Popular Nevada park to celebrate opening of new visitor center — PHOTOS
Looking to escape the Las Vegas Valley and embrace the great outdoors?
Circle this date on your calendar: Saturday, Nov. 22. That’s the day Valley of Fire State Park in Overton unveils its new $30 million visitor center.
The celebration begins at 9:30 a.m. and will last until 3 p.m., park officials said in a news release.
Last year, the Nevada Division of State Parks broke ground on the new visitor center, which will feature “state of the art” exhibits that explain the cultural and geological history of the park.
The center also will replicate the park’s slot canyons and other landscapes, and include a larger gift shop and outdoor amphitheater that can seat up to 200 guests, the agency said.
When Valley of Fire, Nevada’s first state park, opened in the mid-1930s, it saw 9,000 visitors during its first year. Its current visitor center opened in 1969 and was remodeled in the 1980s when the park saw fewer visitors than today.
With the park’s visitation growing from 450,000 guests to 750,000 guests annually between 2011 and 2021, Nevada State Parks said a new center was needed to accommodate issues with overcrowding during peak seasons at the old center, included limited parking options and restrooms.
In 2023, Valley of Fire became the first state park to implement the Reserve Nevada system for purchasing day-use passes and annual permits, reserving campsites and cabins to help address overcrowding issues.
The new center was built with funds from the Helmsley Charitable Trust, which granted $7 million for the project, Nevada State Parks said. Also, the Conserve Nevada Program contributed $8 million to the project.
The park, at 29450 Valley of Fire Road in Overton, is about an hour northeast of Las Vegas in eastern Clark County, just north of Lake Mead National Recreation Area.
Schedule of events (most at amphitheater)
9:30 a.m.: ribbon-cutting remarks from park staff and dignitaries.
10:30 a.m.: wildlife talk with the Nevada Department of Wildlife.
11 a.m.: geology talk with Nevada State Parks.
11 a.m.: The new 10-minute orientation film, “Valley of Fire: A Journey Through Time and Stone,” narrated by actor William Shatner, debuts in the new indoor theater. The film will play every 15 minutes.
11:30 a.m.: Nevadaromeus dinosaur presentation with Josh Bonde and Becky Hall.
Noon: Hiker’s Education Course with the Nevada Division of Outdoor Recreation.
Vendors and booths
— Local food and beverage options are available from Chaskas & Sweets, Las Vegas Brewing Co., Tacos & Salsas, VKM Thaifood and BBQ, Headframe Coffee and Goodfellas Grill.
— Visitors can browse booths and exhibits from Lost City Museum, Fern Teal Designs, Zeeta Body, the State Historic Preservation Office and Nataniel’s Astro Road Trips Photography.
Parking and camping
— Limited parking will be available at the new visitor center, located between Petrified Logs and Beehives. Overflow parking will be located at Petrified Logs Trailhead and Beehives Trailhead. Parking along Valley of Fire Road will not be permitted.
— The park will open at 7 a.m., and visitors are encouraged to arrive early to secure parking.
— Camping reservations inside Valley of Fire are currently full for that weekend; however, dispersed camping is available on nearby BLM land outside of the park.
New Southern Nevada visitor centers
In the last 15 years, new visitor centers have emerged at various parks throughout the region.
— In January 2024, Ice Age Fossils State Park opened at the northern end of Las Vegas.
— In 2014, a new 10,000-square-foot visitor center was unveiled inside the Desert National Wildlife Refuge at Corn Creek, about 30 miles northwest of Las Vegas, just east of Interstate 11.
— In 2010, a new $23 million visitors center opened at Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, bordering the Summerlin area in western Las Vegas.
Contact Mark Davis at mdavis@reviewjournal.com.
