Las Vegas to Valley of Fire: Everything You Need for a Day Trip Adventure
- Eric Beuning
- Apr 9
- 9 min read
Updated: Apr 23
Just an hour northeast of Las Vegas, Valley of Fire State Park is Nevada’s oldest and largest state park. It’s famous for its vibrant red sandstone formations, ancient petroglyphs, and other worldly desert scenery. I love to take a day trip to Valley of Fire as a nice break from all the lights and noise of Vegas. It also adds a flavor to a Las Vegas vacation that's set apart from the "Usual" tales you hear from your friends who've been to Vegas before.
Exploring Valley of Fire from Las Vegas, you take a tour or rent a car for a self-guided experience. There's a good argument for both. So, I thought I'd break it down for you.
Taking a Tour of Valley of Fire
There are a bunch of great tours from Vegas to Valley of Fire. Most have an option to be picked up at your hotel, or to meet at a popular hotel on the Strip. I usually like the pickup service.
In my opinion this Valley of Fire Sunset tour is the ultimate way to experience the area during the non-summer months. The temps are reasonable, the days are shorter, so you get a sunset experience and still have time to enjoy Las Vegas night life. It's also the sort of backdrop for a couple's photo or family photo that will live forever in a photo album back home.
Schedule a Valley of Fire Sunset Tour Here.
Las Vegas: Valley of Fire Tour in Luxury Tour Trekker
The Valley of Fire Luxury Tour Trekker is the top option during the hot weather months of the year, or if you have any mobility concerns. I was blown away by how well they took care of my late father and mother. The AC is powerful, the guides are amazing and the ride is pure comfort.
The Las Vegas Valley of Fire Guided Day Tour is the most immersive experience for the money. They really do an impressive job of planning everything out. Including multiple stops throughout the strip at a reasonable hour in the morning. They hit all the important hot spots like the Fire Wave, Rainbow Vista and Atlatl Rock. It's great for a group experience to get away from the noise of Vegas for a day.
Schedule a Valley of Fire Guided Day Tour Here.
Valley of Fire Self-Guided Tour
If you already have a rental car, you're comfortable behind the wheel, and you want to keep your own schedule, a Valley of Fire State Park Tour from Vegas is very doable.
What You'll Need
Comfortable hiking or walking shoes
Sunscreen & hat (limited shade)
Plenty of water (especially in summer)
Snacks or a packed lunch (limited food options nearby)
Camera for incredible rock formations and petroglyphs
How Long to Spend at Valley of Fire
Only an hour’s drive from Vegas, you can spend a half-day or a full day at Valley of Fire State Park. The scenic drive with photo stops can be done in 2-3 hours. However, I’d plan to add extra time for hiking or exploring.
Pro Tip
If you’re planning a Valley of Fire day trip from October to April, I would plan a half-day trip, leaving Vegas in mid-morning to let the desert warm up. Then spend the rest of the day exploring, then end up at the Fire Wave for sunset photos.
If you’re renting a car, you can do this and return it at the after-hours drop-off area for that agency. If you’re taking a tour, most tour companies offer a sunset experience package and a morning package.
How to Get to Valley of Fire State Park from Vegas
If you’re renting a car for your Valley of Fire day trip from Vegas, you simply get on Interstate 15 eastbound.
Drive to the Town of Crystal, where you’ll get off at the Valley of Fire Highway. This will take you to the park’s fee station.
Pro Tip
Pack a soft-sided collapsible cooler with you, like a kid’s lunch box.
You can then pack a picnic lunch in it with two cold water bottles. Ice in a zip-top bag from the hotel ice machine or a bag of frozen peas from a grocery store will keep your picnic lunch cold.
Best Place to Buy Supplies from Vegas to Valley of Fire
There are several Walmart and grocery stores in Vegas, but they’re all a ways off Interstate 15. Rather than waste time fighting traffic, I recommend driving out of Vegas and stopping at one of the following.
Love’s Travel Shop is just off the junction of Highway 93 and Interstate 15. It’s the perfect place to pick up everything you need for a picnic lunch. Just pay attention, as the junction is a little complicated, and Love’s Travel Shop requires you to get off the interstate for a minute onto 93.
Moapa Paiute Travel Plaza is a large truck stop just as you turn onto Valley of Fire Road in the town of Crystal. Prices are a little higher, but you’ll find what you need for a picnic. Then you can plan to stop here on the way back to pick up cold drinks for the ride home.
Park Pass Fees for Valley of Fire
$10 per vehicle (Nevada residents)
$15 per vehicle (non-residents)
If you’re using a tour company, these fees will be included in the purchase price, and you don’t have to worry about it.
Special Experiences for a Valley of Fire Day Trip
Drive on Mouse’s Tank Road, which is the park’s most scenic stretch.
Visit iconic rock formations like Elephant Rock, Fire Wave, and Atlatl Rock (with ancient petroglyphs)
Hike the Fire Wave Trail for stunning swirls of color in the sandstone
Explore slot canyons and hidden caves along White Domes Trail
Watch for desert wildlife like lizards, bighorn sheep, and roadrunners
Sunset photography: the park glows with fiery colors at golden hour
Captain Kirk’s Grave is where James T Kirk was buried in the movie Star Trek Generations.
Valley of Fire Itinerary
After entering Valley of Fire State Park the second left turn after the fee station will take you to some of the park’s lesser-known gems like Fire Cave/Windstone Arch, Screaming Man Cave, Arch Rock, and Atlatl Rock. It’s a loop that will bring you back to the main road.
If you’re taking a full-day trip at the Valley of Fire, it’s worth exploring these areas. If you’re taking a half-day trip from Vegas, I’d see them as optional.
Fire Cave/Windstone Arch & Screaming Man Cave
The first two parking blisters you find on the side of the right-hand side of the road are close to Fire Cave/Windstone Arch and Screaming Man Cave, respectively.
They’re a short hike off the main road, and while there aren’t any official signs, you can usually follow the footstep trails of the people who have been there before you.
Piano Rock, Arch Rock & Atlatl Rock
These are roadside rock formations that you can pop out and take a quick picture. Atlatl Rock is at the end of the campground loop road on the right and has lesser-used, clean vault toilets.
Prospect Trailhead
Prospect Trailhead is the next thing you’ll come across after campground road. To me it’s more of a landmark than a stop. If you love long desert hikes, and you’ll be at Valley of Fire all day, it’s worth a stop, but I find it to be a trudging hike, and I’d rather save my energy for the really good stuff ahead.
Mouse’s Tank Road Sites
Mouse’s Tank Road is the most scenic drive in the Valley of Fire and is the must-do experience on your Vegas day trip. The sign for it is on the right, but you take a left, so be prepared to watch for it.
Valley of Fire Visitors Center
The visitors' center has all kinds of great information about the area’s geology, souvenirs and all that. However, what matters most about this place is that it’s the only clean flushing bathrooms you’ll find for miles around.
Balanced Rock
This is a rock formation on a trail leading out of the Valley of Fire visitor’s center parking lot. It’s the sort of thing you stop at later on your way back when you want to use the bathrooms and realize you have some time to kill. Otherwise, don’t let this thing trick you into taking precious minutes away from what lies ahead on the road.
Mouse’s Tank & Petroglyph Canyon Trailhead
If you want to take just one, low-impact hike on your Valley of Fire day trip, this is the one.
The hike through Petroglyph Canyon to Mouse’s Tank is less than half a mile one way. There are plenty of things to see and do. You can even get up close to the petroglyphs in places for great photo opportunities.
Rainbow Vista Trailhead
If you don’t want to hike the Petroglyph Canyon, but still want a little bit of a hands-on experience with the Valley of Fire, the Rainbow Vista Trailhead is a nice stop. There are pit toilets and a picnic area. You can take the hiking trail or wander around checking out the geology without getting into a grueling desert hike.
Fire Canyon Road & Star Trek Pilgrimage
Just beyond Rainbow Vista Trailhead’s parking area, the road splits, and the right fork becomes Fire Canyon Road. If you follow it, you’ll eventually end up at the Star Trek Pilgrimage site. This is where scenes from the movie Star Trek Generations were filmed.
The site where the Character James T. Kirk is buried under a rock cairn is up in the hills. There’s not an official trail, but you can usually see the foot trail of Trekkies who have boldly gone before you. Just note that the fictional Kirk grave site is up in the hills.
NOTE: There’s a fool’s gold trail that looks like it will take you around the hills to the grave site on the backside, but it actually doesn’t It’s some footpath used by masochistic geologists that will take you out into the middle of nowhere.
Random Parking Spot (Optional Sunset Pic Location)
There’s a random parking spot on the lefthand side of the road as you drive north. It’s not work a stop in the daylight hours. However, it’s a nice backup plan spot for a sunset photo at the end of the day, if you don’t want to deal with the hiking of the Fire Wave sunset pic.
Pastel Pink Canyon Trail
With limited and sometimes prohibited parking, the Pastel Pink Canyon Trail isn’t always an option.
The Park Service wants you to park either at White Dome trailhead or the Fire Wave to hike this trail, which essentially connects the two. Some parts of it offer a visually stunning slot canyon experience.
The Fire Wave
The Fire Wave is the best reason to visit Valley of Fire State Park on a Vegas day trip. There’s parking on both sides of the road, but the best the area has to offer is on the trail to the right. If you want a quick sunset photo for your trip, a short hike toward the rocks to the west is easy enough.
If you want a visually stunning experience, during the day or as sunset approaches, the hike to the east is the place to go.
The trail to the best geological formations is roughly .75 of a mile one way. It curves to the south and takes you over a ridge. From here, you’ll find the most visual contrast between the sedimentary layers. While there are no bad areas to take a photo or a sunset pic, I think the best is near a small outcropping.
Fire Wave Sunset Tip
If you get there a little too early for a sunset photo, you can still drive beyond the Fire Wave parking area to the White Dome Trailhead loop. It takes about 10 to 15 minutes to drive there, and you can explore as long as you wish in the shade. Then double back to the Fire Wave an hour or so before sunset.
White Dome Canyon Trail
White Dome Canyon Trail is the last stop on Mouse’s Tank Road. There are lesser-used vault toilets and ample parking.
Hiking the loop takes 30 to 45 minutes and offers the most authentic slot canyon experience in Valley of Fire State Park. Depending on the weather, this is the best shade in the entire park and may be worth allowing yourself extra time to cool down if needed.
Disclaimer: As an affiliate partner with GetYourGuide, I may earn a commission if you choose to book through my link at no extra cost to you. As always, I only recommend experiences that I truly believe are worth it.
To learn more about making the most of your Las Vegas vacation and other outdoor adventures, follow Eric Beuning's Author Page.
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