Lake Mead & Valley of Fire State Park Self-Guided Audio Tour

It’s that collection of floating platforms and docks.
The Lake Mead Marina didn’t start out here — it moved here! And chances are it just might move again.

Welcome to beautiful Lake Mead! From fossils to lost cities to fascinating historical characters, there’s no shortage of secrets to uncover here.

Note: The tour is over 68 miles long, with more than 60+ audio stories, and takes about 2-3 hours to complete.

Buy once, use for one year! Ideal for extended visits and return trips over the next 12 months.

It gets its name from the now-defunct Lake Mead Fish Hatchery, built in 1969 to grow striped bass and other trout species for sport.

Sunset View Scenic Overlook, offering panoramic views of Lake Mead and the desert landscape. From there, you can see the Boulder Basin, the Muddy Mountains and the Callville Mesa.

As the water level of Lake Mead continues to drop, many things that were once buried are now being exposed. That includes canyons! Owl Canyon was once submerged beneath Lake Mead, but has now been revealed once more for hikers to enjoy.

Only 1.5 miles long, this trail should take less than an hour to complete. It’s another favorite for the bird enthusiasts because the Black-throated Sparrow and House finch are attracted to the vegetation on this corridor. You might even spot a Great Blue Heron! Dragonflies love to flit around here, too.

Las Vegas Wash is the primary channel that returns excess water from the Las Vegas Valley to Lake Mead.

Up next is the Anniversary Narrows Trail! This easy 3-mile trail takes hikers through a slot canyon, and usually takes around an hour and a half to complete.

This is a short but steep hike. Stick it out and you’ll be rewarded with panoramic and breathtaking views of the Muddy Mountains, Bowl of Fire, and the Bitter Spring Valley.

The Redstone Dune Trail is coming up soon. This easy looped trail is only half a mile long, and takes less than 30 minutes to hike.

What’s an atlatl? It's a nifty tool that was used by the Pueblo tribes as a dart thrower or throwing stick. They were used to launch spears, and are depicted in the petroglyphs adorning Atlatl Rock.

Fire Cave used to be nestled within a mini wind tunnel carved out of sandstone rock. Windstone Arch stood at its mouth. Both were beloved subjects of countless photographs, thanks to their vibrant red hues and arch shape.

Pastel Canyon Trail is just ahead. This easy, mile-long trail is one of the hidden gems of Valley of Fire State Park.

Up next is the Fire Wave Trail, a 1.5-mile hike to a magnificent sandstone formation that resembles an ocean wave frozen in time. It’s moderate and takes about an hour to complete.

Valley of Fire State Park dazzles visitors with its vibrant red sandstone formations, dating back over 150 million years. As Nevada's oldest state park, it spans nearly 46,000 acres and offers a captivating landscape shaped by ancient dunes, arches, and petroglyphs. The fiery red hues, especially at sunrise and sunset, and unique rock formations like the Fire Wave and Elephant Rock make this a must-visit natural sanctuary in the Mojave Desert.