We have driven along the I-15 north of Las Vegas many times in the last 6 years. Sometimes it was a deadline, other times it was the wrong time of year but this time, we finally made time to visit the Valley of Fire State Park. Turns out it was worth the extra travel day. Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada is an interesting and colorful outdoor area tucked in between Lake Mead and Las Vegas. You can not see it from any major highway yet it is easily accessible from the Las Vegas, NV area.
The park is a perfect day trip away from the glitz and noise of Las Vegas. As a outdoors destination, it is very easy to navigate.
Quick Facts
| Location | Overton, NV (55 miles NE of Las Vegas) |
| Hours | Open Daily, year round (although several trails are closed during the summer due to extreme heat) |
| Entry Fee | $10/Vehicle (NV residents), $15 (Out-of-state) |
| Best Time to Visit | October – April |
| Cell Service | Limited |
On our visit we packed a lunch and arrived about 11AM. We did our first stop at the Cabins before heading over to the main visitor center.
What to Bring
The basic for easy to moderate hiking day is all that’s really needed. Good shoes, water, hat, sunscreen/protection are a good start. As I mentioned, we packed a lunch and there are many opportunities to pull over, grab a table and enjoy your meal or snack break. Hiking poles didn’t seem necessary for the trails we visited. Trails vary from sandy wash to solid rock.
Most important item is a camera! Well water is probably the most important as this is the desert and 50% of the year can be hot to extremely hot.
The visitor center is a good resource for getting your bearings, identify a hike or two with the rangers, learn about the diverse eco system and unique geology contained in the park.
Admittedly I was surprised to find a variety of plant life growing in the sand and rocky areas. So this park is not just a bunch of rocks. Our visit in February and there was a variety of plant life and flowers to enjoy along the trails.
Trails / Map
Here’s an image of the current trail map published by the Nevada State Parks.
One of the busier areas to hike includes the wave (Firewave/7 Wonders trail). As you can imagine, there are layers after layer of colorful rock stretching out before you along this hiking area. The trail takes you up and over the wave area and you can either turn back or continue forward for a longer hike venturing into quiet slot canyons and a little more strenuous adventures.
All the trail heads had picnic tables and toilets. Most of the trails seemed family friendly so even the little ones could get out onto the sandy wash areas and hike in to see the petroglyphs. We also hiked on Mouse’s Tank and Rainbow Vista and finished with a stop at the end of Fire Canyon Road to see the Silica Dome Overlook.
It was very nice to turn a grueling road trip into a more relaxing drive by adding this park visit along with an extra over night on the road. Below are just a few of my favorite photos from our visit. Hope you enjoy them.
Is Valley of Fire Worth It?
Being as we both like to be outdoors walking / hiking the answer is yes. Coupled with a vibrant and interesting scenic drive and views makes a visit to Valley of Fire worthwhile. Our stop was mid week in February where the crowds were light. So although we were always on the trail with others, it never felt over crowded.
Since we were traveling in the truck camper, we researched and discovered the BLM area not far from the park. Perfect spots for camping one night like us or for 2 weeks. Maybe 2 weeks in the winter would be great. I doubt I’d put up with a summer stay even though we have a mini-split. I’ll write up camping spot the details as a separate post and link it here when it’s completed.
Hope you enjoyed the photos as much as I enjoyed taking them that day. Drop me a comment if you’ve visited Valley of Fire State Park or have plans to in the future.
It’ll be awhile before we venture out on another roadtrip as we continue to finish up the new shouse interior. In the mean time any chance I can escape and capture scenic or interesting photos, I’ll publish them.
Working on Exploring 