Visiting Valley of Fire or Red Rock Canyon in Las Vegas
CONSIDERING A VISIT TO VALLEY OF FIRE OR RED ROCK CANYON?
We’ve got all the info you need about both parks. Our family has been visiting Las Vegas since 2011 and we have spent a lot of time there. We have camped in the Valley of Fire and visited on many different occasions, so we know the ins and outs of these parks pretty well.
Red Rock Canyon and Valley of Fire State Park are just outside Las Vegas, Nevada. Both are beautiful areas to explore the red sandstone found in the area. Though they may seem similar, it’s important to note that Valley of Fire and Red Rock Canyon in Las Vegas are not the same thing.
Red Rock Canyon is about 25 minutes west of downtown Las Vegas and Valley of Fire is about 60 minutes northeast of downtown Las Vegas. The two parks are about an hour away from each other.
We will outline the differences between the two beautiful areas and what to expect from each one, hopefully helping you decide whether Valley of Fire or Red Rock Canyon is the right fit for you.
Red Rock Canyon
Red Rock Canyon State Park is beautiful but not as remote as the Valley of Fire. The park is smaller and consists of a one-way 13-mile scenic loop. Along the loop, there are multiple places to enjoy scenic views and hikes. Throughout the drive on the main road, you will enjoy gorgeous views, hiking, plants, wildlife, and geological wonders.
Make sure to bring plenty of water, and if you’re visiting when it is hot outside, visit in the early morning. This is a great place to hike when visiting Las Vegas in November when the summer temperatures have subsided.
We didn’t spend as much time in the park just due to how our schedule worked out, but we did enjoy a few small hikes and playing on the rocks. Our favorite stops in Red Rock Canyon in Las Vegas were Calico I, White Rock, and Red Spring Calico Basin.
Other top hikes in the area are the Ice Box Canyon Trail, Children’s Discovery Trail, and Keystone Thrust Trail.
From our experience, the hikes in Red Rock Canyon are longer and more difficult. If you don’t want to take a whole day out of your Las Vegas itinerary, this is a short distance from downtown that will give you the experience of red rocks hiking, taking some pictures, and exploring the beautiful Mojave desert in Red Rock Canyon in Las Vegas.
Red Rock Park Canyon Tours
A great way to experience either one or both of these beautiful places is on a tour. This is especially true if you don’t have transportation from Las Vegas or you’d like a hiking buddy out on the trail.
Red Rock Canyon Sunset Horseback Ride
A beautiful and unique way to experience Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is on a scenic horseback ride. This highly recommended tour will take you along the beautiful and winding mountain trails through some of the most beautiful parts of Red Rock Canyon. No prior riding experience is required!
Following your ride, you get to enjoy a barbeque dinner by the campfire, followed by roasting marshmallows for s’mores. This also includes round-trip transportation from the Las Vegas Strip and some Fremont Street hotels and hotels near the Las Vegas airport.
➡ Book Your Red Rock Canyon Horseback Ride Here
Other Highly Recommended Red Rock Canyon Tours:
HIKING IN RED ROCK: Red Rock Canyon Hiking Tour
ELECTRIC BIKES IN RED ROCK: Half-Day Electric Bike Tour
SCOOTERS IN RED ROCK: Scooter Tour of Red Rock Canyon
The Valley of Fire State Park
The Valley of Fire has a larger variety of scenery with vibrant colors and is Nevada’s oldest state park. There are more red rock formations, such as arches, petroglyphs, and a slot canyon on the White Domes Trail. You also have a chance to see the desert bighorn sheep that live in this park.
Because Valley of Fire is farther away from downtown Las Vegas, it is usually less crowded. You can also combine the drive easily with a drive along Shoreline Road at Lake Mead National Recreation Area. This is a great place to stop for a fun Hoover Dam tour.
If you head to Valley of Fire, we recommend making it a day trip and starting at the visitor center.
Some of our favorite hiking trails there are Mouse’s Tank, the Fire Wave, Seven Sisters, and the White Domes Trail. There are a lot of features just off the side of the road you can view as you drive by, or you can stop to explore. Our favorites are the Elephant Rock, the Beehives, and Atlatl Rock.
From our experience, there is more to see from your car and shorter hikes in the Valley of Fire vs. Red Rock Canyon. We love the scenic drive on the Valley of Fire Highway. Because there are easy hikes, visiting Valley of Fire State Park is one of our favorite things to do in Las Vegas with kids.
The drive through Valley of Fire is about 18 miles and would take about 45 minutes to drive without any stops.
If you have an RV with you, there are RV sites in the park. We have gone RV camping here before and had a great time in this Nevada State Park.
For more information about the Valley of Fire State Park, check out The Complete Guide: The Valley of Fire.
Valley of Fire Hiking Tour
This highly recommended Valley of Fire hiking tour includes transportation from the Las Vegas area along with your selection of hikes based on hiking difficulty level. Complimentary snacks and water are included. A professional guide will take you through the beautiful Valley of Fire State Park.
➡ Book Your Valley of Fire Hiking Tour Here
Valley of Fire and Red Rock Canyon Tour
If you just can’t make up your mind about which area you want to visit, don’t worry! Both are very beautiful and well worth a visit. This highly-rated tour will take you through both the Valley of Fire and Red Rock Canyon.
Pickup from the Las Vegas strip or downtown hotel is included in the tour and will first take you through the Valley of Fire. You will spend about four hours in the Valley of Fire before heading over to Red Rock Canyon.
Keep in mind there are a slew of Las Vegas helicopter tours that offer amazing aerial views of these areas too!
➡ Book Your Valley of Fire and Red Rock Canyon Tour Here
Valley of Fire or Red Rock Canyon: Conclusion
After visiting both parks in a weekend, we will recommend Valley of Fire if you only have time for one. We go back to Valley of Fire every time we are in Las Vegas (we love Seven Magic Mountains too). I don’t think we will be back to Red Rock Canyon State Park.
You can take one long day to visit both parks, depending on the amount of hiking you want to do. If you are visiting both parks, we recommend going to see Red Rock Canyon in Las Vegas first to avoid comparing it so heavily with Valley of Fire State Park.
The Valley of Fire State Park entrance fee is $10, and the Red Rock Canyon State Park is included in the America the Beautiful Card. If you don’t have the pass, the entrance fee is $15 per car.
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Las Vegas is such a great city to visit, whether you’re looking to spend time on the Las Vegas Strip or explore the beautiful national parks and hiking trails in this part of the United States. If you’re looking for more info on traveling to Las Vegas, Nevada, check out these additional Las Vegas travel guides:
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- Visiting Valley of Fire or Red Rock Canyon in Las Vegas
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Both of these parks look beautiful. Do you think it is worth it to visit both parks if you have time? We will be in Las Vegas for four days. We aren’t planning on spending a lot of time at the strip.
If you love hiking or the outdoors then I do think visiting both would be fun. There are unique things about each park. I would just plan on allowing more time for the Valley of Fire.
What about doing a tour with a company or on your own?
Hi Andrea! We have always gone through the park ourselves. It isn’t very big and pretty easy to navigate. However, if you enjoy tours or don’t have a rental car this might be a good option for you. One thing we really love about tours is how knowledgeable the guides are about things we would miss ourselves. At other places we do enjoy the tours because they have great insights and stories about the area.