Playing in the Valley of Fire

Just an hour north of Las Vegas there is an area of magical beauty and unearthly colors. And you can go explore the many facets on various hikes and walks around the state park.

Entry fee is $10 per car (no matter how many people are in it) and the gates to the park are open daily from sunrise to sunset. And it’s a good idea to get there EARLY, especially when you’ll be there from late spring to early autumn. It gets HOT!

I arrived at around 9:30am and it was the perfect time. The visitor center was already open, so I was able to get a brochure showing the various trails available, and I could fill up on water (spigot located on the left once you enter the building).

I took the scenic road to the very end, starting with the White Domes Loop, a nice introduction to the various colors and formations of the area. It is a 1 mi loop trail that starts by going down a pretty steep slope, through a slot canyon and then through the desert landscape back to the parking lot.

Now, a mile doesn’t seem long, but if you walk about half of it in deep, soft sand, it can be exhausting. But so beautiful. And the walk through the canyon is nice and cool.

After that short but very satisfying hike I headed over to The Fire Wave (not to be confused with the famous WAVE in Page, Arizona). This trail is about 1.5 miles out and back with some elevetation change and again quite a bit of sand walking.

But I just love the colors you get to see when you make it to the finish. Oh, just a hint:

When you see this sign, ignore it and turn right to follow the trail markers.

So here are some impressions from the wave…

By the time I got back to the car it was around noon and over 90°F/ 32°C, so I drove around a bit to see the rest of the park from the cofort of the air-conditioned car.

And even though both hikes were pretty short, my thigh muscles did not enjoy the deep sand…but my soul sure did 🙂

The new adventure starts tomorrow….keeping you posted.