Best trails in Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada

Valley of Fire State Park is a little over an hour away from the Las Vegas, and is the oldest and largest state park in Nevada. The Fire Wave, located in Valley of Fire State Park, is an easy hike to an amazing sandstone formation in the it resembles an ocean wave with swirling patterns of red, white, and pink sandstone. With a beautiful backdrop this is one of the best, if not the best hike in the park. The trail is sandy at the beginning of the hike and transitions into sandstone. Rock cairns (small stacks of rocks) lead the way on the sandstone to the Fire Wave. Hikers are recommended to do this hike in the cooler months of the year. During the summer, the temperature is well over 100 degrees and there is no shade on the trail. The Fire Wave is best photographed in the late afternoon and early evening.Show more

Short, easy walk through canyon filled with prehistoric indian petroglyphs Petroglyph Canyon at Valley of Fire State Park is probably the most accessible way for visitors to view petroglyphs. The walk is short and very easy in the sandy bottom of this narrow canyon. Resist the temptation to touch the petroglyphs as they are easily damaged and cannot be repaired, or replaced. Absolutely no one alive today knows for certain what these ancient markings mean, but there is an informational sign at the trail entrance which explains some of the most commonly accepted interpretations. As you walk through this canyon, it is easy to imagine that you're transported back in time -- the grandeur and solitude (if you're lucky that is) of these brilliant red sandstone cliffs is almost overwhelming. In the summertime, the heat in this canyon is stifling and intense -- best viewed early in the morning or just before sunset; daily summer highs usually exceed 100 degrees, and 120 degrees is considered common. Carry water with you year-round.Show more

The Fire Wave and Seven Wonders Loop is located in the Valley of Fire State Park, the oldest and largest state park in Nevada and is just located just an hour outside Las Vegas. Hikers are recommended to do this hike in the cooler months of the year. During the summer, the temperature is well over 100 degrees and there is no shade on the trail. The Fire Wave is best photographed in the late afternoon and early evening.Show more

Rainbow Vista is a perfect name for the view one gets from the trailhead! The sandstone colors of the surrounding rock cover the entire color spectrum. Easy hike to the Fire Canyon Overlook. The beginning of the hike is very sandy. Great views. During the summer, be sure to do this hike early in the morning because there is no shade and the temperatures will be over 100 degrees.Show more

Elephant Rock is an easy out and back trail 0.4mi. RT or a 1.2mi. loop to an elephant shaped rock formation in Nevada's Valley of Fire State Park. The Rock is located right next to the main road near the East Entrance. Elephant Rock is an easy out and back trail 0.4mi. RT or a 1.2mi. loop to an elephant shaped rock formation in Nevada's Valley of Fire State Park. The Rock is located right next to the main road near the East Entrance. Parking is prohibited there, but you can park at the East Entrance parking lot and take a short 0.2 mile hike to get up close. Take the left fork in the open area to head back toward the main road and up the hill - this will take you right to the rock which is above you to the right as you reach the road. You can easily climb to a vantage point above the rock to take the best pictures. The trail continues along the road and bears off to the right and loops around the rock formations to come back toward the main parking lot on the other side. The loop is 1.2 miles. Watch for lizards and snakes. The rock formations are very interesting. The Valley of Fire derives its name from red sandstone formations, formed from great shifting sand dunes during the age of dinosaurs. Complex uplifting and faulting of the region, followed by extensive erosion, have created the present landscape. Other important rock formations include limestones, shales, and conglomerates. Prehistoric users of the Valley of Fire included the Basket Maker people and later the Anasazi Pueblo farmers from the nearby fertile Moapa Valley.Show more

One of the sites at Valley of Fire where you will see petroglyphs near Arch Rock.Show more