Valley of Fire to Las Vegas: Drive, Fees and Closures

Valley of Fire is one of several desert trips from the city. If you are also weighing a las vegas to zion national park day trip, this one is far shorter and fits in a single day.

Step 1: Measure Valley of Fire to Las Vegas by road

Valley of Fire is 55 miles northeast of Las Vegas, and the drive takes about an hour. Both numbers sit on the state's park map, which says the park is "off Interstate 15". The same map shows a slower scenic route that takes about 1 hour 30 minutes.

Drive north on I-15 out of the city. The park's own pages name Exit 75 and Valley of Fire Road, which is Highway 169. The address is 29450 Valley of Fire Rd, Overton, NV 89040.

There is no public bus to the park. The Regional Transportation agency (RTC) runs the city's buses, and its pages cover the Strip and Downtown, not this park. Without a car, your choices are a rental car, a rideshare or taxi with a driver who will wait, or a tour. For rides inside the city, see how to get around Las Vegas.

Pro Tip Fill the tank and buy water before you leave the city. The park map lists a "nearest gas" distance from the visitor center, so treat the park as a place with no quick refill.

Step 2: Check the entrance and the fee before you leave

The day-use fee is $15 per vehicle with plates from outside Nevada, and $10 with Nevada plates. Both prices are on the state's Valley of Fire page. It also lists $2 for each bike. Reservations are not required for day use.

The west entrance is closed Monday to Thursday. From August 3, 2026, crews are building a new entrance lane and fee booth. The park's closure notice says the west entrance stays open Friday to Sunday. On Monday to Thursday you enter through the east entrance, by Highway 169 or Highway 167. The notice gives no end date, so check it before you go.

Map apps may not know about this schedule. Look at the park's page on the morning you leave. On a Monday to Thursday, expect a longer route to the east gate than the 55 miles above.

Key Takeaway Valley of Fire costs $15 per car for most visitors from Las Vegas, but the west gate is shut Monday to Thursday, so a midweek trip uses the east entrance.

Step 3: Pick the season, the hours and the closures

The park is open every day from sunrise to sunset, and the visitor center is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The state's park page lists these hours. Visitors must be out of the park by sunset, so a winter trip leaves you less daylight.

Two closures matter. Many trails close every year from May 15 to September 30 because of the heat. These include White Domes Loop, Fire Wave and Seven Wonders, Pink Canyon, Pinnacles and Arrowhead. Past rescues and deaths in summer led to the rule, the state says. The whole park also closes to everyone, even on foot, from December 1 to December 14 each year.

Summer highs often pass 100°F and can reach 120°F. Winters are mild, from freezing to the mid-70s. That makes fall, spring and the weeks around the December closure the easiest times to go.

No park page publishes a list of its busiest hours or a crowd forecast. Arriving at sunrise, when the gate opens, is the plain way to beat the heat.

Step 4: Plan the drive and the trails inside the park

The road through the park is short, and the walks are what take the time. The park map shows Valley of Fire Road at 35 mph for 7 miles between the west and east fee booths. White Domes Road is a side road of 5.5 miles one way at 25 mph.

The map lists these walks, with distances from the park:

Trails run over loose sand and rough ground and often feel longer than listed. Stop at the visitor center early in your visit, as the park recommends, and ask which hikes fit your time.

Red Rock Canyon is the other nearby choice. The Bureau of Land Management puts it 17 miles west of the Strip and 30 minutes away. Red Rock needs a timed-entry reservation from October 1 to May 31 for entry between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Valley of Fire needs none, but it is 55 miles away. Pick Red Rock for a short trip, and Valley of Fire for a full day. The Red Rock Canyon tours page covers that trip.

The best desert day is the one that matches the daylight you have, not the one with the most stops.

Step 5: Decide between driving yourself and a Valley of Fire tour

Drive yourself if you want your own pace, and take a tour if you do not want to drive 55 miles each way in the heat. A car gives you the most time in the park. A tour gives you a driver and a guide, and the park fee is often included, so you pay one price.

Things to Do in Las Vegas's count of GetYourGuide listings in October 2026 found 7 Valley of Fire tours from Las Vegas by road, from €88 to €151, with a middle price of €114 per person. You can browse the road trips to Valley of Fire State Park on the tours page.

Three suit different readers. The small-group day with lunch, from €88 per person, runs 6 hours for up to 13 people and rates 4.9 from 856 reviews on GetYourGuide. Jupiter Legend Corporation runs it, and the listing includes hotel pickup, the park entry ticket, a deli lunch, water and snacks. It is the most-reviewed pick.

The guided hike with drinks and snacks, from €115 per person, lasts 4 to 6 hours for up to 12 people. It rates 4.9 from 570 reviews, and Love Hikes runs it. The listing says it is not suitable for children under 8 or pregnant women, and it lists tips as not included.

The sunset tour with hotel transfers, from €114 per person, lasts 5 hours and rates 5.0 from 202 reviews. JNS Just Never Stop LLC runs it. It picks up from any hotel on the Strip and includes the entrance fee. The listing says it starts at 1:30 p.m. in winter and 4 p.m. in summer, and you get the exact time the day before.

All three listings offer free cancellation up to 24 hours before, as they state. Read the terms on the listing before you pay. Prices and ratings above are as of October 2026.

A tour is the wrong choice if you want to stay for hours on one trail or arrive at sunrise. The tours follow a set plan, and the park closes at sunset anyway. The tour listings do not publish the trails each trip walks, so check the listing for the route.