The White Domes hiking trail takes adventurers through stunning landscapes including a striking slot canyon and past swirls of red and white colors on towering sandstone walls. This 1.25-mile loop is rated as “easy” and a popular hike with locals.
White Domes Trail Quick Stats
| Trail Description | Loop |
| Trail Location | 29450 Fire Cove Rd, Overton, NV 89040 |
| Parking Lot | 36.4509444374466, -114.51539914924165 |
| Round Trip Mileage | 1.25 miles |
| Average Time | 45 minutes to an hour |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Elevation Gain | ~150 feet |
| Best time to visit | Fall, Winter, Spring |
| Entrance Fee | $10 per vehicle per day ($15 for non-Nevada vehicles) |
| Park Info/Closures | Valley of Fire |
| Rating | 4.0 Mooses |
Know before you go:
- There are two ways to access the White Domes hike. The first is from the main parking lot located at 29450 Fire Cove Rd. The second is via the Seven Wonders interlink trail accessed from the Fire Wave trail parking lot.
- This is a heavily trafficked trail and best used early in the morning or late in the afternoon to miss most of the crowds. Keep in mind the park opens at sunrise and closes at sunset.
- Restrooms and a picnic area are available at the main trailhead parking lot.
- Keep your eyes out for bighorn sheep and other critters along the trail including ravens, kangaroo rats, sidewinders (rattlesnake), chuckwallas and tarantulas.
- Come prepared for hiking in the desert, it gets extremely hot during certain times of the year. Read more about what we do to keep ourselves safe in the desert.
Our experience hiking the White Domes Trail
We arrived at the trailhead on a busy holiday weekend around 10:30 a.m. to find a decent number of cars in the parking lot.
The parking area included some trail signs, restrooms and a picnic table area.
Other than the standard safety warnings for hiking in the desert, we found an area map and a list of animals to watch out for on the trail.
We decided to go around the loop clockwise (which most hikers choose) and set off across the soft sand towards the slot canyon.
The trail immediately enters a large canyon area with beautiful rock formations on both sides of the trail. It then quickly traverses down a rocky slope and into the most interesting part of the trail.
We recommend taking this portion of the trail slowly, as it was a little slippery and could be considered a small scramble.
As we made our way down the trail, we noticed varying patterns in the rocks and spotted some very hardy desert plants making a life for themselves in the barren landscape.
After walking around 0.75 miles, we came across the famed slot canyon and were pleasantly surprised to find we were the only ones there.
We snapped a few pictures and admired the rocks before leaving the slot canyon area and headed to the back part of the loop.
Insider tip: We actually recommend turning around at the slot canyon and making your way back to the parking lot through the most scenic part of the trail.
The back half of the trail leads to wide open views of the Valley of Fire and away from the large towering sandstone rock walls. We found the second part of the trail seemed to drag on, even though the distance is a relatively short path back to the car.
The highlight of the final portion of the trail was seeing a large black raven high up on the rocks in the distance. We had hoped he would fly down for a closer look, but instead he enjoyed staring at us from above.
We finished the remainder of the trail by skirting alongside the White Domes Road and arrived back at the parking lot.
Should you hike the White Domes Trail?
Rating: 4.0 Mooses
What we liked:
- The White Dome slot canyon was by far the highlight of the trail. It was an unexpected treat and similar to the slot canyons found at the White Owl Canyon hike near Lake Mead.
- We really enjoyed seeing the large raven on the second half of the trail.
- The rock formations with a variety of colors, patterns and towering walls were breathtaking.
What we didn’t like:
- The second half of the trail seems to drag on a bit with less rock formations and a lot of sand of the trail. There was no shade along this portion of the route.
- The trail gets busy quite early. This isn’t a trail to expect much, if any solitude.
Verdict: We enjoyed this trail and would check it out again on a return trip to the Valley of Fire!
More information for your trip to the Valley of Fire:
