Valley of Fire — North Loop

Rating: Moderate but long, 6-7 miles with around 1000 feet of accumulated climbing. All cross-country, no official trails. Almost zero bushwacking. The walking is usually smooth but is sometimes rather rugged and rocky. There are no big climbs, just lots of short ones, of varying steepness.

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This hike is in conjunction with Mindful Scramblers.

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Let's away to the incomparable Valley of Fire, land of many colors! This is how all deserts should be. It's the very best desert hiking we know of.

This hike travels thru a rarely visited portion of the Valley of Fire, north-northeast of the White Domes in the center. It's about 95% walking and 5% rock scrambling. Except for our group it's very unlikely we'll meet anyone else on this loop.

It's fairly typical desert hiking. There is a bit of minor rock climbing, but with very little dangerous falling exposure. The main danger comes from certain smooth slickrock slopes that have a scattering of gravel.

A hiking pole greatly eases travel across these rare but risky slip-prone areas. Bring leather gloves for hand protection (just in case you do fall) and you will be okay.

Prep: The usual for the desert; stout boots, leather gloves, optional hiking pole, sun hat, 2-3 bottles of water, some food, and a hunger for rough but extremely colorful desert vistas.

See you there! M+J :)

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Prep: The usual for the desert; stout boots, leather gloves, hat, plenty of water (1-2 bottles), some food. Layers are good o have because the temps change a lot over the course of a winter's day.

A hiking pole is a big help due to areas with gravelly slopes. These areas are rare, but they do exist and can be very treacherous, oy.

Meetup: Meet at 7:30am MST at the Terrible's gas station.

Drive: 1.8 hours one way on pavement, $15 entrance fee per car. Be sure to have a writing pen to fill out the self-pay envelope at the entrance to the park, along with $15 in cash.

Those in Mesquite can go to Lower Flat Top Exit on I-15, at the Flying J gas station, at about 7:00am Nevada time, and meet the rest of us there.

Coming from Vegas you can go to VOF and stop at Parking Lot 3 on White Domes Road. Be there by 8:20am Nevada time.

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Notice: Meetup organizers are not touring guides and are not park rangers. Expect the same risks and take the same precautions you would if you were hiking alone. You are solely responsible for your own safety and well-being. By signing up for and/or attending this Meetup event, you acknowledge, understand, accept, and agree that hiking and other outdoor activities can be dangerous and can cause serious bodily injury and possibly death. The organizers of this group and current and former members cannot be held responsible or liable in any way for the actions of any participant - including you - at any event. All attendees participate at an event at their own risk and are solely responsible for any damage to their property, and/or injury to themselves or their guests. By signing up for and/or attending this Meetup event, you affirm that you understand this disclaimer and that you knowingly and voluntarily agree not to bring any type of claim arising out of or related to this Meetup event against the organizers of this Meetup group.