#2 of 18 sights in Valley of Fire
Sight · Valley of Fire State Park
A quick walk to an elephant-shaped sandstone arch.
Overview
Elephant Rock is a natural sandstone arch near Valley of Fire’s east entrance. From some angles its broad back and long sloping span read as an elephant bending its trunk toward the ground; from others, it can look like an ordinary red-rock outcrop. It’s a worthwhile quick stop if you’re coming in or out this way, but it’s a compact landmark rather than a half-day destination.
Parkwolf’s verdictA quick stop worth makingMap
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Valley of Fire Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Valley of Fire State Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Valley of Fire audio tourRecorded for this place
Elephant Rock: Find the Silhouette“Elephant Rock is coming up near the east entrance, a sandstone arch with a long, trunk-like span.”
Plays as you drive up to Elephant Rock in the Parkwolf Valley of Fire Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
Walk around the formation until the opening under the trunk frames the sky. The outline changes with your position, so the first view isn’t always the one that makes the name click. For a photo, keep the full arch and a little of the surrounding sandstone in the frame; a tight crop can hide the elephant shape.
Use the designated lot by the east entrance, then follow the path to the rock. The direct approach is listed at about 0.1 mile; the longer Elephant Rock Loop is about 1.2 miles. Expect sand and uneven rock underfoot, and stay on approved routes rather than stopping along the road. No restrooms or drinking-water source are listed at the rock, and there’s no food service there, so plan to arrive with what you need. State Parks warns that even short hikes are dangerous in high heat; carry water and choose a cooler part of the day.
Elephant Rock is part of the park’s Jurassic Aztec Sandstone, formed from wind-deposited sand after inland seas receded and the land rose. That red sandstone landscape is about 150 million years old; here, the broad arch and its trunk-like span make it especially easy to read in the rock.
The rock sits in Valley of Fire, Nevada’s first state park. Civilian Conservation Corps development began in 1933; the park opened in 1934 and was designated in 1935. That history belongs to the park as a whole, while Elephant Rock’s own appeal is the short walk to a memorable natural silhouette.
Wildlife
647 sightingsBighorn SheepMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
11 sightingsMojave Desert TortoiseMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
23 sightingsSidewinderMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
18 sightingsBlack-tailed JackrabbitMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
11 sightingsRingtailMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
19 sightingsRed-tailed HawkMost seen around 10 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Valley of Fire. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
EasyElephant Rock Direct Route0.2 mi · 20 min · 0.1 mi awayA quick desert walk to a sandstone arch shaped like an elephant.
EasyElephant Rock Loop Trail1.2 mi · 45 min · 0.1 mi awayA sandy loop passes Elephant Rock and the red hills beyond.
EasyArrowhead Arch Trail0.2 mi · 15 min · 0.2 mi awayA brief rock scramble to a double-opening sandstone arch.
ModerateCharlie's Spring Trail5 mi · 3.5 hr · 0.6 mi awayA sandy wash ends at a small, palm-dotted spring in red rock.
ModerateNatural Arch Trail2.5 mi · 2 hr · 0.6 mi awaySmall window arches high above a sandy canyon wash.
EasyEastern Petrified Log Trail0.1 mi · 15 min · 0.9 mi awayA quick, easy walk to a protected petrified log
EasyThe Cabin Trail0.6 mi · 30 min · 1.2 mi awayWalk to 1930s CCC cabins, then pause at the shaded picnic area.
ModerateSilica Dome Trail1.2 mi · 1 hr · 3 mi awayA short scramble climbs to a wide view over Fire Canyon.
Entrance station · 0.2 mi awayEast EntranceThe east-side gate, with Elephant Rock just beyond
Sight · 0.5 mi awayClark MemorialA roadside cross marks a sobering story from 1915.
Sight · 0.9 mi awayEast Petrified LogA quick stop for wood turned to stone 225 million years ago.
Sight · 1.2 mi awayHistoric CabinsCCC sandstone cabins make a shaded picnic stop.
Picnic area · 1.3 mi awayLone Rock Picnic AreaA big solitary boulder, with petroglyphs tucked across the lot.
Picnic area · 2.3 mi awaySeven SistersA shaded roadside picnic area beneath seven red sandstone towers.
Sight · 3 mi awayFire Canyon OverlookA short, sandy hike ends above a rugged red-rock canyon.
Sight · 3 mi awayMouse's TankA short canyon walk where petroglyphs lead to a rain-fed basin.Parkwolf’s Valley of Fire ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
