Prospect Trail

Prospect Trail is a 4.6-mile one-way hike from the small south pullout on Valley of Fire Road to the White Domes Loop junction. It climbs over a sandstone pass, then descends through a winding wash into the red-and-white rock near White Domes. This is a good pick if you want a quieter, longer walk with a big view from the pass and changing rock underfoot. Walk south to north if you can arrange a pickup; allow about three to four hours, including stops but not the shuttle.

Use 4.6 miles as the rounded one-way figure. The connected mapped line to the junction is about 4.7 miles, while one route report says the sign at White Domes reads 5.5. The discrepancy isn't explained, so leave a little buffer if you're timing a pickup.

The south trailhead is a small gravel pullout just past the Atlatl Rock and Arch Rock turnoff. The sign is easy to miss. You begin on a graded gravel access road; about a quarter mile in, it bends right. Leave it and continue straight at the small marker onto an old, washed-out road climbing toward the pass. The first mile gains roughly 300 to 500 feet, then the route reaches slickrock and red formations.

At the high point, stop and look both ways. Fire Canyon opens to the northwest; turn around for Atlatl Rock, Arch Rock and the Beehives to the southeast. The red Aztec sandstone began as windblown dunes, and the gray and tan limestone hills make the red bands stand out.

Past the pass, the route drops into a canyon wash. Expect uneven sandstone, cobbles and loose sand, with short rock steps and one marked climb above a drop-off. Several wash channels split; keep an eye out for the small markers where the route bends or climbs out. Near the White Domes end, the rock takes on striking red-and-white stripes, with small windows and arch shapes along the way.

Prospect Trail ends at its junction with White Domes Loop. The loop's slot canyon and old movie-set remains are a separate continuation, not part of the 4.6-mile Prospect distance.

This is point-to-point, not a loop. Leave a second vehicle at the White Domes parking area, or turn back and walk the route in both directions. The north junction is on White Domes Loop, so allow extra walking to reach the lot; restrooms are listed at White Domes. If you want a shorter walk from that end, the separate White Domes Loop is 1.1 miles. Dogs are allowed on leashes no longer than six feet.