Parking
Use the Fire Canyon Road access near Silica Dome, approximately 36.45596, -114.50247. The nearby mapped parking is not a signed trailhead, and current parking and route access should be confirmed with the park.
Overview
About Fire Canyon Loop Trail
Why go
- Layered red, tan and pale sandstone across a longer circuit.
Heads up
- Faint tread and uncertain official access make preparation essential.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Valley of Fire map
Full mapElevation1,683–2,175 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 Fire Canyon 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 area
Fire Canyon and Silica Dome: The Road-End View0:00 / 0:26
“You're coming up on Fire Canyon and Silica Dome Overlook, where pale sandstone stands out against red and pink ridges. I'd keep this stop for a broad canyon view with very little walking.”
Plays on the road 0.1 mi from the trailhead in the Parkwolf Valley of Fire Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Rainbow Vista: The View Beside the Road
- The Smell of Desert Rain
- Mouse’s Tank: Look Along the Canyon Walls
- Rust in the Sandstone
- 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 Fire Canyon Loop Trail
The route in briefFire Canyon Loop is a 5.
Fire Canyon Loop is a 5.7-mile lollipop circuit from Fire Canyon Road into the open sandstone country near Silica Dome. The mapped line follows a shared approach for about 0.7 mile, circles the ridges, then returns to the junction before retracing that access. Allow about 3–4 hours; route-finding and loose footing can make this feel longer than its mileage.
Treat it as a route-finding hike, not a signed park trail. The named circuit is mapped and independently described, but it is not on the park’s designated-trail list, and official access or seasonal-closure status for this exact route is unclear. Check with park staff before setting out.
Keep the full route handyTread can fade across open rock and sand, and the route is lightly marked.
Tread can fade across open rock and sand, and the route is lightly marked. Carry the complete route on your device and check it through the loop rather than relying on a single cairn or faint track. The short Fire Canyon viewpoint walk from Rainbow Vista is a different outing, not this loop’s approach.
Footing, climb and heatExpect rough, loose desert ground with little shade.
Expect rough, loose desert ground with little shade. The full circuit climbs roughly 550 feet and ranges from about 1,680 to 2,175 feet in elevation. The distance is moderate, but following indistinct sections adds effort. There is no confirmed water or restroom stop on the route; carry what you need and avoid the hottest part of the day.
The sandstone settingThe loop crosses a varied red-and-tan sandstone landscape with pale rock near Silica Dome.
The loop crosses a varied red-and-tan sandstone landscape with pale rock near Silica Dome. The park’s vivid Aztec sandstone formed from ancient desert dunes roughly 150 million years ago. The color contrast is the route’s strongest visual payoff; keep some nearby rock or scrub in the frame to show the scale of the ridges.
Access, pets and servicesThe mapped start is the Fire Canyon Road access near Silica Dome, at approximately 36.
The mapped start is the Fire Canyon Road access near Silica Dome, at approximately 36.45596, -114.50247. It is not a signed trailhead, and parking and route access should be confirmed with the park. Dogs are allowed on leash no longer than 6 feet under the park’s pet rule, but that rule does not resolve the route’s uncertain access status.
A shorter nearby walkFor a brief look into Fire Canyon, use the short overlook walk from Rainbow Vista.
For a brief look into Fire Canyon, use the short overlook walk from Rainbow Vista. It is a separate route and does not cover the longer loop described here.
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.
