Nevada – 7 Magic Mountains
The Seven Magic Mountains (or 7 Magic Mountains as I will be referring to it in this post) is a public art piece made of colorful neon boulders stacked on top of each other to create seven pillars in the desert. The art installation is extremely popular to visit and post to Instagram. The hashtag (#sevenmagicmountains) has over 91,000 posts at the time of writing. Located right off a major highway, it is easy to get to and a fun little stop when heading in or out of Las Vegas, Nevada on I-15.
What are those colorful boulders in the dessert?
Just outside Las Vegas, 7 Magic Mountains is a grouping of stacked boulders painted in neon and bright shades of color. The stacks stand about 35 feet tall, towering over all visitors. It is a public art piece created by Swiss Artist Ugo Rondinone to represent human presence in the desert. Built in 2016, it was originally going to be on view for two years. But due to the tremendous success, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) issued a three-year permit extension for the artwork, allowing the installation to remain on view through the end of 2021. Personally, I hope it remains open for even longer.
At a Glance:
- Rating: 3 (out of 4) stars, would go again early in the morning
- Intensity: Flats or low heeled sandals, cute dress
- Location: Southwest of Las Vegas, near Jean Dry Lake Bed
- Cost: Free
- Restrooms: None
- Timing: We probably spent less than a half hour there
Highlights:
- Very fun public art piece to photograph
Lowlights:
- Busy! There were even tour buses in the parking lot
The Experience of 7 Magic Mountains
After a late start and a visit to the Las Vegas Neon Museum, we got to 7 Magic Mountains at 12:45 pm. And like most popular destinations in the middle of the day, it was very busy and crowded. There was even a tour bus in the parking lot! It is a 5-minute walk to the stacks from the parking lot over flat, but uneven terrain. We were familiar with this terrain from the Rise Lantern Festival we attended the night before that was also at Jean Dry Lake Bed.
What you don’t realize being further away is that the stacks are enormous! The bottom boulder on many of the stacks must be over 6 feet tall. 35 feet might not seem tall until you are standing right next to it. The colors are just as bright in person, which make them stand out from the muted colors of the desert. I have to say, the location is stunning. Beyond the 7 Magic Mountains, you see across the brush of the desert. In the distance there are mountains.
The staggered arrangement of the “mountains” makes for excellent photo ops to capture a close up shot with the tops of the other stacks in the background. If you are looking not to have any other people in the background, don’t go in the middle of the day.
Getting There
We routed to the parking lot via googlemaps, but while you are on the I-15, there will be signs for the Seven Magic Mountains. Take the exit the signs suggest to get to a frontage road. From the frontage road, there will be an obvious parking lot with obvious path to the stacks. You can also check out the official website for directions.
Overall Thoughts: 7 Magic Mountains
I always appreciate large scale public art and this piece is no different. It is a fun and quick stop from the I-15 and free. Why not stop and get a great instagram shot? The colors and scene make you wonder how the artist created the stacks, why they are so colorful, and if there is a relation to a totem pole.
Looking for other things to do in Vegas? Here’s what we did:
- Neon Museum of Las Vegas
- Rise Lantern Festival
- Tiki Bar – no post, but here is their website
What are your thoughts on the 7 Magic Mountains? Would you still go if there are crowds? Have you gone to other large scale public art pieces? If so, let me know in the comments so I can add them to my list. I definitely want to go to more, it is so much fun!
Happy Travels,
Hanna
