I stayed at one of the three group camp sites located in Valley of Fire State Park in late May 2012. I have since visited the park and done some of the day hikes so this review will reflect both trips. The group sites are located across the road from the other two campground and can hold roughly 45 people per site. I was with a field class of geologists and there were easily 30-40 of us each with our own tents and we fit just fine. The group camps have large dining and cooking areas with picnic tables and large grill spaces. Each site has its own bathroom as well. We loved climbing the nearby rocks and the sunset and sunrise views were incredible. The only issue I had with the site was the wind. We had experienced campers who had properly staked down their tents have tents blow away. My guess is that there were gusts up to 30+ mph. I decided to sleep in one of the vans because I didn’t want my tent to hit me in the face all night – great decision given how I was one of the few who got more than 4hrs sleep! The park is beautiful but do be mindful of the wind conditions before venturing out. Also I think the other campgrounds (Arch and Atlatl) are more protected than the group sites. These campgrounds are first come first serve and can book quickly in peak months.

As for the park, it is truly beautiful. I spent time hiking off White Domes Road and especially liked the Mouse’s Tank Trail and White Domes Loop. I would highly recommend stopping by the visitors center as it was packed with good information and neat specimens. I stopped by Atlatl Rock to look at the petroglyphs and the Sunday I was there was a group offering atlatl practice throwing. The park was very busy in a bustling exciting way. This park does have a $10 entrance fee and I 100% think it is worth the price of admission. Be aware that it can get really crowded – as I was leaving there were about 30 cars lined up waiting to get in! Check here for an informative map of the park.