7 Wonders Loop In The Valley Of Fire State Park, Nevada
The 7 Wonders Loop Trail is a 2.1-mile unmarked trail that connects various other trails to create a loop. It features seven spectacular geological formations, including Fire Wave, Pink Canyon, Crazy Hill, Striped Rock, Kaolin Wash, Thunderstorm Arch and Fire Cave. 7 Wonders Loop also connects to the White Domes Trail for those looking to extend their hiking adventure.
Difficulty:Â Easy to moderate
Length: around 2.1 miles / 3.4 km (loop)
Suggested Duration: 1 hour
Signage: Some signs throughout
Facilities: Visitors center, restrooms, water refill stations
Disclaimer: This article includes affiliate links. If you click one of them, we may receive a small percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!
Key Features Of 7 Wonders Loop Trail
- The Valley of Fire State Park is the oldest state park in Nevada
- Explore the 7 Wonders: Fire Wave, Striped Rock, Pink Canyon, Kaolin Slot Canyon, Crazy Hill, Thunderstorm Arch and Fire Cave
- Features iconic rock formations and vibrant red sandstone
- A relatively short and rewarding hike showcasing the park’s beauty
- Option to connect to the White Domes Trail
- A popular and well-maintained hiking trail
Facilities And Services
- Parking at parking lot #3
- The visitor centre is a short drive away (restrooms and water fill stations are located here)
Before You Start Hiking 7 Wonders Loop Trail
Before you begin hiking the 7 Wonders Loop Trail, there are a few things to know. First, it is located within the Valley of Fire State Park, which requires a fee to enter. There are two entrances, one on the west and one on the east.
As of November 2022, the fees are as follows:
- US$10 for Nevada Vehicles
- US$15 for non-Nevada Vehicles
- US$2 for bikes
There is a visitor center within the park that is open from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. It has souvenirs, restrooms, water refill areas and a help desk, where you can see which trails are open (some trails may be closed due to extreme heat). During the hotter months, the Fire Wave Trail is likely to be closed due to the lack of shade on this trail. This is the start of the 7 Wonders Loop Trail.
With that being said, to start hiking, park at parking lot #3, off Mouse’s Tank Road. The Fire Wave trailhead is located across the street, where you will see a small sign, a clearly defined trail and trail markers throughout. Continue onto the Fire Wave Trail until you reach the Fire Wave. Here, you will see a sign that 7 Wonders Loop continues (photo below for reference).
Follow the wash to the Pastel (Pink) Canyon. After you reach the Pink Canyon, cross Mouse’s Tank Road and continue onto the trail. After a few minutes, you will reach a section of the trail where you can either continue straight towards the White Domes Loop or take the trail on the right to continue on 7 Wonders Loop (see map for reference) to see Crazy Hill, Thunderstorm Arch and the Fire Cave.
Make sure to bring plenty of water and a reusable water bottle to refill at the visitor center before heading out on your hikes.
You can download digital park maps for free on the Avenza Maps App. We encourage you to download the app and map before hiking, as the service can sometimes be spotty within the park.
As always, stay on the designated trail and watch for scorpions and snakes. Dogs are allowed on the trail as long as they are on leashes. It is important to follow the Leave No Trace Principles whenever you are out enjoying nature. Whatever you take in, be sure to take out. Do not feed any wildlife or leave any trash.
To learn more about the Valley of Fire State Park, click here!
Our Experience Hiking 7 Wonders Loop Trail
We stumbled upon the 7 Wonders Loop Trail once we reached the Fire Wave Trail and noticed the sign. Before hiking, we did a bit of researching to see which hikes were in the area and knew that the Pastel (Pink) Canyon Trail could be accessed via the Fire Wave Trail, though we were not aware the entire thing was a loop of its own called 7 Wonders Loop Trail.
This ended up being perfect for us because it allowed us to combine a lot of the hikes we planned on doing that day together into a larger hike. As mentioned, we started on the Fire Wave Trail (click here to read more about our experience hiking the Fire Wave Trail) until we reached the Fire Wave.
We then continued on the trail to Pastel (Pink) Canyon (click here to read more about our experience hiking Pastel (Pink) Canyon Trail), which is hard to miss with all its beautiful swirls of pink sandstone.
From here, we crossed Mouse’s Tank Road, followed the wash, and made our way toward the White Domes Trail (click here to read more about our experience hiking the White Domes Trail). Now, this part of the trail was absolutely incredible. Hiking through the wash (also known as Kaolin Wash) was a spectacular experience. Being surrounded by winding sandstone walls was unlike any other hike we had done before.
All in all, the 7 Wonders Loop Trail and White Domes Trail took around 3.2 miles (5.1 km) in length to complete and around one and a half hours. On a warmer day, this would have been more strenuous as many portions of the hike were in direct sunlight. We were lucky and went in November when the sun was warm, but the air was cooler.
Checklists And Recommended Gear
When hiking 7 Wonders Loop, it is important to prepare accordingly, as some portions of this trail are in the direct sun. The following is our recommended gear.
- Phone or camera
- Sunhat
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses
- Water bottle
- Comfortable walking or hiking shoes – Women’s // Men’s
- Jacket (weather-depending)
- Cascade hiking poles (optional)
Related Hikes
Other Hikes In The Valley Of Fire State Park
- Fire Wave Trail
- White Domes Trail
- Pastel (Pink) Canyon Trail
- Elephant Rock Loop
- Arrowhead Trail
- Rainbow Vista
- Balancing Rock
- Charlie’s Spring
- Natural Arches
- Mouse’s Tank
- Pinnacles Loop
- Prospect Trail
Other Hikes In Nevada
- Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area
- Mount Charleston Wilderness Area
