Las Vegas Places to Visit... "The Valley of Fire"

Whether you’re into the outdoors or not, “The Valley of Fire” is a must see if you have 4-5 hours and a car to make the short 1-hour trek toward Mesquite off the I-15.

As you approach from the access road you crest a small rise which then reveals a jaw-dropping view of the Valley looking towards Lake Mead. The red rocks and formations greet you as you drive through the State Park entry. The formations of the rock which appear to be not of this world are wind and sand blown with the weaker sections of the rock giving way creating fingerprint masterpieces with no other formation looking like the other.

As you arrive at the first parking area (BeeHives), there is a formation at the edge of the lot that looks similar to the Sphynx in Egypt (although not to the same scale). Off in the distance, another cliff formation appears to have a face overlooking the valley.

As we moved just down the road further into the park, a medium sized rock formation sits out by itself appearing to be an Alaskan Igloo just waiting to be occupied. To the left of that formation, a rock face which has a 4 story platform you can climb to get a close view of the Native American Petroglyphs carved into the rock. Oh and if you turn around, a better view of the Igloo and awesome view of the desert valley.

Don’t miss stopping in at the Visitor Center halfway through the park or at the White Domes, Seven Sisters, and Elephant Rock sites just to name a few. There is limited camping in the park and on a moonless night, the sky comes alive with all the stars you won’t see in Vegas.

If you have a full day or more to visit the park there are numerous trails you can explore. You could even take the scenic route back to Vegas by exiting the Parks east gate and taking Hwy 167 which winds along Lake Mead to Henderson or Boulder City.

There is one thing I can assure you. If you come for the first time you’ll want to come back and you’ll want to bring everyone with you.