Valley of Fire State Park
The View
After an evening flight in Las Vegas and a stay at a chain hotel near the airport, we set out early for Zion National Park, about 2.5 hours northeast. On the way, we spent a wonderful morning at Valley of Fire State Park, less than an hour from Las Vegas, and a reasonable detour off the interstate. While there is a great visitor’s center and restroom near the west entrance to the park, there is no food available, so we stopped at the gas station and picked up two gallons of water on the way in.
We absolutely loved our time at VoF. Like many visitors, we took the White Domes Road past the Visitor’s Center, and parked at P3 for the Fire Wave and Seven Wonders trailheads. We made the short walk to the Fire Wave and took the obligatory photos (see below), and then decided to make the longer Seven Wonders Loop, which I may have enjoyed even more. Every turn revealed more color, texture and beauty than the last.
Note: These trails may be closed in the summer due to high heat, but since we arrived in the early spring, and at about 8:30 a.m., we were able to enjoy both the somewhat cooler temperatures, and smaller crowds. Even so, by late morning, the intense sun and lack of shade were about enough for me. We drank all the water we carried with us, and more back at the car.
On our way back down White Dome Road, we stopped at the Mouse’s Tank trail, where we found a bit more greenery and shade, and then made our way out to the eastern gate of the park, anxious to get to Zion by mid-afternoon.
