Get on your bike and ride to the Valley of Fire

The Valley of Fire loop offers motorcycle enthusiasts an awe-inspiring ride surrounded by breathtaking scenery. This 130-mile trek is the ideal day trip from Las Vegas for anyone who wants to trade the hustle and bustle of the city for the serene scenes of Nevada’s largest and oldest state park.

The journey begins in northeast Las Vegas. Take Interstate 15 North approximately 45 miles to the Valley of Fire highway at Exit 75. Travel along the state park road to Highway 167 and turn right to head back toward Las Vegas. Where Highway 167 ends, turn right to get to Henderson and take Boulder Highway into Las Vegas.

Valley of Fire charges a $10 entry fee for each vehicle. Fees are collected at self-pay stations and at the main fee booth at the park entrance.

As you travel through the Valley of Fire, you are sure to be amazed by the brilliant red sandstone formations that give the park its name. The shifting of sand dunes millions of years ago followed by eons of erosion have combined to create the otherworldly landscape that exists today. The rocks in some areas are adorned with pictographs created by prehistoric people from the Basket Maker tribes, as well as Anasazi Pueblo farmers who lived throughout the Moapa Valley.

Flora in the park includes brittlebush, burro bush, cactus, and creosote bush that provide a habitat for thriving populations of roadrunners, sage sparrows, spotted skunks, kit foxes, coyotes, jackrabbits, antelope ground squirrels and a wide variety of lizards and snakes. Most of these animals are nocturnal so you are unlikely to encounter much in the way of wildlife during your ride. If you’re lucky, though, you may just come across a magnificent but rare desert tortoise. This is a protected species in Nevada, so look but don’t touch.

Valley of Fire is a place where the scenery shifts with the seasons. During the springtime, desert mallow, indigo bush, desert marigold and other wildflowers are in full bloom framing the road with a dazzling splash of color.

As you head back towards Las Vegas on Highway 167, you will enter the Lake Mead National Recreational Area. The entry fee for this park is $15 per motorcycle.

Interstate 15 and the Valley of Fire Highway are well-maintained year-round offering excellent riding conditions for motorcyclists. Highway 167 is a bit rougher with a few bumps, so riders should remain alert to road conditions during that portion of the trip.

Amenities are scarce once you get inside the perimeters of the parks, so be sure to gas up your bike and stock up on snacks and beverages before you leave Las Vegas.

The best times of the year for visiting the Valley of Fire are during the fall and spring months when the outdoor temperature is mild. Summers are more extreme with large temperature fluctuations from day to night and daytime highs exceeding 100 degrees F on most days. This area receives less than 5 inches of rainfall per year with most of what it does get showing up as light showers during the winter and the occasional summer thunderstorm.