Valley of the Fire State Park
We went to Las Vegas back in March with some of our siblings and had such a blast! Although I love Sin City, wowza mama 2 days is definitely plenty for me! We rented a car to get away from the drinking and casinos and made our way to Valley of the Fire State Park. It’s only 45 minutes from the strip and 100% deserves a visit when you’re out in Last Vegas.
White Domes Trailhead
White Domes Trailhead was my favorite hike when visiting Valley of the Fire State Park. I’m always amazed at how much beauty some hikes that are just over a mile can provide. The rock formations and colors were soooo beautiful. FYI, I chose not to edit these photos. Although the colors are way more fascinating in person and pictures simply don’t do them justice, every editing tool I used made them too orange so here they are in their raw form! If you are going to do this hike and don’t wait to spoil it, simply scroll down for the packing list.
When we hiked this it was mid-March. The temperature was 70 degrees and it was perfect! We have heard this can get up to 130 degrees in the summer so please be careful if you’re visiting then, because so many people overheat. If it’s over 100 degrees they don’t recommend hiking this trail. It got pretty hot just at 70 so I can only imagine it at 100.
White Domes trailhead is about 1.25 miles long roundtrip and it’s a loop hike. Its difficulty is labeled as moderate. We were told it would take us an hour and we did it in 25 minutes so it all depends on how quickly you want to hike/walk. We did it in tennis shoes and had no problem but if it did rain a few days before I recommend hiking boots because we did see some muddy parts.
The first 10 minutes were pretty sandy.
Then, it starts to get a little rocky…and will go back and forth between rocks and sand.
Some of the rocks were absolutely insane! Their colors were so bright. Now I see why they call it the Valley of the Fire as some rocks really are so orange they look like they could be on fire!
If you’re a photographer definitely plan on it taking closer to an hour because you’ll want to stop and take so many pictures.
The Slot Canyon at White Domes Trailhead
About half-way through the hike you’ll come to the slot canyon. This is where it can be a bit muddy.
Some of you may know you always want to be careful when entering a slot canyon due to chance of a flash flood. We were told by the park ranger that if there were any chance of rain this hike would be closed so you don’t have to worry about that here.
I absolutely LOVE slot canyons because they are so unique and remind me of some of my favorite trips from the past!
When we did this hike we only saw about 30 people along the trail but we heard it gets very busy, so if you can, try to do the hike as early as possible before all the crowds arrive. Personally, we don’t think this hike would be as fun if it was crowded because you would feel rushed.
There are many opportunities to climb the rocks where it is safe. Just make sure if there is a sign to stay off you do because it is causing erosion in some places.
Overall, we absolutely loved the White Domes Trailhead because of the colors and beautiful rock formations. Therefore, we couldn’t recommend doing it more! Next, read about what to bring along for your hike.
WHAT TO BRING:
- Tennis Shoes or Hiking Shoes depending on the weather
- Sunglasses
- Sunscreen
- 1 Litre of water per person if you plan to walk slowly or it’s 80 degrees or hotter
- Phone or Camera for pictures
- Lunch if you want to stop and enjoy the views longer. Please hike out with your trash!
Thanks so much for reading along! Valley of the Fire offers so many beautiful sites but White Domes Trailhead should not be missed. Have you been to this state park? What was your favorite hike? Stay tuned for another blog post about Valley of the Fire State Park soon. If you’re interested in reading more of my blogs, please click here.
