Valley of fire perimeter hike around Yellow spire

 This hike starts at the Silica Dome parking and heads north toward Yellow Spire. About 4.5 miles with about 700 feet of gain total.

At the first edge where you get the view you see this peak with a crack leading toward it. We followed the crack to the peak and went around to the left.

On the way down to the crack this rock is on the left

This one too.

Looking back up the hill we came down were other hikers headed the same way

In the crack route there were colored rocks

Getting closer to the peak we can see a cairn on the knob on the left side.

From the cairn, looking toward the Top of the World Arch dome you can see these pinnacles. Hope to hike over to them another time

A survey marker

Mokie Marbles growing.

The view toward the Rock of Gibraltar

Alcove up the hillside

Many Evening primroses are coming up in the sandy areas.

After getting around the peak we turned right to look down into the Yellow Spire area. We were trying to find an alternate way down.

Every edge we came to was a cliff.

I recognized this area from a previous hike in the bottom but there was no way down to it from here.

MOre moqui balls growing

We saw the other group in the bottom from time to time.

Layered sandstone

This is looking toward a bowl of light colored sandstone where we finally found a way down. It was at a junction I recognized and had a shorter path back to the cars.

The start of the shorter wash leading back to the cars.

We passed the Hoodoo area 

And the Yellow Spire area.

A dark cloud came up but went away quickly.

The rock we passed earlier in the first section downhill from the parking lot.