Camping at Valley of Fire State Park, NV

While visiting my parents in North Las Vegas, Nevada this summer my mom organized a family camping trip to Valley of Fire State Park. This was my 17-month old son’s first time camping so it was perfect for a family affair. It’s only an hour drive from Las Vegas but you feel like you’re in a different world! The park is great for a drive through – not only will you see the striking geological formations, with any luck you will also see some big horn sheep. There is a range of hiking for different levels, and one can picnic at various spots or camp in one of two campgrounds. The state of Nevada has implemented an online reservation system so you can easily reserve camping spots ahead of time. Reservations are not required for daytime visits. 

The Park 

Valley of Fire State Park sits on around 46,000 acres of land located south of Overton, Nevada. The park is renowned for the bright red Aztec sandstone and also contains petrified trees, and 2000-year old petroglyphs. 

The entrance is about 1 hour from the Las Vegas strip, making it a perfect quick camping trip for locals and visitors alike. The park is open from sunrise to sunset for day-trippers and 24 hours a day for campers. Some hiking trails are closed during the summer months because of the heat. For a trail perfect for a stroll and some photos I recommend checking out the White Domes loop. It’s a little over a mile long loop through sandstone formations though it is closed during the summer because of the heat. I did this loop on another trip in April, and it was perfect weather for this trail. 

Admission 

For day passes it costs in-state Nevada residents $10 per car to enter the park and out-of-state residents $15. Similarly campsite rentals are $20 for Nevada residents and $25 for out-of-state visitors. 

The Setup 

There are two campsites within the park, Atlatl and Arch Rock. We stayed at Atlatl and lucked out with a spot fairly close to the bathroom. Each campsite has fire pits, water and a covered picnic table. Since it does get very hot in the summer, I recommend getting to the park in the late afternoon if you’re going to spend a lot of time outside. I would call our setup more like glamping since my brother has a 4Runner with a built-in kitchen in the back and James Baroud tent (which my dad’s truck has as well). This is my type of camping. 

The Food 

My brother has propane burners that pull out of the back of his car with a propane hookup which makes cooking in a camping setting extremely easy. We used pre-marinated beef from Trader Joe’s to make carne asada tacos with flour tortillas and an onion, jalapeño and cilantro topping that I typically include on my chicken street tacos. 

When cooking in this type of setting, I recommend prepping as much as possible ahead of time since cutting space is limited (as is dish washing). We made the onion salsa topping in advance and marinated the meat so all we had to do was cook and slice it to assemble tacos and a few quesadillas. I love enamel plates because they are reusable and durable – just bring a bucket to take them home in (makes it easier than washing it all there). 

Because of the desert setting it is important to note any fire bans in effect locally. We were able to use propane, and after dinner we made s’mores over the stove. When it comes to s’mores, I find it’s best for everyone to make their own because it’s really as divisive as how you like your meat cooked – do you like it basically just warmed, golden brown or charred to a crisp? 

Quick Tips for Camping at Valley of Fire State Park 

• Bring sunscreen! 
• While they have water spigots, I recommend bringing your own water (and ice). This may seem intuitive, but you go through a lot of water! 
• Pets are welcome but must be on leash. 
• Reservations are required for the high season, from May 11 to September 30th.