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Valley of Fire State Park encompasses spectacular bright red sandstone formations and the White Domes Loop is the foremost trail to experience the diversity of this park’s beauty. We spent two days hiking the various trails in the park and this one was by far our favorite.

The White Domes Loop is a scenic 1.25-mile trail with movie set remains, a slot canyon, and towering sandstone formations. Not only did we enjoy this hike, but so did the pups (especially Zooey). The entire hike was scenic and had us in awe each step of the way.

Parking

We arrived shortly after sunrise on a gusty and chilly January morning. We were the first ones to arrive and park, so we knew we were going to pretty much have the place to ourselves for a while. There were a lot more parking spaces here compared to the other trails we visited since it’s one of their popular ones.

The Hike

Before we started our hike, we used the bathrooms located in the parking lot right at the start of the trail. When we began our hike, we noticed a beautiful wavelike shape in the sand from the strong winds with no footprints. Zooey was the first to put her paws in the untouched sand that morning. Sand is the norm when it comes to trails at Valley of Fire. We went on several hikes within the park and they all involved sand, so wearing the proper shoes is vital to making your trek more comfortable.

The trail starts descending down where you will find yourself maneuvering your way around rocks (or jumping around the rocks if you are Zooey). Most of the paths had steps so it wasn’t too difficult; however, there were a couple of times when Kuma needed some assistance. We’re always impressed at just how much Kuma can do on her own with her dainty little legs.

Kuma carefully making her way down the steps

Spectacular views on the way down the trail

Once you make it down the path, you’ll see the remains of a movie set from 1966 called The Professionals. We weren’t familiar with this western movie, but plenty of other notable films were shot here like Star Trek. If you’re a Trekkie, this area is also known to be Captain Kirk’s final resting place.

Shortly after the film set remains, we walked through the Kaolin Wash before reaching the entrance of a slot canyon. Moving into the canyon, the path became more and more narrow until the tall walls were just a few feet apart. There is just something about walking through a slot canyon that is thrilling to us. Our very first slot canyon experience was at Antelope Canyon and although this one isn’t as colorful or deep, it was still fun wandering through it.

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After exiting the slot canyon, we were in a wide area framed by more intriguing rock formations. We could tell that the trail was taking us back to the starting point. We imagined that we would have to do some steep climbing since we descended down a steep pathway, but surprisingly, it was an easy gradual incline. Before we knew it, we had reached the end of the trail.

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Final Thoughts

The shapes, textures, and layers of the rocks were such a beautiful site to see up close in person. For such a short trail, the White Domes Loop Trail had an impressive variety of scenery. This is one hike that we would definitely love to do again.

What To Wear

We visited during the first week of January and the early mornings were in the mid-thirties. The temperature gradually rose throughout the day, so dressing in layers is key. To get more tips on what to wear, check out our post on 7 Winter Essentials for Valley of Fire State Park.

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Where To Stay

Most people make a day trip to this park from Las Vegas as it’s only an hour away. However, we wanted to explore multiple hikes and stayed nearby in a town called Moapa Valley where we found one dog-friendly hotel. We booked North Shore Inn at Lake Mead for the weekend. Read our review HERE.

Valley of Fire State Park
29450 Valley of Fire Hwy, Overton, NV 89040
Open Daily from sunrise to sunset.
Admission Fee - $10.00