Valley of fire spot suggestion
Oct 20th, 2015, 06:49 PM
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Valley of fire spot suggestion
Hi All,
Will head to Las Vegas this Saturday for business conference. On Sunday, I am free prior to the busy work schedule. Instead of driving to Grand Canyon, Valley of Fire seems a lot more easier for me.
The park is quite big and got lots of attractions. Any particular must see ones you would recommend?
Should I go earlier, like start the car at 9am? On the return trip, I would like to stop by Hoover Dam, is it worth it?
Cheers
Will head to Las Vegas this Saturday for business conference. On Sunday, I am free prior to the busy work schedule. Instead of driving to Grand Canyon, Valley of Fire seems a lot more easier for me.
The park is quite big and got lots of attractions. Any particular must see ones you would recommend?
Should I go earlier, like start the car at 9am? On the return trip, I would like to stop by Hoover Dam, is it worth it?
Cheers
Oct 20th, 2015, 09:36 PM
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Absolutely you should go to Valley of Fire SP, it's one of the most amazing places I've ever been (I've been there twice, and can't wait to go back someday). It has an amazing variety of red sandstone rock formations, ancient petroglyphs, and other geologic features. It's only about an hour's drive from LV - the Grand Canyon, incredible though it is, is too far for a day trip from LV, in my opinion, and Valley of Fire is much more accessible, and very interesting and beautiful. Are you interested in hiking? If not, just driving around the park to the various places of interest and taking the short walks to see the petroglyphs, etc. shouldn't take more than about three or four hours at most (if you linger at each place), possibly less. If you are into photography, you may want to spend more time - this is one of the best places for photography I've been. If you want to do some hikes, factor in more time.
Hoover Dam is quite interesting, and if you have the whole day to explore, I'd add that. In fact, I'd start with that, instead of doing it on the way home. If you can buy tour tickets online (and you can make sure to get there by the time of your tour) I'd do that, though I don't know if you can. Lake Mead is at a very low level, and seeing that will bring home the impact of the ongoing drought. Also, you can walk out onto the pedestrian walkway of the new bridge that spans the Colorado high above the river, below the Hoover Dam, after climbing a stairway that leads up to it. We drove past there last April, and I wish we'd had time to do that, but my acrophobic husband was just as happy that we didn't. ;-) I bet the view is spectacular! I was disappointed to see that you couldn't see anything while driving over the bridge, but probably just as well - the view would probably be distracting, and truly acrophobic people might freak out if they could see how high up they were.
After leaving Hoover Dam, I'd take Lakeshore Road to Northshore Road to connect to Rt. 167 east, which will take you to the southern entrance of VoF SP. We drove that a couple of years ago, and I remember it as being fairly scenic. That drive should take a little over an hour.
Once you get into the park, drive to every vantage point or interesting rock formation and explore. Be sure to take Mouse's Tank Road, off to the east, as far as it will go (which is just a few miles). We realized too late when we were there that we would want to spend time exploring that part of the park and didn't get as far as we'd like (we were running out of time and daylight), but what we saw of that area looked really cool.
The reason I suggest you go to Hoover Dam first and save VoF for the afternoon is that the light on the rock formations there will be much better in the mid to late afternoon, and especially good if you can be there close to sunset (as long as it's not very cloudy or overcast). When it's close to sunset is when Valley of Fire lives up to its name. After your detour on Mouse's Tank Road, you should continue north. There's a vantage point at the top an incline near the north entrance to the park; be sure to stop and look back at the amazing scenery.
Once you exit the north entrance of the park, it's about an hour's drive back to Las Vegas. Have fun!
Hoover Dam is quite interesting, and if you have the whole day to explore, I'd add that. In fact, I'd start with that, instead of doing it on the way home. If you can buy tour tickets online (and you can make sure to get there by the time of your tour) I'd do that, though I don't know if you can. Lake Mead is at a very low level, and seeing that will bring home the impact of the ongoing drought. Also, you can walk out onto the pedestrian walkway of the new bridge that spans the Colorado high above the river, below the Hoover Dam, after climbing a stairway that leads up to it. We drove past there last April, and I wish we'd had time to do that, but my acrophobic husband was just as happy that we didn't. ;-) I bet the view is spectacular! I was disappointed to see that you couldn't see anything while driving over the bridge, but probably just as well - the view would probably be distracting, and truly acrophobic people might freak out if they could see how high up they were.
After leaving Hoover Dam, I'd take Lakeshore Road to Northshore Road to connect to Rt. 167 east, which will take you to the southern entrance of VoF SP. We drove that a couple of years ago, and I remember it as being fairly scenic. That drive should take a little over an hour.
Once you get into the park, drive to every vantage point or interesting rock formation and explore. Be sure to take Mouse's Tank Road, off to the east, as far as it will go (which is just a few miles). We realized too late when we were there that we would want to spend time exploring that part of the park and didn't get as far as we'd like (we were running out of time and daylight), but what we saw of that area looked really cool.
The reason I suggest you go to Hoover Dam first and save VoF for the afternoon is that the light on the rock formations there will be much better in the mid to late afternoon, and especially good if you can be there close to sunset (as long as it's not very cloudy or overcast). When it's close to sunset is when Valley of Fire lives up to its name. After your detour on Mouse's Tank Road, you should continue north. There's a vantage point at the top an incline near the north entrance to the park; be sure to stop and look back at the amazing scenery.
Once you exit the north entrance of the park, it's about an hour's drive back to Las Vegas. Have fun!
Oct 20th, 2015, 09:37 PM
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Valley of Fire is quite straight forward. You can get information at the visitor center. It can be seen rather quickly by car. How much time you need there depends on how much you hike.
The first time I went to Hoover Dam I enjoyed the experience, but when we went there a couple years ago they had done something to complicate the experience. We couldn't get out of there fast enough.
If I were to go for another attraction in the Las Vegas area, I'd go to Red Rock Canyon, which is another interesting landscape of the kind not found in the country well-known for people who say "cheers."
HTtY
The first time I went to Hoover Dam I enjoyed the experience, but when we went there a couple years ago they had done something to complicate the experience. We couldn't get out of there fast enough.
If I were to go for another attraction in the Las Vegas area, I'd go to Red Rock Canyon, which is another interesting landscape of the kind not found in the country well-known for people who say "cheers."
HTtY
Oct 21st, 2015, 02:47 AM
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Do check out the petroglyphs on the path to Mouse's Tank as well as those at atl atl rock.
Pick up sandwiches or some other picnic items before you head to the park as there was no place to get food in the park the last time we went there. Bring water too.
Also check out the beehives (rock formations), panoramic point, the CCC cabins and the VC.
Pick up sandwiches or some other picnic items before you head to the park as there was no place to get food in the park the last time we went there. Bring water too.
Also check out the beehives (rock formations), panoramic point, the CCC cabins and the VC.
Oct 21st, 2015, 07:14 AM
#5
The day that I went to VofF from Las Vegas, I met a small group that were on a Pink Jeep tour. The Pink Jeep drivers know the best places. From Valley of Fire, I used the Lakeshore roads mentioned to get down to Hoover Dam. If you go to Hoover Dam, make sure to walk up to the walkway on the new high bridge.
You can also go out Charleston to see the Red Rocks area.
You can also go out Charleston to see the Red Rocks area.
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