Petroglyphs in Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada
Some petroglyphs in Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada may be found at the top of the Atlatl Rock staircase (found next to Arch Rock,shortly beyond the West entrance to the park), but most are found on the Mouses Tank Trail (found on White Domes Road shortly after the visitor center). The petroglyphs on Mouse’s Tank Trail comprise the majority of the slides on this page. I know of no more complete study of the Valley of Fire Petroglyphs than the 74-page Master of Arts Degree in Archaeology thesis “Valley of Fire Petroglyphs: A New Perspective On An Old Idea” by Eric Pacl. There’s a link to download the entire thesis in this article. Click image or title above for more…
Pinnacles Loop Trail in Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada
Pinnacles Loop Trail, featuring a hidden valley of brilliant fiery red pinnacle rock formations, is a great initial exposure to the wonders of Valley of Fire State Park. Entering the pinnacles is like entering another world. A balancing rock stands out, apparently defying the laws of gravity. I became obsessed with this rock as you can see in the video on this page, trying to figure out how it could possibly remain on its perch. Route details: 4.5-mile loop trail; **Not always clear where the trail is, but just circle the large central hill** Click image or title above for more…
Prospect Trail | Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada
The Prospect Trail in Valley of Fire State Park spans much of the park from near the West entrance to the White Domes Loop at the end of the Mouse’s Tank Scenic Drive. Not only does it span much of the park, but it also offers one of the widest variety of rock formations and colors seen on any other trail in the park from the 200 million-year-old red Azetc sandstone formations also seen on Pinnacles Loop, Fire Canyon, Mouse’s Tank Trail the Bee Hives and Atlatl Rock to the white sandstone formations seen in locations such as White Domes and Silica Dome to the variety of colors seen on the Rainbow Vista Trail to the red and white striped display seen on Fire Wave Loop. Route details: 11 miles RT; **Good trail – a bit sketchy in places.** Click image or title above for more…
Rainbow Vista Trail, Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada
The Rainbow Vista Trail in Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada is a quick 1.0 mile trail with two main features. The “rainbow” part of the name is mostly at the beginning of the trail with rock formations colored in shades from white to brown to red. The “vista” part of the name refers mostly to the grand Fire Canyon overlook at the end of the trail. Route details: Approx. 2mi RT; **Path through hills.** Click image or title above for more…
Rock Formations in Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada
Entering Valley of Fire State Park is like entering into another world and the fiery red Azetc sandstone formations sharply contrasting against their gray and tan limestone mountain background create a fantasy-like atmosphere. Over countless years wind, water and sand have created a myriad of shapes and designs beyond all human artistic genius. And there is a spiritual feeling in the valley I have only experienced in few places on earth. This is a place you can touch, experience and even enter the very rock of the earth and feel an energy that is at times overpowering. Click image or title above for more…
Silica Dome | Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada
Silica Dome in Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada is just a very fun experience offering a combination of trail hiking and light but exciting rock climbing on an amazing surface. Silica, from which Silica Dome get’s its name, is the major constituent of sand. The dome itself is composed of very pure nearly white silica in rock solid form. Apparently, you do not want to breathe in the silica dust because it is a lung carcinogen and exposure can result in the disease of silicosis. Route details: 2mi RT Wander Around and On the Dome. Click image or title above for more…
Valley of Fire Park Exploration – 6 Day Strategy, Nevada
set out to systematically explore Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada in 5 or 6 days, given 6 1/2 hours per day (about 6:30am – 1:00pm). Feel free to follow my strategy or mix it up and either accelerate your own discovery to 2 or 3 days or pace it out over 2 weeks or more. My adventures occurred during January and early February. Here’s how my exploration went… Click image or title above for more…
Valley of Fire State Park Nevada 30 Waypoints
Here is a quick list of 30 waypoints in Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada. Each waypoint is on one of the scenic drives in the park. Use this list for:
*A drive-through overview of Valley of Fire State Park before exploring more deeply.
*A guide for your deeper exploration waypoint by waypoint
*A review of your exploration of Valley of Fire State Park
*A quick reference to the trails and waypoints in Valley of Fire State Park
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Valley of Fire State Park Panorama Video, Nevada
The Muddy Mountains ridgeline on the Southern Boundary of Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada was the perfect aerial vantage point from which to film this panorama video taking in most of the park. Click image or title above for more…
White Domes Loop Trail in Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada
White Domes Loop Trail in Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada is a relatively easy but totally amazing 1-mile loop trail featuring colorful red Aztec sandstone that was originally sand dunes 200 million years ago in the Jurassic age of the dinosaurs. Another feature of the loop is an abandoned Hollywood set from the 1966 American western film “The Professionals“. Route details: 1-Mile Loop; **Decent trail, some stairs.** Click image or title above for more…
