We are going to Vegas in July (I know hot as hell, but it's my birthday ) Last July we visited the Hoover Dam...it was 114 degrees but nice to have a day away from the strip- an oddly did not feel so hot due to no humidity . This year we want to go to the valley of fire as a day trip and I have a few questions.

How long does it take to drive there?

Do you get out and walk or do you drive thru it? Are there marked paths or do you just pull over the side of the road and walk a bit? Are there info/ranger stastions about the park?

If you do walk around do you have to worry about snakes and other critters that I would freak out about?

Thanks so much....sorry about the stupid questions

You are not asking stupid questions!!

I seem to recall driving time to Valley of Fire being about an hour from Vegas. You can drive, but there are lots of short hikes. My favorites were to Mouse's Tank (lots of petroglyphs along this hike) and I think the hike was called White Dome - it was about a mile hike and part of it is thru a slot canyon. There are also places where it's fun just to stop and scramble around the red rock scenery, arches, etc. There is an info station at the park.

Hi, Annabel. We went to Valley of Fire in late April/early May, and it was already hot! Bring lots of water with you, because once you get there, you won't be able to find any for sale.

I think it was about an hour from Las Vegas. You can just drive around, or you can get out and walk. We would stop the car when we saw something interesting and get out and walk. There are some hikes with trails and sometimes you can just get out and climb the red rocks.

It's very beautiful! I think you will love it. Bring your camera (and again -- LOTS OF WATER!!!)

Thanks guys...I really apreciate it. Thanks for the water tip, I always have a bottle where ever I go, but I know we'll need a lot more. I am entered in a slot tournament at the Bellagio for 3 days, so we are going to stay for 5 so we can see VoF.


I am feeling lucky

I think you'll really enjoy VoF -- intense heat and all! Don't know if they allow day-trippers to stay in park at sunset (we've always camped when we go), but if so the rocks are gorgeous at that time of day.

The visitor's center is worth checking out before you begin checking out the park.

VOF is awesome!

you are in for a treat. my favorite hike there is the white domes hike. it's all the way at the north end of the park. it's really spectacular - lots of different colors in the rocks and a slot canyon along the way. you can pretty much see & hike most of the trails in a day, since they are pretty short in length.

it's a great park. have fun!

Thank you for all the great info. we are looking forward to seeingn it. I have a feeling that it may be the highlight of this trip.....well maybe, winning a lot of money would bed nice too!