Best Hikes in Valley of Fire State Park

Valley of Fire State Park offers colorful geology and breathtaking views at every turn. The best way to take in the variety and hidden gems of Valley of Fire is to get out of the car and explore on foot.

With 12 official trails, it is hard to prioritize if you are only in the park for short time. On my last visit, I explored all the hikes in Valley of Fire except 3 (Prospect, Old Arrowhead Road, Charlie’s Spring). All are fantastic, but some are definitely better than others.

To help you make the most out of your visit, this post outlines everything you need to know about the best hikes in Valley of Fire State Park. The hikes below are in order from my most to least favorite.

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Important things to Know 

• Fees: There is a $10 park entrance fee
• Best Season: The best time to visit Valley of Fire State Park is between October and April when the temperatures are cooler. In the hotter months plan to hike early or late in the day to avoid the worst heat.
• Dogs: Valley of Fire is dog-friendly! All hikes allow dogs on leash.
• Maps: Grab the park hiking trail map before heading out
• Be prepared: Bring plenty of water and pack the 10 essentials when hiking.
• Leave no trace: Take a moment to familiarize yourself with the Leave No Trace guidelines.

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Check out my guide to visiting Valley Of Fire State Park for More Details

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The Best Hikes in Valley of Fire State Park

1) The Fire Wave 

This short hike leads to an amazing sandstone formation that takes the shape of a wave made up of impressive alternating red and tan stripes like those found at the famous Wave in Arizona. The trail follows a faint sandy path and then switches to traversing sandstone to get to The Fire Wave. The route is relatively easy to follow and there are trail markers that lead the way across the sandstone to the viewpoint. The Fire Wave trail is not currently listed on the parks trail map but is an established park trail.

Distance: 1.5 miles (out and back)
Elevation gain:180 feet
Time required: 45-60 minutes (plan to spend a while exploring The Fire Wave and surrounding area)
Difficulty: Easy
Trailhead location: From the visitor center, take White Domes Road/Mouse’s Tank Road into the park for 4.7 miles. Park in parking lot #3. The trailhead is across the street from the parking lot.
Note: There is cell reception at parking lot #3.

2) White Domes Loop

This short loop offers a variety of interesting features. After descending a rocky “staircase” that flows between rock formations you reach a sandy desert floor. This is where you will find what remains of the 1965 movie, The Professionals. From here, the trail enters a slot canyon before finally opening to reveal expansive views of the desert.

Distance: 1.2 mile (loop)
Elevation gain:  150 feet
Time to hike: 30-45 minutes
Difficulty:  Easy (however the first portion of the trail includes a steep and uneven natural staircase)
Trailhead location: From the visitor center, take White Domes Road/Mouse’s Tank Road into the park for 5.6 miles until the road dead-ends at the parking lot for the While Domes Loop.

3) Pink Canyon

Pink Canyon is a small unmarked canyon with beautiful light pink walls. Since it is not listed in park handouts, few people know it is there.

Distance: 0.3 miles
Elevation gain: 10 feet
Time to hike: 10 minutes, but you will want to stay longer to explore
Difficulty: Easy
Trailhead location: From the visitor center, take White Domes Road/Mouse’s Tank Road for 4.1 miles. As you drive, you will cross a number of large obvious dips in the road. At dip #5 you can park on the right (east) side of the road on the shoulder. Only park on the lighter gray concrete on the shoulder of the dip, not the dirt. From the car, walk east into the wash located just off the road, then immediately turn north and walk up the wash. You will see the entrance to pink canyon almost immediately.

4) Mouse’s Tank

This short and mostly flat trail travels through Petroglyph Canyon. Along the route the walls of the canyon offer an impressive display of ancient petroglyphs. The trail ends at Mouse’s Tank where the terrain creates a small pool that collects rainwater.

Distance: 0.7 miles (out and back)
Elevation gain:  45 feet
Time to hike: 20-30 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Trailhead location: From the visitor center, take White Domes Road into the park for 1.1 miles. The parking lot will be the first parking area you encounter and will be on the right.

5) Rainbow Vista

This trail takes you to a sudden small cliff with a view out into Fire Canyon Wash. If you plan to visit the Fire Canyon/Silica Dome lookout, this viewpoint provides a different angle of the same view.

Distance: 1 mile (out and back)
Elevation gain:90 feet
Time to hike: 45-60 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Trailhead location:  From the visitor center, take White Domes Road/ Mouse’s Tank Road into the park for 1.8 miles. The parking lot will be the second parking area you encounter and will be on the right.

6) Elephant Rock Loop 

The first 0.3 miles of this loop is a roadside trail that leads from the parking lot to Elephant Rock. Elephant Rock itself can be viewed from the road, however there is no parking there so if you want any pictures you will need to take this short walk. While the rest of the hike itself is fine, it is not as interesting as the above hikes, for that reason, I would suggest passing on the full loop if you are short on time. However, if you are a science fiction fan, then it is interesting to note that there is an unmarked bridge along this loop used in the movie Star Trek: Generations in the scene where Captains Kirk and Piccard fight Soran.

Distance: 0.3 miles to elephant rock (out and back) or 1.2 miles (loop) 
Elevation gain:50 feet
Time to hike:  5-10 minutes to elephant rock viewpoint, 30-45 minutes for the full loop
Difficulty: Easy
Trailhead location: Parking lot just inside the East entrance to the park.

7) Pinnacles Loop

This is a great trail if you like exploring and solitude. I never once saw another person along this 4.5 mile loop.

This unmaintained trail starts by heading northwest towards a gap in the two closest foothills. The first part of this hike is along a dry sandy wash in wide open desert with little scenery. However, when you pass between the two foothills and turn to the north the Pinnacles come into view and the trail becomes more scenic. The trail takes you scrambling through a playground of big red rock pinnacles before rounding the north end of the foothills and turning to take a direct path back towards the trailhead across the open desert.

Distance: 4.5 miles (loop)
Elevation gain:429 feet
Time to hike: 2-3 hours
Difficulty: Moderate
Trailhead Location:  The trailhead is located across the street from the Atlatl Rock parking lot
Notes:  The majority of this hike is in exposed open desert and is best saved for hiking in the winter. There is no established trail, trail markers (metal post with a yellow tip) are spaced several hundred yards apart and can be difficult to follow.

8) Natural Arches

This unmaintained trail follows a soft and sandy dry river towards the collapsed Natural Arch and intact Thing Arch. The route takes you through some narrow canyons and has two easy rock climb sections. This trail is definitely about exploring and the journey, not the destination, as the arches are underwhelming. This trail is lightly trafficked and is another great trail if you prefer to get away from people and explore. In fact, I had the whole trail to myself. Be sure to plan extra time for this hike since the deep sand of the riverbed will slow you down.

Distance: 5 miles (out and back)
Elevation gain:290 feet
Time to hike: 2-3 hours
Difficulty: Moderate
Trailhead location: From the visitor center, head south towards Valley of Fire Highway and turn left. Take Valley of Fire highway for 2.5 miles towards the East entrance. Look for a service road on the left side of the road with a sign that says “employees only”. You can park here as long as you do not block the road. There is no road sign to mark this hike, however there is a small trailhead sign in the parking area.

9) Balancing Rock

This is a quick walk from the visitor center to view the Balancing Rock formation. But because this formation can be seen easily from the road, this walk is not necessary.

Distance: 0.1 miles (out and back)
Elevation gain:5 feet
Time to hike:  5-10 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Trailhead location: Visitor Center

10) Petrified Logs Loop

This short loop travels past several petrified logs partially buried in the sand. Each log is enclosed in a chain link fence and signs offer a description of the petrifaction process. This is the only hike I did not enjoy as I found the logs underwhelming. What’s more, everything is surrounded by chain link fence which kills the nature vibe. Skip this one, unless you are a petrified wood superfan.

Distance: 0.3 miles (loop)
Elevation gain:30 feet
Time to hike:  10 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Trailhead location: From the West entrance, travel 1.8 miles on Valley of Fire Highway, turn right on the dirt road across from Campground Road. This short dirt road will end at the parking lot for the Petrified Logs Loop.

 Trails I have not hiked (Yet)

Prospect Trail

Although I have not done this one yet, it is definitely on my list. I talked with several hikers who recommended it and the rangers I spoke to said it was their favorite of the hikes over four miles. Unless you want to do 10 miles round-trip, you will need to have a second vehicle to shuttle this route. Alternatively, one ranger recommended starting at the While Domes trailhead, hiking the top 2.75 miles through the most interesting sections, and then returning the same way. With this option, the route comes in around 5.5 miles and eliminates the least exciting section at the southern end of the trail.

Distance: 4.6 miles (one way)
Elevation gain:507 feet (starting from White Domes Parking lot)
Time to hike:  3-4 hours
Difficulty: Moderate
Trailhead location:
North Trailhead: From the visitor center, take White Domes Road into the park for 5.6 miles until the road dead-ends in the parking lot for the While Domes Loop. Hike the White Domes Loop starting in the southern direction, after exiting the slot canyon the Prospect trail intersects White Domes Loop from the west.

South Trailhead: From the visitor center, travel south to Valley of Fire Highway and turn right heading towards the park’s west entrance. Travel 1.5 miles along Valley of Fire Highway. An unmarked small dirt parking lot will be on the right just as the road takes a sharp bend to the left. The trail ends at this dirt parking area.

Charlie’s Spring

This is a hike that travels along a dry wash to a spring that has water year-round.

Distance: 4.7 miles (out and back)
Elevation gain:420
Time to hike:  2-3 hours
Difficulty: Moderate
Trailhead location: From the visitor center, head south towards Valley of Fire Highway and turn left. Take Valley of Fire highway for 2.5 miles towards the park’s east entrance. Look for a service road on the left side of the road with a sign that says “employees only.” You can park here as long as you do not block the road. There is no road sign to mark this hike, however there is a small trailhead sign in the parking area.

Old Arrowhead Road        

This is the only hike the rangers did not recommend. According to their description, it parallels the Valley of Fire Highway and there is nothing to see that you cannot already see from the road.

Distance: 6.8 miles (one way)
Time to hike:  4-5 hours
Difficulty: Moderate
Trailhead location:
West trailhead: From the park’s west entrance, travel 0.6 miles. There is a dirt access road on the right. You can park here as long as you do not block the road.

East trailhead: Elephant rock parking lot just inside the park’s east entrance.

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Thanks for taking the time to read my post on hiking Valley of Fire.

I hope this guide will inspire you to set out on foot and explore. Check out my complete Guide to Valley of Fire State Park for more details on where to camp and what to do during your visit. If you found this guide helpful please pin, like, and share!

Please also always remember to be courteous to others and to follow Leave No Trace principles. It is our responsibility to leave our wild places the way we found them (or better) so that everyone can enjoy.

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