VOF state park is DEF one of the cooler state parks in not just Nevada, but the US! The landscapes…read moreare beautiful, and very unique. I've not been to the wave but I have been to other slot canyons/antelope canyon, and the ring of fire trail leading to the scenic view of the fire wave is reminiscent of it!! There was also a pink sand slot canyon along that trail if you do the full loop (called the Pastel (pink) canyon trail). It's super cute and very unique, I did not see any other landforms quite like it on my road trip through Utah! Another short trail I enjoyed was the rainbow view trail - it's not long at all and is just a generally pretty, pink sand trail to a nice viewpoint. And the iconic valley of fire road view actually is just past this trailhead on your way back toward the main road (driving away from ring of fire trail). DO BE AWARE it gets hotter THAN out here. They have signs up at several trailheads that essentially say "drink water, you could die." I went on a day in April and it wasn't too bad, but it was still hot enough I was sweating a bit by the time I returned to my car, and it got VERY hot inside the car as well and took a hot minute to cool down. Overall though: this is one state park that is so unique it is absolutely worth traveling off the beaten path and the $10 entry fee to visit. The visitor center is also super nice and has lots of fun learning exhibits!

Valley of Fire is a 10/10 for families! It's not too far from Vegas (~1 hour), hikes are easy…read moreenough for small kids (and probably older adults too), and the April weather was perfect. Tips: - Pack way more snacks than you think you'll need. - Use a real restroom before you get deep into the park--the ones on-site were pretty rough. It's a must-do before the summer heat kicks in

It has been 15 years since the first time I hiked Arrow Canyon and I didn't remember how hard it is…read moreon the feet. First off, follow April's directions. They are spot on. At one time there was a dispute about the right of way to get to the canyon. The owner of the house attempted to block people from using the road around his house. It is a public road because it goes to a community well. Stay on the dirt road and don't go on any of the red dirt that are his two driveways. Just before the well house, the access road makes a right and goes down a short grade. Beyond here is the low clearance parking. Don't go further unless you have a high clearance vehicle. 4 wheel drive is not needed. As you start the hike from the trailhead, you'll notice that there's a lot of gravel and some large rocks. For the first part of the hike to the slot canyon, there are use trails on thje higher ground where there are brown weeds. Use these trails--your feet will thank you. When you get to the slot canyon, you have to walk on the rocks. After entering the rock canyon, look to your right and you'll see some Indian petroglyphs but also a lot of names scratched into the rocks by people who have hiked the canyon. The genuine rock art is generally lighter in definition because of repatination. The lighter figures and drawings are newer and are not genuine Indian rock art. The hike continues and you come to an area where a side canyon enters the main one. Don't turn left--keep going straight around the large mound of large rocks washed there in flash flooding. You'll soon come to what's known as Swamp Cave, a climbing destination. The rock face has a lot of bolts and carabiners into which the climbers string their ropes. About a mile from the cave, you get to the halfway point when you reach the check dam built by the CCC in the 1930s. This is the end of the hike for most people although there's a rope and a fixed bolt on the rock for those who want to get to the top of the dam. I do not recommend that. You never know the age or condition of the rope. Take the time for a snack at the dam. Then head back to your car. The hike is listed as 5 miles. The two of us each had 5.9 miles on our wrist measuring devices. Arrow Canyon is an historical place and a good hike. Treat the history well. Also, wear hiking boots. Don't try to hike this in sneakers unless you want very sore feet. Happy hiking!

We have done this hike at least once a year for the last 3 years, the first time we used a car so…read morethe hike was much further but if you use a high clearance vehicle you can get to the actual trailhead. If coming from Vegas, take 15 North to the Glendale exit near Moapa, take Route 168 about 11 miles until you see a house alone on the left with a gate to a dirt road. The dirt road will take you around the house to the road you will need a high clearance vehicle for, it's windy and rocky so be careful but it takes you to the trailhead, you can't drive any further. We've been the only people out here hiking at times so make sure your prepared for anything. The hike round trip is about 5 miles, pretty much no elevation change. There is a slot canyon section with petroglyphs so keep your eyes open as not to miss a thing. The turn around point is a dam, if you're a rock climber you can probably go further but we have our dog with us and never have. It can get muddy since it's basically a wash but the majority of the trail is rock. It's a fun and interesting hike...I can't believe it's not on here, I want to keep it to myself but I want you to experience it as well!

This trail (with the seven wonders loop) is my fave in VOF state park. If you only do one, this is…read morethe one I'd recommend! I love the variety of vistas along the trail, and the scenic viewpoint is so colorful and lovely. The pastel canyon trail is also really cute and unique - it's short but I love the pink sand, it felt like getting the pink sand dunes experience There's also plenty of parking at the trailhead despite it being a very popular trail. Def recommend :)

The Fire Wave trail in Valley of Fire state park connects to the Seven Wonders trails to make about…read morea 1.5 miles trail. Parking is on either side of White Dome road with one side of the parking area actually starting at the fire wave trail, and the other side being the Seven Wonders trail. The views, and the colors of the rocks are amazing, even if you don't have time to do the entire hike you can just step out and walk a little bit one either side of the trail and take in some spectacular views.

Located within a 5 minute drive from Laughlin Nevada is a spot where a very short hike takes you…read moreback thousands of years. The Sacred area is well worth the short trip and shorter walk. There are literally hundreds of petroglyphs and other stunning views of the rocky mountainous and desert terrain. If the the Laughlin area - Just Do It.

I originally found out about this place from a site I follow on Facebook, Roadtrippers (awesome…read moresite, by the way) and I had one of those, "what the" moments finding out this place is a quick 90-120 minutes away from where I live. A quick drive up I-15N and exit #112, Bunkerville (this is just south of Mesquite), and follow the signs to Whitney Pockets. You will the infamous Bundy Ranch area. The road is paved until you hit the Whitney Pockets area, then a HCV vehicle is needed. I did see a passenger car attempting to drive thru here, I guess it could be done, but it's not a place I would want to get stuck. Once you hit the trailhead area, you'll see a large red sandstone wall in the middle of nowhere. This is where you park. There are some really cool, preserved petroglyphs on the wall here. Make sure you look up to see them, they're kind of high up. From there it's a walk on a dirt road and dry wash to the area. There aren't any marking or cairns for the turnoffs to hit the trail to Little Finland, so it's best to go with someone who has been before, or do your research. The area is pretty darn cool. The sandstone rock formations get the name from wind and erosion that has made the made the rock appear to have fins. The area is really delicate, so be careful not to ruin what nature and time has created. Once you're in Litle Finland, there are more petroglyphs as well as some running water through the area. The minerals in the water made the water and rock turn colors, the entire area made me think I was on Mars. If you've ever been to Goblin Valley State Park, this is a miniature version of it. It's a pretty cool day trip.

Little Finland (aka Hobgoblin's Playground and Devil's Fire) is a magical place where wind and…read morewater have sculpted red sandstone rock into fantastical shapes. I just explored this unique area with my boyfriend and a group of hikers today. Located in a remote portion of the remote Gold Butte region of southeastern Nevada ( south of Mesquite), Little Finland was a challenge to get to...about an hour on bumpy unpaved road but well worth the effort. The rocks there are very ornate and delicate, so please becareful. If you are driving north on I-15 from Las Vegas, exit at #112 (Riverside / Bunkerville), turn right and go 3 miles to cross the Virgin River. Make a right turn at the next road (Gold Butte Road), drive twenty miles on loud bumpy pavement, becareful of the free range cows, the hit the graded dirt road for four more miles. Finally, turn right at the sign that indicates Red Bluff Springs and drive four more miles on a sandy uneven dirt road that requires a high clearance vehicle. This is your day long adventure, make sure you go prepared. Bring warm clothing, gloves, hat, lots of water, a snack or lunch, sturdy boots and most of all bring your camera! The most fascinating thing about this place is the fantasyland of shapes--almost every rock appears to be an animal, face, or mythical creature. It is mixed in with the intricate red rock sculptures are fields of virtually white sandstone with sinuous waves, remnants of ancient sand dunes. In other places, the rock is covered with a thin white crust--salt that has crystallized out of groundwater running through the rock. Go see it to believe it!

Great hike in Lake Mead. Once you see Mile marker 16 turn left into the dirt road. Take the road to…read moreOre Car Mine sign pass the sign and go about 400ft past Ore Car Sign to where the road ends. The last 200 Feet Hike in or back in with vehicle there is no turn around use a guide there is a 10ft drop at end of road from there walk into the wash to the right and travel the wash the side that narrows and walk .75 miles you will then begin Anniversary Narrows. When you enter off Marker 16 you will only see one small sign for Anniversary Narrows 4x4 makes it easier you can go by car just take it very slow. No cell service so do not get hurt out there.

Epic hike! Only 45…read moremin from vegas to feel like your hiking in Antelope Canyon with a beautiful narrow slot canyon. Moderate hike definitely had some challenging areas but my legs are pretty strong from doing exercise classes so I took it slow and had a great experience. It rained in Vegas a few days prior to our hike, so the bowl of fire in the narrows was flooded about 3 feet. We took our shoes and socks off and slid our pants up and walked through it to get to the other side where the narrows begin. It was cold and unknown territory, but I'm so glad we did it because The rest of the hike was amazing.. Enter Lake Mead past the pay station and then turn left on North Shore Rd. Until you get to mile marker 16 take a left and follow the sign for Calville Wash until you see a fork in the road to the left is anniversary mine road. Keep left there. You don't wanna go to the right because it's deeper sand and without a 4 x 4 you may get stuck. So keep going left on anniversary mine Road it's a dirt road. You'll see some 2 WD parking shortly after being on that road but if you have a four-wheel-drive car, keep going down further until you see a wash. This will save you from having to walk further. From the 2WD point to the entrance of the narrows is 1.8 miles . You can't go any further into the wash because there's no way to get back up unless you have one of those big jumbo jeeps. Find some parking off the side of the road and walk into the wash, which is to the left. Follow the Wash for about a mile into the entrance of the narrows. There are several steep ledges throughout the hike and you'll see some spectacular hues of color throughout your time there.. once you reach the end of the narrows, you could keep going up to the top of the ridge and see an overlook of the narrows. There is also a mine that you can check out. We did not go any further than the end of the narrows, but plenty of other people were. We brought our two small dogs and everybody had a great time. Our friends from New York came with us and were deterred from the flooded fire bowl so they turned back and went to the car, but we continued on with our hike.

A truly fantastic hike with changing scenic views along the way. The trail is also ever changing,…read morefrom sand, to packed dirt, to rocky/gravel, and steep stone steps. I personally recommend doing this trail counterclockwise. We're in our 30s, but my husband has bad knees and I get lower back pain; we find that the steep stone steps are far easier to go up than down. Having a walking stick while climbing the steps is also helpful. You will see some incredible things while hiking this trail. The texture on the rocks, the multitude of colors, windows, slot canyons, a portion of an old movie set, and some grand majestic views. Being an avid hiker and having hiked 80% of the trails within Valley of Fire, I'd consider this to be a moderate hiking trail. Note: There is a small covered picnic area with 4 tables as well as 4 gender neutral vault toilets near the start of this trail and next to the parking lot.

Amazing hike with beautiful scenery and moderate level…read more Starting out into the hike you have to walk through some sand which doesn't sound hard but it's actually strenuous on your body. Follow that down through some rocky man-made type rock stairs past an old movie set where you feel like you're in Star Wars Then follow that to the slot canyon. The slot Canyon is my favorite part of the hike. Very beautiful and unique. We just took our time going through the hike as we had some friends with us who were inexperienced hikers and we wanted to make sure everyone got through safely. I could've gone onto a few more hikes that day, but they were pretty tired. I will definitely go back here again. This was my second or third time here.

This hike is not for dogs, and I wouldn't recommend small kids under 10. You have to go up and own…read moreropes, climb a lot of rocks. It is a part of willow beach. So I would recommend maybe meeting at the end of the trail if you HAVE to bring small kids or dogs. You would have to kayak or canoe from willow beach to the end of the trail. At willow beach they do have the equipment available for rent. This hike is long. It took me 4 hours to get to the end and back. There are 7 ropes you will have to go down and climb up to get back. We had to have young men help us up some of the rocks. Boost were needed, and assistance getting down the rocks.

Great hike. Pretty intense and not recommended for kids or elderly in my opinion. Also leave your…read moredogs at home. There are 5 (?) spots with ropes or ladders that you have to climb up / down. The hike is all downhill on the way to the springs and uphill on the way out so remember that. Definitely pack snacks! It's a long hike, our round trip ended up being 7 miles but we did a lot of walking once we got down to the Colorado River. Don't forget to keep ur head above the hot springs water! There are signs for brain eating amoebas that live in the springs (only attack humans if they can travel up the nasal passage)

Wrong directions on map. It's about 44 miles off. Don't take Mesquite, NV Yelp directions. It leads…read moreyou to a dead end.

When I tell people I live in Las Vegas, they assume that we spend a lot of time in the resorts and…read morespend a fair amount of time gambling. However, we are lucky out here to have some amazing places to get off road and explore some really cool history. Gold Butte is one of these places and has a lot to see. From the old mine site and relics left behind, to some many different geological wonders... And do not be surprised is you run into some wild life or a group of cows grazing on the open range. Overnight camping is permitted and first come, first served with several locations along the paths to set up your site. All in all, if your into the over landing lifestyle, then Gold Butte will not disappoint