3 Spots to Explore in Valley of Fire State Park
The oldest and largest state park in Nevada, these 46,000 acres of red sandstone formations in the Mojave Desert are the perfect adventure outside of Las Vegas. Only an hour and 15 minute drive from the Strip, it is easy to tack onto your bucket list outside of playing slots, table games, and watching the Fountains at the Bellagio.
A few things to know before you visit:
- Entrance Fee: Depending on your license plate for your rental car, if you have a Nevada vehicle it is $10, but if you have any other state’s vehicle it is $15. It is important to know this price is per day.
- Hours: Open from sunrise to sunset. The campground has 24 hour access for campers only.
- Visitor Center: The Valley of Fire Visitor Center can be found at: Valley of Fire Visitor Center, Overton, NV 89040 and it is open from 9AM-4PM.
- Weather: Depending on when you visit, winter day time temperatures are between 54°F -75°F whereas over the summer, daytime averages are well over 100°F . This park has limited shade, so if you are visiting over the summer, plan accordingly and take LOTS of water!
- Best Time to Visit: Mid-fall through mid-spring is the best time to visit due to the mild temperatures and no snow.
If you only have one day to explore the park, like we did, we recommend these 3 spots:
Mouse’s Tank Road
We love iconic road shots and this one is epic! We recommend getting to this spot early to avoid cars driving by. This is the first location close to the entrance of the park. There is no set parking location for this spot but there are a few pull offs on Mouse’s Tank Road. The below is the one we parked at, but only a few cars can fit. From there, it is only about a 10-15 step climb to get to this photo spot.
Parking Area: CFXM+HP3 Moapa Valley, Nevada
Fire Wave
A 1.5 mile round trip hike takes you through the desert to this unique spot. The red zebra-like stripes are so cool to see in person and even mind blowing knowing that it occurs naturally. This trailhead and trail are pretty well marked, making it easy to follow. It is an extremely busy trail, so be prepared for plenty of other hikers. There are two parking lots, across the road from one another, so it can fit a lot of cars. We recommend going early, especially because there is no shade on this trail, so it can get hot depending when you visit!
Parking Lot: FFQC+7C Moapa Valley, Nevada
Pink Canyon
Pink Canyon, also known as Pastel Canyon, is an unmarked trail that hasn’t made it on the park map yet! There is no set parking spot for this location either but there are quite a few pull offs, but be mindful of the no parking signs or you will be ticketed. We recommend parking at the Fire Wave Parking lot and walking down the road to the trailhead, which is about a 16 minute walk. You can also get to this spot after hiking Fire Wave, if you continue on the trail. People even park in the dips in the road, which is the washout area. Do not park in those areas or hike this trail if rain is in the forecast, both are susceptible to floods.
It was so magical to walk through this pink canyon with all of the pink sand and curved canyon walls. The further we walked, the more pink it got. This trailhead spot will be where the coloring of the trail starts, you can continue hiking as far as you’d like, 0.4 miles round trip is about what we explored!
Trailhead Start: FFHF+RF Overton, Moapa Valley, NV