A Guide to Visiting Valley of Fire State Park

Valley of Fire State Park doesn’t seem like much from the outside. The surrounding area is flat, desolate, and unassuming. But if you take the time to travel past the exterior and explore, you will be rewarded with towering red rocks, stunning desert scenery, and rich landscapes. Valley of Fire State Park is the quintessential hidden gem. Given its beauty and proximity to Las Vegas, it is surprising that this park is not more popular.

I spent over 5 days exploring Valley of Fire, from the breathtaking Fire Wave to the magnificent White Domes trail, and I can say it is truly a stunning park that rivals the best of them. Below, I have provided suggestions on what I think are the must-see areas of the park, as well as important information for prospective visitors. I hope this guide helps you plan your trip, and if it does, please share it with others so they can share in the experience.

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FEES AND DETAILS

Dedicated in 1934, Valley of Fire State Park is considered to be Nevada’s oldest state park. The park has a reputation for stunning scenery, impressive geology, and fascinating archaeological sites. Its claim to fame are the red Aztec sandstone formations that rise up from the tan desert sand and fascinating Native American petroglyphs that are over 4,000 years old.

Entrance Fee: $10 per vehicle/day. If you have a Federal Park Pass if does NOT apply to state parks.
Hours: Open daily from sunrise to sunset. This is strictly enforced and a gate blocks access to White Domes Road for incoming traffic at sunset. Rangers patrol and will ask you to leave. After sunset, activity is limited to campgrounds.
Visitor Center Hours: 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM
Phone: +1(702) 397-2088
Email: vof@mvdsl.com
Website: http://parks.nv.gov/parks/valley-of-fire

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GETTING TO VALLEY OF FIRE STATE PARK

Valley of Fire State Park is located 1 hour from the North end of Las Vegas.  If you are in Las Vegas and can get away for at least half a day it is worth it!

The most direct route is to travel north on I-15 from Las Vegas and enter the park from the west side. For a more scenic option, you can drive through Lake Mead National Recreation Area and enter the park from the east side. Entering through Lake Mead adds 30 minutes to the drive and there is a $20 fee to enter the National Recreation Area (covered by the America the Beautiful pass), but the scenery and drive itself is far more interesting than I-15. I would recommend entering the park from one side and exiting from the other for the best of both worlds.

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WHEN TO VISIT 

The best time to visit Valley of Fire State Park is between October and April when the temperatures are cooler.

Winter is usually mild with daytime temperatures ranging between the high 50’s and low 60’s and evening temperatures dipping down to the low 30’s.

Spring can get warm with daytime temperatures ranging between the 70’s and 80’s and evening temperatures in the 40’s to 60’s.

Summer can get dangerously hot with daytime temperatures rising to between the mid 90’s and low 100’s. Due to the heat I do not recommend visiting the park in the summer as it is usually too hot to safely hike.

Fall starts warm with September and October daytime temperatures remaining in the 80-90’s. However, November usually cools off nicely with daytime temperature in the 60’s and evenings in the 40’s.

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WHERE TO CAMP 

The park operates 3 campgrounds (Arch Rock, Atlatl Rock, and a group campground) all located just inside the West entrance. In addition, there is free camping on BLM land outside the park.

Reservations: Reservations are available for the 3 group campground sites only. The remainder of the sites are first-come, first-served.
Restrictions:  Max of 8 persons and two vehicles per site
Cost: $20 per night/per vehicle (camping fee includes $10 park entry fee). Fees can be paid at campgrounds with cash or check.
Pets: Welcome
Cell Service: No
Camping limit: 14 days in a 30-day period

Arch Rock Campground

Arch Rock campground is surrounded on both sides by red rock formations. This campground has a more secluded feel than its neighbor, Atlatl Rock campground, and is more suited to tents and camper vans. The front half of the campground is wide open with two rows of sites going up the middle and one row along either side. The perimeter sites back right up to the rock formations. The back half of the campground offers more secluded sites as the red rock walls narrow with sites tucked away along the one-way road.

Number of sites: 29
Restrooms: 2 pit toilets
Site Amenities: Shaded picnic table, fire pit, barbecue grill, access to drinking water
RV hook-ups: No
Considerations:  Sites are small and tents must be pitched on the provided gravel tent pad, which is only large enough for a single 4 person backpacking tent.
Closures: Campgrounds may be closed during the slow seasons (Winter and Summer)

Atlatl Rock Campground

This campground is situated with red rock formations along one side and views of the mountains and desert along the other side. Of the two campgrounds, this site is more suited to larger RV’s, but also offers nice options for tent campers.

Number of sites: 44 sites total, 3 sites at the back-end of the campground are walk-in (tent only). 
Restrooms:  3 restrooms with flush toilets and 8 Showers.
Site Amenities: Shaded picnic table, fire pit, barbecue grill, access to drinking water
RV hook-ups: 20 RV sites with water and electric hook ups. Hook-ups are an additional $10 per night/per vehicle. The remaining 22 sites are regular sites with no hook-ups.
Considerations:  Sites are generally larger than those at Arch Rock Campground and tent sites can accommodate 2, 4-person tents.
Closures: Campgrounds are open year round

Group Campgrounds

There are 3 group use sites, which can accommodate 45 people and 12 vehicles per site. Sites are $25/night and $20/night for each additional vehicle. Amenities include: shaded picnic tables, fire pits, barbecue grills, access to drinking water, and a pit toilet. This camping area is located out in the open with 360-degree views of the mountains and desert.

Reservations: Yes, by reservation only. Reservations are taken by phone (+1 (702)-397-2088). For January and February reservations can be made starting November 15^th at 8:30 AM. For March to December reservations can be made starting January 10^th at 8:30 AM.

BLM land outside the park

If both campgrounds are full (or if you want to save $10) a good option is to camp outside the park on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land. Exit the West entrance of the park and travel along the Valley of Fire highway towards I-15 for 8 miles. You will see a dirt road on the left (south) side of the road between the 6 and 7 mile markers. Drive up this road until you find a site you like. Dispersed camping on BLM land is free and there are no amenities.

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HIKES IN VALLEY OF FIRE STATE PARK

Important Notes

• You will need to pay the $10 park entrance fee to access all hikes.
• There is no permit required for hiking.
• Valley of Fire is dog friendly! All hikes allow dogs on a 6-foot leash.
• Grab the park hiking trail map before heading out.

Best Hikes in the Park

1) Fire Wave
2) White Domes Loop
3) Pink Canyon
4) Mouse’s Tank

See my full post on the best hikes in Valley of Fire for more details.

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WHAT TO DO ON YOUR VISIT TO VALLEY OF FIRE STATE PARK

The two itineraries listed below are packed full. The park is not too large, so you can tackle a good amount in a half or full day. If you have the time, spending a night or two will let you slow down and really explore all this amazing park has to offer.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU HAVE ½ DAY

1) Drive Valley of Fire Highway and White Domes Road in their entirety

The scenery from these two roads is phenomenal. Valley of Fire Highway is the road you will be on when entering the park from either entrance. The highway is 7 miles between the west and east gates. In the middle of the park White Domes Road makes a “T” intersection with the Valley of Fire Highway and the Visitor Center is situated there. White Domes Road is 5.7 miles long and comes to a dead-end at the White Domes Trailhead.

2) Visit the Silica Dome / Fire Canyon viewpoint

To get to this viewpoint turn onto White Domes Road and travel 2 miles. Turn right onto Fire Canyon Road and the viewpoint is at the end of the road.

3) Hike EITHER the Fire Wave Trail or the White Domes trail

The Fire Wave is 1.5 miles and White Domes is 1.2 miles. Plan to hike earlier in the morning when it is cooler and when there are fewer people. See my full post on the best hikes in Valley of Fire for details.

4) View petroglyphs along the Mouse’s Tank hike

Along this short and flat 0.7-mile hike you can search the canyon walls for petroglyphs over 4,000 years old.

5) Drive the Scenic Loop Road

This 3-mile loop circles both campgrounds and passes several interesting sights. The first section of the road is paved and the second section is dirt and is passable in any car.

Along the loop you can park and climb a staircase to view petroglyphs at Atlatl Rock.

View Arch Rock and Table Rock from the roadside.

Park and explore the Beehives. These large beehive shaped rock formations exhibit grooved lines that travel in opposite directions called cross bedding. Each layer is deposited at different times and the angles they travel indicate the direction the wind or water was traveling at the time.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU HAVE A FULL DAY

1) Do the itinerary listed above
2) Hike BOTH the Fire Wave and the White Domes trail
3) Explore Pink Canyon

You will not see anything about this canyon at the Visitor Center but it is easy to get to. See my full post on the best hikes in Valley of Fire for details.

4) Hike to the elephant Rock viewpoint

You can see elephant rock along the side of Valley of Fire Highway just inside the east entrance. To get up close it’s a 0.2-mile hike.

5) Visit the Cabins

These stone cabins were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930’s when the park was being developed. It’s fascinating to walk inside and picture people once staying there.

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Thanks for taking the time to read my post on Valley of Fire State Park.

I hope this guide will inspire you to explore this amazing state park. Please remember to always be respectful of others and the land. Always follow Leave No Trace principles when enjoying the outdoors to protect the land, animals, and to preserve the landscape for those that come after us. If you found this guide helpful please pin, like, and share!

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