Valley of Fire, Red Rock Canyon, etc.....

My wife and I will be in Vegas in January and we are thinking about trying something different. Anybody have any advice/tips on Valley of Fire, Red Rock Canyon, or something similar?

Interested in spending 1-5 hours one day.

Thanks!

 

Both are great. I prefer VOF. But it would help if we knew more about your interests (hiking, biking, scenic vistas, etc). You really can't go wrong either way, as both are fun

 

Just really want to see some cool and unique stuff (things that we don't have in Arkansas). I would love to do a bunch of hiking....my wife, not so much, but I might be able to get her to do a little.

 

Last night I booked A Red Rock PM Express Tour for the Wednesday during my trip. I'll be picked up about 1pm. The tour is suppose to last four hours.

xman30

 

In that case, go with VOF. The trails there are not as strenuous as most of the trails at RR. Plus you can see petroglyphs and multi-colored rock formations (more than just the red at RR) that you can't see in the South. I describe VOF as a time machine. The stuff you see just seems so out of place with the world today. Skip the petrified logs. That's the most boring part of the park

 

Both places are interesting and have their own charm but here's another vote for VOF. Personally, I enjoyed there more than RR.

 

Red Rock is a lot closer. About half an hour from the Strip if you have a car. Close to Red Rock casino, Suncoast and Rampart for some gambling/bevvies on the way back ...

The loop is interesting to drive with several places to park and take a walk/hike. Lots of distances/difficulties to choose from. The Visitor Centre at the beginning is interesting as well.

Another choice is Mt. Charleston. You can drive to about 7000'. About the same time as to Valley of Fire.

 

We have decided to rent a car on our trip and do Red Rock canyon. We are going to do the Scenic Loop Road and then stop in at Red Rock Casino on the way back.

I found this website which has a lot of great photos and information. Go back to their home page and you can find the Valley as well.

http://www.birdandhike.com/Hike/Red_Rocks/_RR_Over/_RR_over.htm

 

Beautiful area. Very different from the other two. But the hiking in this area might be more than the OP is looking for

 

Thanks!

 

Thanks!

 

Thanks guys!

 

Both are well worth it, but I kinda consider RRC to the the warm-up act and VOF the headliner!

As an aside, RRC will take your National Park pass but VOF will not.

When you go to VOF, take the long way back around the lake.

 

Correct, because VOF is a State park, not federal land

 

This hits the nail on the head exactly. Hit RR first. You will be impressed.

Then hit VOF the next trip. You will be even more impressed. And the drive back Lake Mead way is also beautiful.

If you do them the other way around, RR might disappoint you. Even though it shouldn't. They're both worth visiting.

 

Do both. (RR is about 45 min, VF is about 3-4 hours)
Red Rock is prettier when you go from Blue Diamond Blvd to Charleston instead of starting at Charleston. So, take I-15 South to Blue Diamond. Head up the mountain and make a right onto NV-159. This is the road that goes through RR. Enjoy the view. Don't bother with hiking here. Come out on the other side on Charleston Blvd and take I-215 North to I-15 North.
Valley of Fire has some interesting stops as well as a tourist/museum center. Nice place to hit the restroom and read up on the area. Drive through making the stops you want, hike a little, and come out the far side onto NV-169 (Northshore Rd). Make a right onto NV-169 and enjoy the great views of the drive along Lake Mead all the way back to Las Vegas. Make a right turn onto NV-147 which becomes Las Vegas Blvd right back to the heart of the city.
They make for a fantastic way to spend 1/2 - 3/4 of a day.

 

Valley of Fire and Death Valley are great Winter road trips from LV. Mt. Charleston is a great Summer trip but not so much during the Winter.

 

If you want something totally different, consider the scoot city tour of Red Rock Canyon, see http://www.scootcitytours.com/ ............basically you drive a 3 wheel open air scooter from Summerlin out to the Canyon and do a loop on the roads around the park. There are numerous stops for scenic areas and a bit of hiking if you like, you travel in a "pack" with other scooters, it was a lot of fun! They pick you up and drop you off at your hotel ( we were at the Wynn so we were the last on and first off)......I got mine with a groupon, also had a discount code for the groupon, , between 5 and 6 hours from hotel and back to hotel. Man, you get some strange looks on the street as you are cruising, lol!!!

 

Thanks guys!

That scooter tour looks fun!