Sweating my Way Through Valley of Fire

I have never been to Nevada before because it seems like a place just filled with sand and casinos, but I finally made my way out there to explore the Valley of Fire State Park and drive through the Lake Mead recreation area.

To say it is hot is a complete understatement. I went at the end of May where the temperatures were already at 90 degrees by 10am. The middle of day hit up to 109. You can pick cooler months closer to winter to visit but this terrain doesn't see many cool, breezy days.

If you choose to camp near the area of Valley of Fire there are a plenty of side road pull outs on the two roads leading into the park. They are mostly giant patches of dirt, some marked by fire rings which I promise you will not use or need.

Tip: Bring some type of shelter or tarp that can provide shade. There are no trees to hide under, and unless you can find any giant boulders to camp up by you will have to sit in your car or under the rain tarp of you tent for shade.

The Valley of Fire visitor entrance will be marked when you arrive. There is a road that winds to the side of it that you want to take to get to the main places in the park.

The park is filled with a ton of smaller hikes that take less than an hour including: Balanced Rock, Petroglyph Canyon Trail, and Rainbow Vista if you want to see the terrain without committing to hours in the sun.

Every hike I brought water, more than I thought I needed just in case. The sun beats directly on you at every trail. This state park is not for the faint hearted. I normally attempt off the path exploring and long distance hikes, but at this park I stuck to mostly exploring under two hours so I wouldn't overheat, get burnt, or run out of water while out on the trail. The park is a dead ended road so when choosing how to spend your day you can either go all the way to the end and work your way back or vice versa.

The rock texture is very unique out in the Valley of Fire. There are bronzed orange striations and gapping holes dotted across the boulders every place you turn. Some of the hikes have small slots to wander through as you make your way through the park.

The White Domes Trail is where I found all these beautiful textures as I walked through the area. This trail offers a loop around the area showing off the color changes in the boulders that can be pinkish and yellow back to the bronzed orange that you mostly see.

Little lizards run around the path and if you comes across an undisturbed area you will see their streak lines gliding across the sand from where they were running to.

At the start of the trailhead there are giant boulders blocking the view of the valley. Out of curiosity I decided to climb up the gentle sloping side of the rock to see an overview.

This overhead shot captures the color change of the rocks and how strange their formations are.

The Fire Wave Trail is probably the most famous or well known trail from the picture of the densely swirled orange boulder in the middle of the desert. The hike to get there once again is in direct sunlight so bring plenty of water and wear sunscreen.

The Pastel Pink Canyon Trail leads to an area off in the distance you can see from the end of the Fire Wave trail, but you will find there is no good parking to get to this trail. It is off the side of the road with no spots but to pull into the sand. The park asks for you to stay on the road and this is best advised because the sand is deeper and softer than most expect and you can find yourself getting stuck in the middle of no where without service, waiting on someone to find you. If you want to attempt this hike you will have to park in a designated area and hike out to where the trailhead begins.

Fire Wave

The fire canyon is breathtaking once you arrive to the end. It is my favorite spot in the park and is a fun place to explore to find new wave lines as you walk around the slab of rock.

Fire Wave Trailhead

The desert isn't my favorite place for exploring, my love lies within mountains and dense forests, but this little area is so gorgeous with the colors and how it looks like an artist came along waving her brush around in loose rings.

Once you have made your way through the long strip of road behind the visitor center you can drive out to the other entrance of the park where the Natural Arch Trailhead and Elephant Rock Trail are. The elephant rock is a close 10 minute walk to see the goofy shaped rocks creating the elephant. You aren't allowed to climb up there but its a pretty fun stop to check out before leaving.

The park itself can be seen in a day, two max if you want to commit to every trail and site the place has to offer. There are sheltered picnic tables at certain trailheads and pull offs along the way to give yourself some shade and rest.

From the Valley of Fire I headed in the direction of Lake Mead. There are a handful of places that lead down to the water if you want to cool off and make a meal somewhere else.

I stopped off at Roger's Spring which is a small oasis with picnic tables and a pool of water you can take a dip in.

I saw a family of mountain goats come down for some water while relaxing here and enjoying the shade. This is a unique little place that seems out of character in the desert but definitely worth a stop if you have time.

Due to the pandemic a lot of areas were closed around Lake Mead unless you were boating, but some of the beaches were still open to set up and hang out for the day. I drove all the way to the south tip and stopped at Willow Beach which also offers camp spots if you wanted to stay.

Willow Beach Picnic Area

I woke up here on my last morning through Nevada and dipped my feet in the water while eating breakfast. It stays cool until late morning down in the canyon by the water. Here you can drop in your boats and kayaks to hang out for the day or bring your pole to fish along the edge.

I will definitely be heading back to Lake Mead once everything opens up a bit more from the pandemic closures but this area of Nevada is worth a stop through at least once.