Parking
Start at Elephant Rock Parking Area just inside the East Entrance. Park only in designated spaces; a short footpath connects the lot to the loop.
Overview
About Elephant Rock Loop Trail
Why go
- A complete loop adds red-rock scenery beyond the arch stop.
- The short route is easy to fit into a day of park stops.
Heads up
- Loose sand and rough ground make it less of a smooth stroll.
- A narrow stretch passes close to the highway.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Valley of Fire map
Full mapElevation1,740–1,866 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
3 active Valley of Fire alerts
- ClosureWest Entrance closed Monday–ThursdayThe West Entrance is closed Monday through Thursday; use the East Entrance on those days.Official details
- CautionFire restrictions in effectFire restrictions are in effect throughout Nevada State Parks, including Valley of Fire; follow them to help prevent wildfires and protect lives, property and natural resources.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Valley of Fire Tour Guide
Your drive to Elephant Rock Loop Trail, narrated.
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.
Recorded for this trailhead
Elephant Rock: Find the Silhouette0:00 / 0:25
“Elephant Rock is coming up near the east entrance, a sandstone arch with a long, trunk-like span.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Valley of Fire Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Flowers Waiting Underground
- Natural Arch Trail: Look for the Small Windows
- A Seed Collector After Dark
- East Petrified Log: One Trunk, a Short Stop
- 34 audio storiesacross Valley of Fire’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Bighorn Sheep, Mojave Desert Tortoise, Sidewinder, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 23 trails, 28 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“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!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Elephant Rock Loop Trail
The loop, and the short optionElephant Rock Loop Trail is a 1.
Elephant Rock Loop Trail is a 1.2-mile loop from Elephant Rock Parking Area, circling the rock formation and continuing through its red-rock setting. Allow about 45 to 60 minutes. It is a short, generally easy-to-moderate walk, but loose sand and rough ground make it slower than a smooth path. Walk counterclockwise to reach the arch near the beginning, then keep going for the loop's back side. A separate direct walk to the rock and back is about 0.2 miles total.
What the walk is likeA short access footpath joins the parking area to the loop, and is retraced to return to the…
A short access footpath joins the parking area to the loop, and is retraced to return to the lot. The route then circles around the sandstone outcrop. Loose sand and uneven, rough sections are the main work; one narrow stretch runs close to the highway. The back side adds views of red-rock hills beyond the road-side arch.
The elephant in the sandstoneElephant Rock is a natural arch whose curved opening gives the outcrop its name.
Elephant Rock is a natural arch whose curved opening gives the outcrop its name. The surrounding red sandstone began as windblown dunes more than 150 million years ago. The arch is the walk's landmark, not a place to scramble: Nevada State Parks prohibits climbing on arches.
Access, pets, and heatStart at Elephant Rock Parking Area just inside the East Entrance and use the designated spaces.
Start at Elephant Rock Parking Area just inside the East Entrance and use the designated spaces. Dogs are allowed on park trails on a leash no longer than six feet. Desert heat can make even a short walk dangerous; Nevada State Parks advises against hiking above 85°F (29°C).
Wildlife
Wildlife in Valley of Fire
638 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.
