Postcard from Nevada: Valley of Fire State Park

An hour’s drive from Las Vegas, the otherworldly Valley of Fire State Park comprises 40,000 acres of Aztec sandstone rock formations rising from and contrasting against gray and tan limestone beds. The park is also notable for its innumerable petroglyphs, some dating back more than 2,000 years and serving as evidence that humans have long lived in the region.

While the petroglyphs were, admittedly, a hard sell with our two children, the rocks were not. Both our 4-year-old and 8-year-old were eager to scale and climb their way to the tops of the dramatic formations, solving the jigsaw puzzle that Mother Nature had posed before them. We explored both the 3/4-mile Mouse’s Tank trail and the White Domes area, and found them to be easy for little legs and also fun for grownups. 

The highlight of our visit, though, was spotting a group of bighorn sheep just as we were entering the park. Is there any greater thrill for children (and even some adults) than seeing animals in the wild? We watched the sheep graze and nonchalantly hop up and down the rocks. Along with the sheep, roadrunners, coyotes, kit fox, jackrabbits and the rare desert tortoise all call this desert terrain home.

For younger children especially, the park’s dramatic landscape is a great introduction to outdoorsy exploration, a perfect stepping stone to an eventual Grand Canyon visit.

Relevant Links:

Browse all accommodations and things to do in Nevada with kids on Ciao Bambino

Kid-friendly things to do in Las Vegas

Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas highlights with kids

Hello Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe for families

Editor’s Note: Photo by Tanvi Chheda.