park. And hiking to the Fire Wave for sunrise was easily our favorite thing to do in Valley of Fire. Read more about us.
We actually had several of our photos from the park published in this Gestalten book, which was pretty cool. In this guide we show you 16 places you can’t miss when you visit Valley of Fire State Park, based entirely on our experiences.
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1. Fire Wave Trail
Fire Wave Trail is a truly unique and striking example of what happens when geology, weather and time combine to create remarkable acts of nature. And all we had to do to reach the Fire Wave was hike an easy 1.5-mile roundtrip trail with just 250 feet elevation gain.
After waking up early, we left our hotel in Overton in the dark and drove to the trailhead before hiking to the Fire Wave for sunrise. We were the only two people there, and it remains one of our all time favorite experiences in the US southwest. It’s similar to The Wave in Arizona but smaller, less busy and you don’t need a permit.
2. Mouse’s Tank Road Photo
If you search online for Valley of Fire and click images, you’re going to see two things: Fire Wave and a long narrow road cutting through a canyon towards a mountain. That second photo is the famous Mouse’s Tank Road, and it’s a photo spot you can’t miss when you visit the state park.
Here’s how we got it:
- Parked at Rainbow Vista
- Crossed the road carefully
- Walked south towards Mouse’s Tank Road
- Found a view we liked and Mark stayed there
- Kristen continued down and found a tall rock
- Mark lined Kristen up with the road
- Took the photo
We had so much fun taking photos here, and we both took a turn at being the subject. Turns out Kristen’s a better model than Mark! Take care on the rocks because they’re very uneven, rugged and sharp. A photo isn’t worth a broken ankle.
3. White Domes Trail
White Domes Trail is an easy 1-mile roundtrip hike with 200 feet elevation gain located at the very end of Mouse’s Tank Road. We thought it was a fun hike that’s suitable for the whole family, and it had plenty of unexpected surprises along the way like caves, slot canyons, sandy trails and colorful rocks.
We honestly didn’t know what to expect from White Domes, but it turned out to be our second favorite hike in Valley of Fire. Short trails with lots of bang for your buck are right up our alley, and we enjoyed the varied topography on this hike immensely.
4. Pink Canyon
Pink Canyon (also known as Pastel Canyon) is a short, deep and snaking V-shaped canyon filled with beautiful pink and blue rock layers. You can access Pink Canyon directly from the Fire Wave, but we parked on the side of Mouse’s Tank Road near this location instead.
After parking we walked for a few minutes on a sandy trail and turned right into the stunning terrain. It was so easy to visit, and we’d actually say Pink Canyon is probably the most picturesque formation in the park after Fire Wave, so don’t miss it if you’re interested in photography.
5. Arch Rock
Arch Rock is a photogenic natural arch that’s been carved by wind and rain over millions of years. We accessed the arch by driving a narrow gravel road behind Atlatl Rock and parking here.
Seeing Arch Rock was by no means the most exciting part of our trip to the park, and climbing isn’t allowed so there was no way to liven it up. But we still think it’s definitely worth visiting for a quick photo, and we also saw tons of bighorn sheep walking across steep rock faces.
6. The Beehives
The Beehives are unique sandstone formations featuring various layers, holes, patterns, grooved lines and giant cone shaped tops that look just like beehives. It’s the first area we reached after entering Valley of Fire west entrance (closest to Las Vegas) and it had plenty of parking.
It was busy on the Beehives close to the parking area, so we decided to head further into the formation. Within 2 minutes we were alone and it ended up being a great place to take photos because the topography was a mish-mash of eroded rocks.
7. Petroglyph Canyon Trail
Petroglyph Canyon is the easiest place you can go to see ancient rock art in Valley of Fire State Park. It was an easy 0.7-mile roundtrip hike with basically no elevation gain that passed by rock art and eventually led to a dead end at Mouse’s Tank, which is named because of its tall cliffs resembling a block of Swiss cheese, like a mouse has taken small chunks out of the rocks.
We enjoyed seeing the various prehistoric petroglyphs, natural water holes and intriguing cliffs at the end. It’s well worth doing when you visit the park, but be warned the trail is mostly deep sand so it was tougher going than we expected!
8. Atlatl Rock
Atlatl Rock is a tall standalone rock formation featuring perfectly preserved 4,000 year old Native American petroglyphs and rock art. The name Atlatl refers to a spear being thrown or a spear-thrower, a drawing which we saw when we arrived at the top of the metal staircase. Climbing on the rocks and touching the petroglyphs is strictly prohibited.
Atlatl Rock’s petroglyphs are among the clearest and most well-preserved examples we’ve personally seen. It was one of the busier areas in the park, so we waited until it was quieter which worked out well because the rock art is best seen in late afternoon when the drawings are in shadow.
9. Fire Cave
Fire Cave is a small series of eroded cave-like formations that are big enough for you to go inside, and once you get inside you’ll see beautiful curves and smooth domes, so don’t forget your camera. A standout feature inside Fire Cave called Windstone Arch was once its centerpiece, but unfortunately that collapsed in 2021. You can reach the cave by parking here.
The Fire Cave was the very first place we saw upon arrival to the park and there were no others around, so we almost missed it. The inside of the cave was stunning, so we moved around to find different perspectives, contrasts with shadows and lights, and subjects using the interior rocks.
10. Fire Canyon And Silica Dome
Fire Canyon and Silica Dome are rugged red and white colored rocky areas that are accessed by parking at the end of Fire Canyon Road. The landscape suddenly changes from cream to red as iron stains the rock, and sand grains here are almost pure silica. We walked a short easy trail but you can see it all from your car.
Unfortunately, we arrived at this viewpoint at the worst time of day around lunchtime. It’s a south facing view and the sun was directly ahead of us, so we recommend you visit either early morning or late afternoon for a better experience. It’s also completely exposed so take care on hot days.
11. Seven Sisters
Seven Sisters is a series of 7 tall red rock formations located in a line, that have been relentlessly eroded over time. They were once part of the surrounding rocks but weathering has reduced the area to just seven boulders filled with holes. The parking lot is located off Valley of Fire highway.
We parked up, used the vault toilets and walked out into the open land behind Seven Sisters to see if it would open up a nice perspective, but it didn’t. The best photos we took here were from an acute angle with the 7 boulders, so they were in a clear line.
12. The Cabins
The historic cabins in Valley of Fire State Park were built back in the 1930’s by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) to accommodate travelers visiting the park, using nothing but recycled materials from the immediate area.
We’d already eaten our lunch by the time we arrived at The Cabins, so we didn’t use the on-site picnic area. Instead, we quickly looked around the buildings, took some fun photos through open windows and continued to the next stop.
13. Elephant Rock
Elephant Rock is a unique rock formation shaped like (yes you guessed it!) an elephant. In our photo above you can see its trunk extending diagonally from top right to bottom left. It also appears to have a hump, so maybe it should be called a camelephant instead? It’s located close to the east entrance, and we parked here before walking up to the formation.
We took a few quick photos of ourselves in a Valley of Fire State Park photo frame, then set off walking uphill to the formation. We stopped below the elephant, but you can continue climbing uphill and beyond the formation to see it from the other side.
14. Balanced Rock
Balanced Rock is a very easy, short and flat hike leading to a tall narrow rock formation with a boulder balancing precariously on top. We walked to it directly from the Valley of Fire visitor center parking lot, and it was suitable for the whole family.
A lot of parks in the American southwest have a “balanced rock” but this one is a great example of the power of erosion and weathering. It took us no longer than 10 minutes roundtrip to see it, so we think it’s definitely worth doing.
15. Rainbow Vista
Rainbow Vista Trail is a sandy and rocky 1-mile roundtrip hike with 100 feet elevation change that leads to an overlook with views over smooth domes, sharp ridges, rising towers and rugged valleys in Fire Canyon. It was easy enough but there were sections with deep sand and very light scrambling.
We hiked Rainbow Vista during the hottest part of the day and even at the end of November the heat made it tough going. The rainbow colors were actually better near the trailhead, so we only recommend going to the end if you want to see a nice vantage point over Fire Canyon.
16. Seven Wonders Trail
Seven Wonders Trail is a 2-mile hike with 200 feet elevation change which includes Fire Wave, Pink Canyon, Striped Rock, Kaolin Wash, Crazy Hill, Thunderstorm Arch and Fire Cave. It begins at Fire Wave Trailhead, but instead of hiking straight to the Fire Wave and back, you’d hike a loop in the opposite direction which ends at Fire Wave before returning to the trailhead.
We hiked to Fire Wave for sunrise, so we didn’t end up hiking this in a loop. But we highly recommend you do it this way if you don’t go to the Fire Wave for sunrise because you’ll tick off more formations in one hike. And you could even include White Domes loop into this hike!
Attractions Map
Click or touch the map below to activate. Zoom in and out, move around the map and you’ll see the locations for each place listed in this guide. You can also click on the “view larger map” icon in the top right to expand the map for a closer look.
Map key:
- Red – Hikes
- Orange – Photo spots
- Black – Entrances
The Morgan Conclusion
Valley of Fire State Park is filled with fun hikes and stunning photo spots. It’s a great place to visit on a day trip from Las Vegas, and we highly recommend hiking Fire Wave for sunrise if you can manage it. There’s a popular comparison between Valley of Fire and Red Rock Canyon because they’re both near Vegas, but Valley of Fire takes the win for us.
We think the photo spot overlooking Mouse’s Tank Road, Fire Wave, Pink Canyon, White Domes and hiking Seven Wonders Trail are the things you should prioritize if you’re short on time. If you have a full day, relax, take it slow and enjoy exploring this underrated natural landscape!
We hope our guide to visiting Valley of Fire State Park helps with planning your visit to Nevada!
Please let us know if you have any questions in the comments below.
Happy Travels,
Mark and Kristen
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Mark and Kristen spent 6 years traveling the world, visiting over 40 countries across 4 continents and more than 30 US states. They created Where Are Those Morgans in 2018 to help others plan the best possible vacations by writing authentic travel and hiking guides based on their real experiences.
Since the arrival of baby Maya in late 2024, Mark and Kristen’s extensive travels have slowed down but they still take plenty of trips. Where Are Those Morgans now helps millions of travelers each year to visit new places and hike new trails through information-packed blog posts and expert travel guidebooks. Read more about Mark and Kristen.
Great info as always!!! You know that I am such a fan!!!
Have you ever noticed the cross in the clouds in your photo of Seven Sisters?!!!
Thank you, Pat! That’s a great spot, we never noticed it but it really does look just like a cross!
Really nice article ! Great pictures and lots of great information ! Thanks
Thank you! It’s one of our favorite places to visit near Vegas, incredibly photogenic and easy to explore.