After departing the trailhead, you'll ascend a sandy rise to an overlook of the rock formations before dropping into the heart of the trail. In this small valley, you will see the remains of a stone wall that was used as a movie set for the 1965 film “The Professionals." The movie also used a larger set at the site of the current parking lot. Valley of Fire State Park has been a filming location for many other movies, such as “Transformers”, “Casino”, “Total Recall”, and “Star Trek: Generations”.

At the bottom of this hill, you'll turn right to continue following the loop and will enter one of the best sections of slot canyon in the Valley of Fire. While this slot is entirely non-technical, the towering rock walls and the narrow passage between them are spectacular and will leave a permanent impression on first-time slot canyon visitors.

At the next junction, you'll take another right turn to climb back up to the trailhead and complete the loop.

If 1.1 miles isn't enough for you, consider adding on a spur trail before the final climb out of the canyon or a section of the Seven Wonders trail at the bottom of the first descent. Be sure to investigate FATMAP to see what other trail options exist in this area.