I originally found out about this place from a site I follow on Facebook, Roadtrippers (awesome…read moresite, by the way) and I had one of those, "what the" moments finding out this place is a quick 90-120 minutes away from where I live. A quick drive up I-15N and exit #112, Bunkerville (this is just south of Mesquite), and follow the signs to Whitney Pockets. You will the infamous Bundy Ranch area. The road is paved until you hit the Whitney Pockets area, then a HCV vehicle is needed. I did see a passenger car attempting to drive thru here, I guess it could be done, but it's not a place I would want to get stuck. Once you hit the trailhead area, you'll see a large red sandstone wall in the middle of nowhere. This is where you park. There are some really cool, preserved petroglyphs on the wall here. Make sure you look up to see them, they're kind of high up. From there it's a walk on a dirt road and dry wash to the area. There aren't any marking or cairns for the turnoffs to hit the trail to Little Finland, so it's best to go with someone who has been before, or do your research. The area is pretty darn cool. The sandstone rock formations get the name from wind and erosion that has made the made the rock appear to have fins. The area is really delicate, so be careful not to ruin what nature and time has created. Once you're in Litle Finland, there are more petroglyphs as well as some running water through the area. The minerals in the water made the water and rock turn colors, the entire area made me think I was on Mars. If you've ever been to Goblin Valley State Park, this is a miniature version of it. It's a pretty cool day trip.

Little Finland (aka Hobgoblin's Playground and Devil's Fire) is a magical place where wind and…read morewater have sculpted red sandstone rock into fantastical shapes. I just explored this unique area with my boyfriend and a group of hikers today. Located in a remote portion of the remote Gold Butte region of southeastern Nevada ( south of Mesquite), Little Finland was a challenge to get to...about an hour on bumpy unpaved road but well worth the effort. The rocks there are very ornate and delicate, so please becareful. If you are driving north on I-15 from Las Vegas, exit at #112 (Riverside / Bunkerville), turn right and go 3 miles to cross the Virgin River. Make a right turn at the next road (Gold Butte Road), drive twenty miles on loud bumpy pavement, becareful of the free range cows, the hit the graded dirt road for four more miles. Finally, turn right at the sign that indicates Red Bluff Springs and drive four more miles on a sandy uneven dirt road that requires a high clearance vehicle. This is your day long adventure, make sure you go prepared. Bring warm clothing, gloves, hat, lots of water, a snack or lunch, sturdy boots and most of all bring your camera! The most fascinating thing about this place is the fantasyland of shapes--almost every rock appears to be an animal, face, or mythical creature. It is mixed in with the intricate red rock sculptures are fields of virtually white sandstone with sinuous waves, remnants of ancient sand dunes. In other places, the rock is covered with a thin white crust--salt that has crystallized out of groundwater running through the rock. Go see it to believe it!

One of the most popular trails at Valley of Fire. The parking lot is limited. I recommend coming…read moreearly in the morning. It's a short walk from the parking lot to the trail. Bring a lot of water! The trail is all exposed to the sun, so bring coverage. The trail itself is beautiful, the landscape is amazing.

This trail (with the seven wonders loop) is my fave in VOF state park. If you only do one, this is…read morethe one I'd recommend! I love the variety of vistas along the trail, and the scenic viewpoint is so colorful and lovely. The pastel canyon trail is also really cute and unique - it's short but I love the pink sand, it felt like getting the pink sand dunes experience There's also plenty of parking at the trailhead despite it being a very popular trail. Def recommend :)

There are places on this earth that don't feel entirely claimed by man where the air sits heavier,…read morewhere silence hums just a little too loud. Havasupai Falls is one of those places. Now listen I'm gonna tell you straight. You can hike it, sure. Strap on your pack, bake in that canyon heat, follow the mules and the dust like you're reenacting some pioneer tragedy. Or... you take the helicopter. Drop in like you've got better sense than the rest of 'em. Because when you're only staying a night, you don't waste half your trip pretending you enjoy suffering. You get there quick, boots on the ground, eyes wide open. And what waits for you... ain't normal. The water this unreal shade of blue, like someone spilled paint straight outta heaven itself cuts through red rock like it's been there since before memory had a name. The canyon walls stand tall, watching. Always watching. You can feel it. Not in a poetic way... in a you're not alone kind of way. The people there, the tribe they carry a quiet presence. Like they know something they're not in a hurry to explain. Respectful, grounded... but there's history in their eyes. Old history. Night comes different down there. The fire was crackling low. Shadows stretching just a little too far, bending where they shouldn't. That's when I saw it. Across the canyon, tucked behind a tree like it didn't quite understand hiding... something big. Hairy. Not a trick of the light. Not a deer. Not a man. It stood there. Watching. Then came the sound. Tap... tap... tap. Something hitting the tent. Not hard. Just enough to say, "I'm still here." I thought maybe rocks... maybe pinecones. But there weren't any trees above us that could explain it. And whatever it was it had aim. I told the others. Nobody laughed. Nobody slept. We sat around that fire like it was the last safe place on earth, eyes fixed into the dark, waiting for something to step forward... or worse, not step forward. Because sometimes what you don't see is worse than what you do. Finally, in a moment of pure, desperate brilliance or stupidity someone grabbed a sandwich and chucked it out there into the black. We waited. Minutes stretched. The canyon held its breath. And then... nothing. Whatever it was... it was gone. No footsteps. No sound. Just silence again, like the place had swallowed it whole. Now I ain't saying I believe in Bigfoot... ...but I'm also not saying I slept worth a damn that night. And here's the part where I switch gears for ya because after all that spooky nonsense, you gotta laugh a little. Look, I'm just gonna say it .. "I paid good money to fly into a canyon, not to get mugged by a damn woodland gorilla." You got folks hiking ten miles, riding donkeys, sweating like they owe the sun money... and I'm down there getting harassed by what I can only assume is the canyon's unofficial night manager. Five stars. Would absolutely go again. ...but next time, I'm bringing two sandwiches.

Out in the middle of the desert in Arizona pretty much near the end portion of the Grand Canyon and…read moreabout an hour away from Route 66 is the trail to get to Havasupai. There's a lodge in the village and a campground area another 2 miles from the village, both have different dates to apply for permits online about a year in advance. There are 5 amazing water fall sites once you pass the village. 50 Foot Falls, Lower Navajo Falls, Havasu Falls, Mooney Falls, and Beavers. An additional journey heading out 6 miles past Beaver falls you can get to the Confluence where you can see the Havasu Creek water meet up with the Colorado river. For the camp sites you aren't assigned an actual location you just grab any available site that's not directly on the trail. There's a fresh water spring in the camp site where we refilled out bottles for the 4 days & 3 nights we were here. Also 2 miles back up at the village they do have a cafeteria with burgers fries, hot dogs and all that other stuff. If you're not up for the 8-10 miles hike into the village/campground with all your camping gear on your back they have options at additional cost. You can have your bags packed on miles/horses and carried into the site & they also have helicopter rides in and out of the village (first come first serve, the natives have priority to skip the line at anytime)

This is such a fun hike that is about 6 miles roundtrip. Walking through the gravel and the uphill…read moresection of sand on the way back (that is not shaded) can make this a bit of a moderately challenging hike for some. The hot springs are always a fun time and looking out at the water views on the way up is stunning. The springs tend to get crowded so come early if you can. It's a great way to spend the day.

Nice approximately 5 mike round trip hike a little uphill section on the way back to three…read moredifferent small hot springs pools. The pools get progressively cooler (and dirtier) as they cascade downhill. We liked the first hottest (around 107 degrees Fahrenheit I'd estimate) and cleanest one. Swimsuit optional.

From the campgrounds this hike is maybe an around a mile and a half and it's a journey. You'll have…read moreto descend down a cave that has chain rails and a couple suspect ladders to get to the bottom. Bring some gloves because the chains get slippery from the mist of the waterfall and have some water shoes with good traction grip because parts of the cave are pretty slick.

This was a little tricky to get down to and required using chains and a ladder. But it was so worth…read moreit! So incredibly beautiful!

A truly fantastic hike with changing scenic views along the way. The trail is also ever changing,…read morefrom sand, to packed dirt, to rocky/gravel, and steep stone steps. I personally recommend doing this trail counterclockwise. We're in our 30s, but my husband has bad knees and I get lower back pain; we find that the steep stone steps are far easier to go up than down. Having a walking stick while climbing the steps is also helpful. You will see some incredible things while hiking this trail. The texture on the rocks, the multitude of colors, windows, slot canyons, a portion of an old movie set, and some grand majestic views. Being an avid hiker and having hiked 80% of the trails within Valley of Fire, I'd consider this to be a moderate hiking trail. Note: There is a small covered picnic area with 4 tables as well as 4 gender neutral vault toilets near the start of this trail and next to the parking lot.

Amazing hike with beautiful scenery and moderate level…read more Starting out into the hike you have to walk through some sand which doesn't sound hard but it's actually strenuous on your body. Follow that down through some rocky man-made type rock stairs past an old movie set where you feel like you're in Star Wars Then follow that to the slot canyon. The slot Canyon is my favorite part of the hike. Very beautiful and unique. We just took our time going through the hike as we had some friends with us who were inexperienced hikers and we wanted to make sure everyone got through safely. I could've gone onto a few more hikes that day, but they were pretty tired. I will definitely go back here again. This was my second or third time here.

This place is truly beautiful. So many scenic routes, trails and rock formations. No pictures do it…read morejustice. I need to shout out Carol at the visitor center. She was kind, friendly, patient and had an answer for every question. She was curious about our travels and really pleasant to talk to. I feel like she is just a volunteer but someone give that woman a bonus or something. She deserves it and really added to our experience.

Valley of Fire State Park is one of the most breathtaking places I've ever visited. The bright red…read morerock formations almost look like you're on another planet, and every turn offers another incredible view. The scenic drive alone is worth the trip, but there are also plenty of great spots to stop, explore, and take photos. I especially enjoyed seeing the unique rock formations and the ancient petroglyphs. Everything was well maintained, and it was easy to spend several hours just taking in the scenery. If you're visiting the Las Vegas area, this is an absolute must see and well worth the drive. I would definitely come back again.

Great hike in Lake Mead. Once you see Mile marker 16 turn left into the dirt road. Take the road to…read moreOre Car Mine sign pass the sign and go about 400ft past Ore Car Sign to where the road ends. The last 200 Feet Hike in or back in with vehicle there is no turn around use a guide there is a 10ft drop at end of road from there walk into the wash to the right and travel the wash the side that narrows and walk .75 miles you will then begin Anniversary Narrows. When you enter off Marker 16 you will only see one small sign for Anniversary Narrows 4x4 makes it easier you can go by car just take it very slow. No cell service so do not get hurt out there.

Epic hike! Only 45…read moremin from vegas to feel like your hiking in Antelope Canyon with a beautiful narrow slot canyon. Moderate hike definitely had some challenging areas but my legs are pretty strong from doing exercise classes so I took it slow and had a great experience. It rained in Vegas a few days prior to our hike, so the bowl of fire in the narrows was flooded about 3 feet. We took our shoes and socks off and slid our pants up and walked through it to get to the other side where the narrows begin. It was cold and unknown territory, but I'm so glad we did it because The rest of the hike was amazing.. Enter Lake Mead past the pay station and then turn left on North Shore Rd. Until you get to mile marker 16 take a left and follow the sign for Calville Wash until you see a fork in the road to the left is anniversary mine road. Keep left there. You don't wanna go to the right because it's deeper sand and without a 4 x 4 you may get stuck. So keep going left on anniversary mine Road it's a dirt road. You'll see some 2 WD parking shortly after being on that road but if you have a four-wheel-drive car, keep going down further until you see a wash. This will save you from having to walk further. From the 2WD point to the entrance of the narrows is 1.8 miles . You can't go any further into the wash because there's no way to get back up unless you have one of those big jumbo jeeps. Find some parking off the side of the road and walk into the wash, which is to the left. Follow the Wash for about a mile into the entrance of the narrows. There are several steep ledges throughout the hike and you'll see some spectacular hues of color throughout your time there.. once you reach the end of the narrows, you could keep going up to the top of the ridge and see an overlook of the narrows. There is also a mine that you can check out. We did not go any further than the end of the narrows, but plenty of other people were. We brought our two small dogs and everybody had a great time. Our friends from New York came with us and were deterred from the flooded fire bowl so they turned back and went to the car, but we continued on with our hike.