November 6, 2026 - 5:30 am

Favorable fall weather, an irresistible trail named the Seven Wonders Loop and expanded learning opportunities at a new visitor center are outstanding reasons to plan an escape to Valley of Fire State Park.

Hiking through the vibrant rockscape of Valley of Fire has been a favorite pastime since the 1934 opening of Nevada’s first state park, about an hour northeast of Las Vegas off Interstate 15.

As the decades passed, the park’s visitor numbers increased with Southern Nevada’s rise in population and with the destination’s heightened reputation for breathtaking beauty. At least 750,000 people a year now visit the park’s trails, rock formations, petroglyph panels, petrified trees, historic cabins and movie set remnants.

A $30 million visitor center opened a year ago to better serve the growing number of parkgoers.

The visitor center is definitely worth a stop, but the best Valley of Fire strategy is to get to the park early and find a parking spot near popular trailheads.…