What's up guys, we're here at the Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada
and in this video we're going to show you the best hikes and viewpoints in the park,
as well as the things you need to know before you come here. So enjoy this video!
We are Zac and Ine, full-time digital nomads from the United States and Belgium.
We met while studying abroad in 2018 and have been traveling the world together ever since.
We're here to inspire your next adventure, whether it's hiking in the Canadian Rockies,
a road trip through the US, or backpacking across Africa. On our channel, you'll find
unfiltered videos of hiking guides and the best things to do in destinations around the world.
The Valley of Fire State Park is located in the south of Nevada,
about 50 miles or 80 kilometers to the east of Las Vegas.
It's the oldest and largest state park in Nevada, and is known for its bright red sandstone
formations that appear to be on fire during sunset. Filled with beautiful panoramic vistas,
short hiking trails, and petroglyphs, as well as scenic drives, the Valley of Fire makes for
a perfect day trip from Las Vegas. In this ultimate travel guide, we'll highlight the
things you need to know before you go as well as the best viewpoints and hikes in the park.
There are a few things you need to know before you visit the Valley of Fire.
First, the Valley of Fire cannot be reached by public transportation
and you'll need a car to visit the park. It's best to rent a car in Las Vegas
or book a day tour from there. You can find a link to a tour in the description below.
Second, it costs 10 per vehicle per day or 15
for vehicles that are not from Nevada to enter the Valley of Fire State Park.
The third thing you need to know is that the opening hours are from sunrise to sunset.
Those are also the best times to visit since it's a lot quieter.
The best seasons to visit are spring and fall when it's pleasantly warm.
There are two main roads that wind through the park. The Valley of Fire Highway runs from east
to west and this is where the two entrances are located. Mouse's Tank Road runs from the
visitors center to the north into the heart of the park. This is the most scenic part of the park.
Another thing you should know is that you need at least a few hours to visit the park
as well as see the viewpoints. To have the best experience, we recommend exploring a full day.
There's also enough to do if you want to spend two days here.
If you plan to spend two days here, there are two campsites near the west entrance of the park.
The fee is 20 per vehicle per night, or 25 for non-nevada vehicles. It's an additional 10
for sites with utility hookups.
The last thing you should know is that there are no restaurants or stores in the park,
so make sure to pack your own food.
The park has barbecues at certain parking lots that you can use if you bring your own coals.
The Valley of Fire State Park is extremely scenic, with tons of viewpoints and short hiking trails.
First, we'll highlight the best viewpoints starting with Mouse's Tank Road.
This road is one of the most photographed spots in the Valley Fire State Park.
There are several places along Mouse's Tank Road that offer a great
view. We hiked up a rock at the Rainbow Vista Parking lot to see the winding road from above.
The Fire Canyon Overlook is located along the Fire Canyon Road
and offers a great view of white and red rock formations combined.
Atlatl Rock has the best display of petroglyphs in the entire park.
These date back some four thousand years. To see them up close, you need to climb a small
metal staircase that has been installed on the side of the sandstone formation.
Arch Rock can be seen from the scenic loop road near Atlatl Rock
and is basically a large arch in sandstone.
The Seven Sisters is a group of seven tall red eroded boulders surrounded by sandy desert.
It's a great place to have lunch and take in the scenery.
There are also many amazing hiking trails in the park.
The first one we'll highlight is Elephant Rock.
Elephant Rock is located near the east entrance of the park
and is an absolute must-visit in the Valley of Fire. It's a 0.25 mile or half kilometer walk
to reach the rock from the parking lot. You can also hike it as a loop if you'd like.
As the name suggests, the rock resembles an elephant and a pretty realistic one at that.
Mouse's Tank is a short one mile or one and a half kilometer round trip hike,
which takes approximately 30 minutes. The elevation gain here
is only 16 meters, and the hike has petroglyphs and rocks along the way.
The Mouse's Tank hike ends at a natural rock basin where the water collects after rainfall.
So we're here at Mouse's Tank and it's actually a very interesting spot because apparently there
was this outlaw that was living here and he used to drinking water that was
supposed to be here, not anymore, and he used that to survive.
Rainbow Vista is a short one mile or one and a half kilometer out-and-back trail
with a panoramic view at the end. It took us about 35 minutes total to walk this trail.
However, you can also just stop along the parking
lot here and take some pictures of the rocks as it's a beautiful view as well.
The White Domes Loop is an amazing hike in the Valley of Fire. This loop trail is about
1.25 miles or two kilometers long and takes about one to two hours of hiking. The elevation gain is
about 53 meters. This is the most challenging hike in the park as it has a descent at the beginning
and an ascend at the end of the trail. However, in our opinion it's still easy.
Highlights include a small slot canyon, beautiful views, and the remains of an old movie set.
The Seven Wonders Trail literally combines the best scenery into one hike
with views of the Fire Wave as well as the Pink Canyon. It's a 2.3 mile or 3.7 kilometer hike.
It takes about one to two hours to complete, depending on how long you take in the views.
The hike winds through pink, yellow, and coral sandstone, which is absolutely breathtaking.
I made it to the Fire Wave at the end of the Seven Wonders Trail
and there's no people here right now, which is pretty rare. But you should definitely come
kind of near sunset so it's less crowded and you can see the colors like this.
And that's it for our ultimate guide on the Valley of Fire State Park.
We hope you enjoyed this video and we'll catch you on the next adventure!