Valley of Fire State Park
Nevada’s first and largest state park is almost completely unknown outside of the state, but it deserves the recognition of a national park. This is one of the last truly hidden gems. This small state park is still relatively popular so finding parking spots requires patience, and taking a photo without a stranger in it can be a challenge, but this park is more than worth the short drive from Las Vegas. This is an absolute must do if you’re in/near Las Vegas. It is less than an hour outside of Las Vegas and full of incredible natural features. You can see a few sights in an afternoon or take the entire day. It is worth every minute you spend in the park. You would never imagine there were so many treasures within a state park.
ATLATL ROCK
Petroglyphs of bighorn sheep, people, and other unusual symbols high up on a rock. A long metal stair case takes you up close to the ancient etchings.
SEVEN SISTERS
Seven vertical rock formations right along the road.
ELEPHANT ROCK
Although the rock formation is very close to the road, the rocks the road bifurcates make it difficult to place a parking area nearby so, just down the hill, right before the eastern entrance to the park there is a parking lot and a set of pit toilets. The hike is just over 1/4 mile round trip. The elephant is challenging to spot if you’re heading East along Valley of Fire Highway unless you know exactly where to look, so plan on stopping if you’d like to see it.
FIRE CANYON DRIVE
This beautiful view shows off the dramatic difference in sandstones within the park. The second pull out on the right has a lightly used trail to an overlook on a mound that offers the best view of the stark contrast between the red and white rocks. There are no signs or markers. The view at the parking lot at the end of the road is only slightly less stunning if you don’t want to bother finding the unmarked view.
RAINBOW VISTA
The view is great, but it is essentially the same view you get from the parking lot at the end of Fire Canyon Drive. Rainbow Vista requires a short hike through sand followed by a quite steep scamper up a rock face.
FIRE WAVE
This incredible view takes you through very unique landscapes. The wave is one of the most beautifully naturally carves pieces of sandstone in the world and it is the highlight of the park, so getting a picture without people in it is nearly impossible. Rocks nearby are banded and striated. The trail takes you over tilted layers of sandstone that have eroded to resemble rock baklava.
ARCH ROCK
Right around the corner from Atlatl rock, it is not easy to get a view of and it’s a rather unimpressive arch. I had to climb on top of my truck to get a good view through the arch. A just-as-impressive arch can be found on the easy White Domes trail and you can walk right through it.
WHITE DOMES TRAIL
A wonderful, easy, hike that will take ~45 minutes. This hike gives you great views, takes you through a short slot canyon, by a small arch, and is overall very worth it if you can find a spot to park.
