We were going to spend a week or two camping at Lake Mead, but it just ended up not being what we wanted to do. We had a couple of people come visit and on top of that, its hard to find warm weather destinations this time of year. Okay, you’re right, “excellent” is a relative term… But it’s free so we’ve gotta be at least half way to excellent, right?Īs usual, we spent a lot more time than planned around the Vegas area. It is dry camping just like Poverty Flats, but it is further from VOF.Hello there travelers! It’s been a really long time since I wrote anything meaningful… which means I think it’s time to talk about an excellent free camping spot. The lake has receded so much that you’re quite far from the water and it’s not picturesque. Echo Bay is another option, but it isn’t ideal either. If you stay vigilant, you’ll end up getting a site. From what we observed, getting there at about 9 am you’ll see sites start to open up. If you layover here, you can get to the camping areas within the park, and be there inside of 15 minutes. Most importantly, you’re just outside the southern entrance to the Park. However, there is a TON of space and it is very flat as the name suggests. The camping here is not ideal, there is no available water and there are quite a few trailers and RV’s running generators. If you can’t find a spot, the closest and free option is Poverty Flats, just off Highway 169 in Moapa Valley. Now that I have been there, I’ll answer this for anyone who, like us, finds themselves with a Jeep-load of camping gear and no available campsites in Valley of Fire State Park (VOF). Arrive early if you want some peace and quiet. Tour buses and hikers and families flooded the park about 3 hours after opening. I enjoyed hours of quiet solitude until the crowds picked up. Animals ALWAYS have the right of way, so don't be a jerk. Be sure to watch out for local wildlife: there was an actual traffic jam caused by bighorn sheep that just didn't want to budge. There are several loops that I drove multiple times. There is a ton to see just off the road, and you can never get out of your car and still experience the beauty. The park has lots of hiking trails, but I did not take any. There is a very easy "hike" by the parking lot, which is great if (like me) you aren't experienced but still want to get some photos of the gorgeous red rock formations. There's a small museum at the center, a tiny gift shop, rangers on hand to answer questions, restrooms, and a "backyard" with multiple bird feeders that allows for terrific bird watching. I made a beeline for the small visitors center to look at a park map and get any other valuable information. I arrived before opening, so I had to sit and wait for about 20 minutes. It was my first visit, and I didn't have much of a plan. Wanting some alone time, I set out very early for Valley of Fire state park with my phone, a cooler, hat, and sunscreen. I'm not big on nature, but I started to dip my toe in the great outdoors during the 2020 lockdown. Overall we enjoyed the beautiful rock scenery, took some nice pictures, and the kids enjoyed climbing the rocks. There was a hike after you get out of the parking lot and some of our group took a short hike. It looked far on the map but wasn't too much further up the path. After the visit to the visitor center, we made our way to White Domes Loop. They were much cleaner than the ones out on the trails. There were restrooms inside and outside of the visitor center. They also have Wi-Fi, but you will have to pay $3 and up. One of our next stops was the visitor center and the family enjoyed looking at the various souvenirs, trinkets, and snacks. The rocks were easy to climb at this location and there were great views of the wind holes and rock structures. One of the first stops was Beehives and this was a really nice spot for the kids. The drive was pretty easy from the city and the traffic was relatively fast and then it slowed toward the park entrance where we paid the $15 entrance fee per car. The Valley of Fire State Park was a fun day trip from our Las Vegas Hotel for the whole family.
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