Overton · RedAwning

Valley of Fire State Park46,000 acres of Aztec sandstone fifty miles from Las Vegas — Nevada's oldest state park, since 1935

Forty-six thousand acres of brilliant red Aztec sandstone in the Mojave Desert, 50 miles northeast of Las Vegas off Interstate 15. Designated Nevada's first state park on March 27, 1935 — and still the largest. The 150-million-year-old Jurassic dunes weather into formations like the Fire Wave (banded sandstone), Elephant Rock, the Beehives, and Atlatl Rock with its 4,000-year-old petroglyphs. The park has stood in for Mars in Total Recall (1990), the Klingon homeworld in Star Trek Generations (1994), and the Genesis Planet in two more films — the red-rock canyon scenes are almost certainly a Valley of Fire shoot.

Hours todaySunrise – SunsetSaturday hours
TicketsFrom $15Per vehicle — non-resident
LocationOverton, Nevada29450 Valley of Fire Highway
Official siteparks.nv.govPlan your visit

46,000Acres
1935Established
50 miFrom Las Vegas
~150M yrSandstone age

Valley of Fire was designated Nevada's first state park on March 27, 1935 — six months before Hoover Dam's Lake Mead began filling next door. The 46,000-acre park preserves a swath of brilliantly red Aztec Sandstone (lithologically equivalent to Zion's Navajo Sandstone and Bryce's Carmel Formation) that fossilized from windblown Jurassic-period dune fields about 150 million years ago. Hematite — iron oxide — gives the rock its rust-red color; the same mineral, in finer concentration, makes blood red.

Most of the park's headline formations sit within a 10-mile loop accessible from the West Entrance off Interstate 15 Exit 75. Elephant Rock, at the East Entrance, is the iconic arch every Vegas-day-trip itinerary photographs. Atlatl Rock, named for the spear-throwing tool depicted in its petroglyphs, has 4,000-year-old Basketmaker and Anasazi rock art on a panel reachable by a metal stairway. The 1.5-mile Fire Wave Trail leads to a perfect bowl of swirling pink-red-cream banded sandstone — the park's most photographed feature, especially at sunset. The 1.1-mile White Domes Loop drops through a slot canyon and past a movie set used in Total Recall (1990) and the Professor Marston biopic. Mouse's Tank, a 0.75-mile sand-floored canyon, is named for a 1890s outlaw who hid here from the law and survived on water held in natural sandstone tanks.

Plan a half-day to a full day. Arrive at sunrise (literally — the gates open at sunrise, and the rock glows orange for 30 minutes) or stay until sunset for the best photography light; midday glare flattens the color. Drive the Mouse's Tank Road (5.5 paved miles) for the central scenic drive, then loop back through the Beehives at the West Entrance. The Visitor Center has water refills (mandatory in summer — bring a gallon per person), bathrooms, and a small museum on the Anasazi Lost City civilization. From Las Vegas: I-15 north 30 miles to Exit 75, then NV-169 east 14 miles. Total drive 1 hour each way.

The Fire Wave
A 1.5-mile round-trip trail to a perfectly banded bowl of pink, red, and cream sandstone — the park's most photographed feature. The trail leaves Mouse's Tank Road at Parking Lot 3, drops 100 feet into a wash, then climbs a 30-foot slickrock ridge to the Wave itself. Best photographic light is the hour before sunset; the trail is closed 10 AM–4 PM June through August due to extreme heat.
Elephant Rock
The park's signature arch, just inside the East Entrance off Northshore Road — a sandstone formation whose left pillar resembles an elephant's trunk and head. Reached by a quarter-mile out-and-back from the parking pull-off; the climb to the arch's base is a 50-foot scramble best done in the cool morning. Free with park admission.
Atlatl Rock petroglyphs
A panel of 4,000-year-old Anasazi and Basketmaker petroglyphs reachable by a 50-step metal stairway against a sandstone wall — the centerpiece is an atlatl (spear-thrower), the tool that gave the rock its name. Adjacent campground (Atlatl Rock Campground, 44 sites) has the closest restrooms; sunrise hits the panel directly at 6:45 AM in summer.
White Domes Trail
A 1.1-mile loop trail through bone-white and salmon-pink sandstone domes, dropping through a 50-foot-deep slot canyon and past a 1965 movie set (The Professionals, Burt Lancaster). The trailhead is at the end of Mouse's Tank Road, 5.5 miles north of the Visitor Center — the parking lot fills by 9 AM March through April.
Mouse's Tank / Petroglyph Canyon
A 0.75-mile round-trip sandy-bottom canyon walk to the natural sandstone water pocket that hid the 1890s outlaw "Little Mouse," a Southern Paiute renegade who used the rock tinajas as his only water source. The canyon walls hold dozens of petroglyph panels; bighorn sheep show up at the tank in early morning.
Rainbow Vista
A 0.4-mile out-and-back overlook on Mouse's Tank Road delivering a 360-degree view of red, pink, white, lavender, and yellow sandstone formations — the most color-saturated panorama in the park. The Fire Canyon overlook is a continuation of the same trail (1.1 miles total). Sunrise photography spot of choice for park rangers.
The Beehives
Sandstone formations near the West Entrance (the first major stop after the gate) that look like stacked stone beehives — the result of cross-bedded sandstone weathering at differential rates. Pull off at the marked turnout for the easy 200-foot walk-around; clamber up the sloping rock for the postcard angle. Free, accessible without leaving the road.
Lost City Museum (off-park)
Eight miles east in Overton — the museum guards artifacts from the Pueblo Grande de Nevada ("Lost City"), an Anasazi civilization that lived along the Muddy River from 300 BC to 1150 AD before being submerged by Lake Mead. Reconstructed pueblo on the grounds; pottery, baskets, and atlatls inside. $5 adult, daily 8:30 AM–4:30 PM. The cultural prequel to the petroglyphs you saw on Atlatl Rock.

Open hours

Day-use hours are sunrise to sunset, 365 days a year. Visitor Center is 8:30 AM–4:30 PM daily. The park is in the Mojave Desert — summer highs hit 115°F; ranger advisories close trails between 10 AM and 4 PM in July and August. Best visiting window is October through April; March wildflowers are spectacular if winter rain has been generous.

MondaySunrise – Sunset
TuesdaySunrise – Sunset
WednesdaySunrise – Sunset
ThursdaySunrise – Sunset
FridaySunrise – Sunset
SaturdayTodaySunrise – Sunset
SundaySunrise – Sunset

Note · Camping reservations are first-come, first-served at both Atlatl Rock and Arch Rock campgrounds — arrive by Thursday afternoon for a Saturday night spot during March–April peak. The west entrance (off I-15 Exit 75) has the longer scenic drive in; the east entrance off Northshore Road shaves 20 minutes if you're coming from Lake Mead.

Ticket pricing

Per-person admission. Buy in advance to skip the gate line.

Per vehicle — non-resident$15Day-use, valid all day, up to 8 occupants per car
Per vehicle — Nevada resident$10Day-use; bring NV ID at the gate
Bicycle / pedestrian$2Per person, per day
Camping — standard site$25Per night; Atlatl Rock or Arch Rock campground, no hookups
Camping — RV with hookups$35Atlatl Rock only; water and electric, first-come
Group day-use site$60Up to 25 people; reservations through Nevada State Parks

Fees are paid at the gate (cash or card); no advance reservations for day-use. Nevada Annual State Parks Pass ($30 NV resident, $75 non-resident) covers entry to all 27 Nevada state parks for 12 months. The Fire Wave permit lottery does not exist here — the trail is open to all paying visitors. Bring 1 gallon of water per person per day; the closest gas, food, and ATM are in Overton (8 miles east) or Logandale (12 miles east).

Plan your visit

Where to stay