Rainbow Vista This hike of up to 1.5 miles goes up a sandstone mini-summit with tremendous 360-degree views over multi-colored landscapes and then continues on to Fire Canyon Overlook. White Domes This 1.1-mile loop is impressive from start to finish as it explores colorful, intricate rock formations, passes and old film set, and slips through a narrow slot canyon. Trailhead address: White Domes Road ( Mouse’s Tank Road), Valley of Fire State Park, Overton, NV 89040 Drive another 3.3 miles to the intersection by the start of White Domes Road, turn right and take this road for 4.8 miles to Parking Lot #3. Drive another 3.7 miles to Parking Lot #3, which is on the left across from the start of the trail (2.9 miles past Rainbow Vista Trailhead).Īrriving from the east, from the intersection of Route 169 and 167 near Lake Mead, drive west on Valley of Fire Highway for two miles to the park’s east entrance. Go a tenth of a mile and bear left to stay on White Domes Road, bypassing the visitor center. Drive another 3.5 miles and turn left, following a sign for the visitor center and Mouse’s Tank. Reach the park’s west entrance after 14.5 miles. At the end of the offramp, go southeast on Valley of Fire Highway. To get to the trailhead: From Las Vegas, take Interstate 15 north for about 35 miles to exit 75 (signs for Valley of Fire State Park and Lake Mead National Recreation Area). Should you need to immediately share a selfie from Fire Wave, the parking area at the start of the trail has good cell phone coverage. Stay on the well-marked trail to help preserve the surrounding landscapes. Valley of Fire State Park charges an entrance fee but no permit is needed to hike Fire Wave Trail. The stripes in the rock seem to overlap each other, adding another fascinating element of this far-out landscape. Looking up the slope you took down to Fire Wave, you’ll see something puzzling in the slickrock. Striped lines around the lip of Fire Waveįire Wave Trail closes between sunset and sunrise, so eventually you’ll have to hike back the way you came. You can also look west toward the White Domes Area where the earth is colored in whites, pinks, and reds. Though not showing any waves, the rock formations on the other side of the wash are striped too. If you go down the south side of Fire Wave, you’ll hit the side of Kaolin Wash, which runs from west to east. You’ll certainly want to linger in this place of rare beauty. Go up one of the rock islands in Fire Wave and take in your surroundings. On the far side of the striped depression, a crest rises in the shape of a wave. On the west side of Fire Wave, find an area where the rock drops away like it has been scooped out – showing some of the area’s best stripes. Now explore the bowl covered in orange and white stripes. Walk down to the wave, reaching this incredible natural attraction, 0.75 miles from the start. For just a moment, you might start to wonder where Fire Wave is, and then you’ll see it, a carved-out area at the southwest end of the rock formation you are on. Go over a crest and hike along markers leading downhill to Fire Wave. Follow it and begin hiking up a slope on the slickrock itself. Go a short distance down this tiny ravine to a trail marker pointing to the right. Colorful striped mounds offer a small preview of the Fire WaveĪfter half a mile of hiking (total), the trail makes a sudden left and goes across a cut eroded into the slickrock. Look back up the trail toward the cliffs on the ridge you walked around. This little formation offers an appetizer of the stripes to come. Follow markers and curve right alongside the striped slickrock, 0.35 miles from the start.ĭescend along the side of the slickrock, eventually passing a small area of rounded knobs striped in vivid colors. Subtle lines are visible in the rock that become much more prevalent when you reach Fire Wave. Drop through some small boulders and approach a slickrock formation running to the southeast.
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