Ultimate Vegas to Valley of Fire State Park Day Trip Guide
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During our recent trip to Las Vegas, I made it a top priority to visit Valley of Fire State Park.
On various social media platforms and websites, incredible images of Valley of Fire State Park kept grabbing my attention, compelling me to go experience it firsthand.
My dream came true and I finally was able to take a day trip from Vegas to Valley of Fire State Park.
It did NOT disappoint! The stunning bright red rocks, slot canyons, diverse rock formations, and jaw dropping vistas of Valley of Fire State Park rival those found in some of the nation’s most renowned national parks.
Valley of Fire has so many fantastic aspects about it but one of its biggest advantages is that if you are short on time, you can simply drive through in about 2-3 hours and quickly get out to see some of the most scenic viewpoints and do a couple of short hikes.
I would say you can do this and confidently feel like you fully experienced Valley of Fire State Park.
If you do want to choose a hike to do, I recommend Fire Wave Trail and suggest adding on Pastel Canyon also known as Pink Canyon.
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How to Get from Las Vegas to Valley of Fire State Park
Driving from the Las Vegas strip to Valley of Fire State Park will take you about 50 minutes. The drive is primarily on I-15 N. From I-15N, you will take exit 75.
At that exit, you will see the Moapa Paiute Travel Plaza. I strongly suggest stopping here if you need to use the restroom or to purchase any water, other beverages, or snacks.
After that travel plaza, you will have about 12 more miles to drive before reaching Valley of Fire State Park.
If you do not have a vehicle to drive yourself to Valley of Fire State Park, you can always take a tour to there as well!
Best Time to Visit Valley of Fire
The best time to visit Valley of Fire State Park is between October and April. This is when the temperatures are a bit cooler and so it is much easier to do some hiking.
We visited in early March, and the weather was absolutely perfect!
Many people recommend visiting in April when the desert plants are in bloom yet the temperature is still not scorching!
Must Know Information
- You do not need a reservation to enter Valley of Fire State Park, but I would plan to get there early.
- Valley of Fire State Park has a $15 entrance fee per vehicle for out-of-state visitors and $10 for Nevada residents.
- It is a good idea to stop at the Visitor Center right away. This is a great place to use the restroom, grab a snack or drink, and a souvenir. The Visitor Center closes daily at 4pm.
- Valley of Fire State Park is open 365 days a year from sunrise to sunset.
- Visitors may camp overnight. Campsites do require reservations though.
- Fire Wave/Seven Wonders Loop trails close June 1-September 30 due to extreme heat conditions. If you visit during these dates, you will not be able to do these hikes.
5 of the Best Things to do in Valley of Fire State Park
1. Take lots of pictures
Valley of Fire State Park is such an amazing destination to take jaw-dropping photos. There are so many stunning vistas to capture incredible photos.
2. Keep your eyes out for bighorn sheep.
As soon as we entered the park, we saw a some cars pulled over on the side of the road. I decided to pull over as well to see what everyone was looking at and it was bighorn sheep. I was SO excited to see the bighorn sheep in person.
3. Climb the rock formations
My kids had an absolute blast climbing and exploring. Our first experience climbing was at the Beehives Rock Formations. This is on your right fairly quickly after going past the West Entrance.
4. Explore the Valley of Fire State Park Visitor Center
While at the Visitor Center make sure to use the restroom, get a snack or drink, fill up your water bottles, purchase a souvenir, and see the exhibits. The kids also did some climbing here.
5. Do some hiking
Some of the most popular trails are Mouse Tank Road, White Domes Trail, and Fire Wave Trail. My favorite is Fire Wave Trail so if you only want to do one hike, I recommend that one!
Tips for Visiting Valley of Fire State Park
- Get there early. There is often a long line to go through the entrance station where you pay.
- Make sure to bring plenty of food and water. If you think you will spend most of the day there, you will want to pack a lunch.
- Drive White Domes Road (11 miles total out and back). This is the road that you see in all of the online photos of Valley of Fire State Park. The best hikes are on this road as well!
- Take your time and let your kids climb and explore. All too often I am in such a hurry to do the hikes but all my kids wanted to do was climb and climb some more. I told myself to embrace the moment and let the kids be kids. This is all part of the experience.
- Carry water with you on your hikes.
- If a parking lot is full at one trailhead you can alway circle back and do that trail later.
- While hiking, every so often, make sure to turn around to see the view behind you. There is often a whole other viewpoint that you miss when you are hiking in one direction.
- Download the trail map ahead of time. You will not have cell service out on the trails.
- Follow the trail markers.
Why I LOVE Valley of Fire State Park
- It has a good amount of restrooms. If one trailhead or parking lot doesn’t have one, it is pretty easy to drive to another that has some.
- You can drive through this state park in a couple of hours, and it is fairly quick to get back to another trailhead if parking lot is full at one or if you need to use the restroom.
- So many great little hikes for the kids or they can simply climb or play in the sand.
- Easy to navigate.
- It has the most amazing colors and scenic vistas.
Must Know Information
We visited Valley of Fire during the second week of March, and it was not super busy. We did have to wait in a line of about five cars to enter the park and only had problems finding parking one time. It may be harder to finding parking or take longer to drive when the Valley of Fire State Park is busier.
Must Do Hikes
Here are a few recommended hikes if you are interested in doing some hiking. You do not need to do the full hikes to feel like you have experienced Valley of Fire State Park. That is one of the things I love about this park.
Fire Wave Trail
This trail is without a doubt the most popular hike in Valley of Fire State Park. It is 1.5 miles out and back and super fun to do. The kids will love this hike. You get to walk on these humongous rock formations, and they are stunning. Note: This trail is closed from June 1-September 30.
Expert Tip
The Fire Wave Trail can be a little bit strenuous. If you have younger kids, do not feel pressured to do the whole thing. By doing only part of it, you will still get a good feel for the trail as well as see the scenic vistas and colors.
Pink or Pastel Canyon
If you add this trail on with the Fire Wave Trail, it is only .3 miles longer than the out and back Fire Wave Trail. I highly recommend doing this.
Expert Tip
I did have a little bit of trouble knowing exactly where the trail was for Fire Wave and then leading to Pink Canyon. It was also a bit confusing knowing where to turn around if you are just doing the Fire Wave. There were trail markers, but it was still hard to know at times. A couple of tips for this- 1. Have a map downloaded, 2. Use an Apple Watch to keep track of mileage and time, 3. Keep an eye out for trail markers, and 4. Ask other hikers. Luckily there were enough people going in both directions on the hike to keep you on track.
Mouse’s Tank Road
This hike is .75 miles out and back through the sand. There are petroglyphs on the walls. We did not do this whole hike. We started hiking through the sand and then the kids started climbing rocks and so we enjoyed the sand and rocks right where we were.
White Domes Trail
This is a 1.1 mile loop through sand and rocky terrain. White Domes Trail is another one that you don’t need to do the entire loop to get see some amazing views and rock colors.
Elephant Rock
This trail is close to the East Entrance and is only .2 miles out and back. There is a 1.25 mile loop you could do here as well, but you do not need to do the loop hike to see Elephant Rock.
Other Hikes and Viewpoints
If you want to see even more of Valley of Fire State Park, some other noteworthy sights include Atlatl Rock which features petroglyphs, Rainbow Vista Trail, and Fire Canyon Overlook. Also, as mentioned earlier, the Beehives Rock Formations are really cool, too. These are located close to the West Entrance.
From Vegas to Valley of Fire State Park
If you have time while visiting Las Vegas, I strongly recommend taking the time to visit Valley of Fire State Park.
It is so incredible and will be a memorable addition to your Las Vegas vacation. It is also a great park to experience with the kids on your Las Vegas family vacation.
If you are looking for another stunning landmark to visit on your vacation, I suggest taking the family to the Hoover Dam, too!
Las Vegas has so many more free and budget friendly attractions and even shows to see that are perfect for families too!
Download my complimentary travel itinerary planner to assist you in planning your trip to Las Vegas and Valley of Fire State Park.
May you love your adventure! KW
