Valley of Fire State Park near Vegas -- highly recommend

[Dan Druff]

If you're in Vegas, but want to get away from the strip and the gambling scene, you might want to consider a nature side trip.

Many people consider Vegas an artificial attraction in the desert. That is, they don't believe there's anything to do beyond the city limits.

Not true! There are plenty of nature-type day trips you can make within an hour's drive of Vegas.

There's Mt. Charleston, Lake Mead, Red Rock... but there's one more which you may not have heard of.

Valley of Fire State Park is a great day trip, and it's only about an hour north of Vegas. It's located near Overton, Nevada, and most of the driving takes place on 75-MPH-speed-limit I-15. You can also take a scenic (but longer) route on NV-169 near Lake Mead.

For some reason, few people talk about Valley of Fire, and most tourists have no idea it exists -- even ones who have come to Vegas for 40+ years.

I recently visited for the first time, and very much enjoyed it.

Valley of Fire is a state park with various highly colorful rock formations. It features some really nice views, interesting short (0.75-1.5 mile) hikes, petroglyphs, and even a 220 million year old petrified log.

I spent about 2.5-3 hours there, but I easily could have spent another 3, as I didn't do everything I wanted to before the sun set.

(Below isn't my picture, but I did see this cool little passage




It's a great place to take a date or your family. It's good for kids, and it isn't too strenuous or difficult (though elderly people who can't negotiate semi-slippery, rocky trails shouldn't do it).

It's also not a large park. You can drive from any one part to the other in no more than 30 minutes, though there are a lot of worthwhile stops and 1-mile type hikes.

It might be easy at first glance to dismiss this place as "another Red Rock" (a closer state park to Vegas), but to be honest it's far superior to Red Rock.

Anyone else been there?

[Alan Mendelson]

Isnt this the park where you need to be experienced to hike in certain areas or you could die?

[Rob.Singer]

A great topic for this forum, as most of the vp addicts here can at least read about what they're missing with their insatiable habit.

I went and hiked there twice--late '90's and around 2002. The first time my wife, daughter & I spent about 5 hours on a very hot May day, although we were all very used to the extreme heat having lived in Scottsdale for years. One of the visit's best bonuses and a chief reason I returned for more "fun" a few years later, was the nearly total lack of people visiting back then. Is it still like that today?

[Dan Druff]

Isnt this the park where you need to be experienced to hike in certain areas or you could die?

I didn't see any places like that.

[Alan Mendelson]

I think it's in the summer. I read an article about a park like that -- with those red rock formations -- where park rangers will carefully check out hikers for water and experience before they let them hike to certain areas. Too many deaths from heat exhaustion.

[james40]

I think it's in the summer. I read an article about a park like that -- with those red rock formations -- where park rangers will carefully check out hikers for water and experience before they let them hike to certain areas. Too many deaths from heat exhaustion.

Some of the best hikes we've found are in Death Valley. An easy drive from LV and during the right season there are dozens of places to hike, ranging from easy to insane. For the timid, there are guided tours given by the park rangers. If you want to learn about the park, these are a great way to learn and ensure safety.

[Alan Mendelson]

Some of the best hikes we've found are in Death Valley.

I've always been afraid that Michael Douglas would shoot me there.

See:

[Dan Druff]

Death Valley is a bit farther from Vegas than the other nature stops I recommended.

It will take about 2 hours each way. That's doable in a day, but it requires an early start, and a willingness to spend 4+ hours in the car.

A similar, though slightly longer trip will take you to Zion National Park, which will be about 2 hours and 40 minutes each way.

For quick trips out of the Vegas area (an hour of driving or less), I would suggest Valley of Fire, Mt. Charleston, Red Rock, or Lake Mead/Hoover Dam. However, I would avoid all except Mt. Charleston in the summer.