Fiery Furnace Viewpoint and Permit Area

About This Attraction

Towering red sandstone walls crowd the narrow passages as you navigate this natural labyrinth, with walls rising more than 100 feet in places. At sunset, low-angle light makes the rust-colored rock glow like a wood-fired furnace—the origin of this formation's name. The Fiery Furnace is a masterclass in joint-controlled erosion: ancient salt deposits beneath caused the rock to dome and crack, and millions of years of water erosion followed those natural fracture lines, carving the passages you see today. To explore, you must reserve a permit in advance through Recreation.gov—either for a ranger-led hike or self-guided adventure.

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