We luckily got the last spot in the campground on a hot day in May. The goal was originally to spend the day on the lake and then end the day hiking the Fire Wave so it wasn't super hot. Well, we woke up at 7:30 and it was already getting hot and busy so we decided to head up to the Fire Wave to start the day. We finished the short 1 mile round trip hike before 9 am and it was already 90+ degrees. By that time of day there were hundreds of people hiking all around out campsite so we headed out for the day.
I think coming here when it isn't a break or the weekend would be ideal. We just happened to pass through during the busy weekend when the Vegas vacationers came out for a day trip.
I drive through here during the week in March and it was silent and desolate. Absolutely beautiful to be out there solo. Water is scarce so be prepared for that. Also, swim beaches are not near Valley of Fire so be prepared to drive through the beauty of Lake Mead Recreational Area to get to a place where you can jump in. This place is amazing! The igneous rock takes your breathe away.
We go camping here every year. Campsites are spread out nice. They have 3 walk in sites that are away from the other sites, those are our favorite ones. It's not far to walk your stuff up to the sites.
Pulled in and got lucky space open right across from the restroom/showers, beautiful weather. Several animal sightings Bighorn Sheep, large lizard and prairie dogs! Great time!
Absolute Silence at night. Even when the campground is full. stars so bright. Longhorn everywhere. If you can sleep in the desert, this is the place to stay. it’s perfect.
This is a very hot but wonderful place to visit! Coming back a for a second go this summer (2018) showing my kiddos the wonders of the desert life. It is best to go later when the sun is cooling down although it will still be hott! Seeing Elephant Rock, the lizards, and crawling around the wind whipped terrain made me feel like I was a child again on a new playground. Bring water and take in the heat!
I'd been wanting to visit Valley of Fire for months, but we can get out on a six-hour trip in the summer, winter, and spring only. Summer would be too hot for us Arizonans trying to escape the high temperatures, and I've heard the springtime is really, uncomfortably windy there. So. Winter won and we found that it's quite possibly the best time to visit Valley of Fire. The daytime temps were in the mid-60s, and the nights went into the low 40s. What I forgot was that Nevada is on Pacific time so sunset was early at 4:30, but we kept a campfire going and enjoyed the evenings even if we had to come in for the night by 9 pm. That made waking up to awesome sunrises more enjoyable anyway.
We stayed at Atlatl Campground, which is first come/first served. When we arrived, we saw a lot of RVs and nearly lost hope, but there was one spot where we could park our 25ft trailer and it turned out to be one of the best campsites there. Site #8's tent pad, grill, table, and fire ring are behind a huge rock, so if privacy is what you're after this is the place! However, the site doesn't have hookups, so if you're looking for those you would have to be in the more open spaces. They aren't right on top of each other, but there isn't a lot of things blocking views of other RVs. We found the non-hookup sites were more desirable here in terms of camping ambiance. Besides, no hook-up sites were open so it wasn't a decision we had to make. :) We could hear generators occasionally, but for the most part this place was very, very quiet.
The hosts are friendly and keep the place neat and tidy. The restrooms and showers were clean, with flush toilets and hot water in the showers. The dump station was fine, and there is fresh water available to fill your tank. Also, each site has a water spigot, so that was handy! You can't easily fill your tank because the spigot doesn't have rings to connect a hose, but it's doable. We know this because we forgot to fill our tank before getting our spot. We were so worried about getting a space. Ha! It worked out.
The campground is surrounded by giant red rock formations, and there are some in the middle of it, too. It's perfect for kids and adults both to climb for hours and days. It's kind of like Joshua Tree, but the rocks are easier to climb on--closer together and the spaces between aren't as sketchy. Plus the rocks are soft sandstone so they don't scratch as much. It really is fun to explore all around the rocks and see the park from high vantage points.
It's the desert, so expect a lot of dust. What I hadn't expected was so much sand on the hiking trails. I find it difficult to trudge through soft sand, so although the park's popular hikes are short, expect them to be more of a challenge due to the sand. The awesome views make up for it, though. Bighorn sheep, awesome rock formations, slot canyons, so many different colors, and even ancient petroglyphs are pleasant distractions from the workout on the legs. Don't miss the Fire Wave, White Domes, and the hike to Mouse's Tank. Very cool.
Our T-Mobile service came and went with the wind all through the park.
Overall, Valley of Fire did not disappoint. We were busy and entertained and loving being there at this perfect time of year.
Some of the most beautiful views I’ve ever seen. We made this a stop as a last minute decision and it was probably our favorite location. The White Domes trail is short but well worth it!! The campsites have nice facilities like water, showers, grills and covered (shaded) picnic tables. Roomy campsites and pretty private.
An excellent variety of trails to suit any level visitor! The trail to Mouses Tank is super easy and petroglyphs are abundant to the naked eye. A couple of the trail are marked "easy" yet I found them to actually be "moderate". The park is a bit over crowded on weekends yet empty in sections further in the park interior. Enjoy! Don't forget to peek over the hill and see the actual water at the end of the tank trail. A waterfall briefly appears during a rain and you have to be at trail end during or immediately following a summer shower.
Hands down an absolutely beautiful park! There are so many massive boulders, and rocks to climb on and around everywhere. There are only two different campsites in the park that have a small fee so make sure to bring cash, there are also drop toilets and each numbered campsite has a picnic table with chairs and a shade cover. The campsites are nestled right in between the rocks which make for a beautiful stay. There's a variation of hikes you can do which range from a couple of miles to just getting out of your car. It includes very interesting petroglyphs, cool rock formations, and lots of picture opportunities! I went in the beginning of the year and it actually started to rain/snow overnight. We also brought our dogs but had to keep them on a leash while on the main trails and at the campsite. The park also has a visitor's center .
