Las Vegas via Valley of Fire and Death Valley

Noth America United States of America

Duration : 3 Days / Driving Time : 6 hours Total Distance : 420 km

The route described here is ideal for a short visit of the 2 nicest parks close to Las Vegas : Valley of Fire and Death Valley. This short circuit can be coupled with the Utah and Arizona National Parks circuit to have a full week circuit. The route details including interest points can be found HERE. 

Day #1 : Valley of Fire

Valley of Fire is only 45 minutes from Las Vegas. Exit the city by the North and join Interstate 15 and exit the Highway at exit 75 which takes directly to Valley of Fire State Park entrance. The park entrance is 10$ per vehicle.

On the map above, entrance of the Valley of Fire State Park is from the bottom left, and the first thing you will come across are the Beehives and the Arch Rock which you can see below.

They are worth a quick walk around, just like Elephant Rock, on the East part of the park, but the best part of Valley of Fire begins on the road going North from the Visitor's center, with a scenic narrow drive right up the center of Valley of Fire, which ends up at a dead end, known as the White Domes.

One of the most colourful areas is half way up the road, in a place called Rainbox Vista and in which there is a fantastic curiosity named the Fire Wave (position provided on the route map)

Right at the end of the road, you reach the White Domes. This place is perfect for an evening stop for dinner (there are barbecue installations available and you simply need to bring your coal & meet to organize a dinner out there)

From the White Domes car park, you can take a walk South, that will lead to a beautiful slot canyon.

Day #2 : Las Vegas Hotels & Shows

Depending on how much you wish to explore, and how fun you will find the crazyness of this city, you may be fed up with Las Vegas after only 1 or 2 days, or still be looking for more after an entire week. Here is a list of ideas of things really worth seeing for a first tourist tour of the city :

Below, you see the show of the Bellagio fountains, in addition to Excalibur and MGM hotels.

Mirage Hotel is not really worth visiting inside. However, its water basin hosts a beautiful volcano show

Further south on the Strip you will find multiple shops. The example below is the M&Ms store where they virtually put everything they could brand under M&Ms. 

By walking down The Strip (which is the main road driving through Las Vegas), you will see all the beautiful hotels that each have something specific...

New York New York reproduces New York's Skyscrapers and hosts an amazing Steak House (Gallagher's Steakhouse) in addition to the Big Apple Roller Coaster that will take you all around the hotel and provide a fantastic scenery on the city

Paris hotel is less exciting but has a more romantic look and provides an indoor reproduction of famous streets and places of Paris. Its Eiffel Tower is both a viewpoint on the city in addition to a good restaurant. 

The Venetian & Palazzo hotel used to be the largest hotel in the world. Since the construction of First World Hotel in Malaysia, it is, in 2017, the 2nd largest hotel in the world with a capacity of 7000+ rooms! The Venetian is really worth the detour as they reproduced Venise attractions such as the gondolas on which you can take a ride. 

Last but not least is the Stratosphere which is located in the far north end of the Strip and hosts a panoramic restaurant

Day #3 : Death Valley

One piece of advice before driving to death valley: make sure you have a car with air conditionning. Indeed, temperatures burst records in this area of the world and even in early season, you can get trapped by the intense heat of the entire valley. Death Valley, deprived from the Pacific Ocean humidity which is drained by the mountain ranges to its West, holds the record of heat on Earth surface (56 degrees, measured at Furnace Creek in 1913).

From Las Vegas, you will arrive via Death Valley Junction which is where Route 190 leaves Route 127 towards the west. The landscapes start looking more and more desert and sand and rock progressively replace the vegetation.

The first point of interest in Deah Valley is only 25 minutes drive from Death Valley Junction and known as Zabriskie Point. It is located at the north tip of the Amargosa mountain range and presents amazing shapes craeted by erosion.

When continuing on Route 190, you will be able to turn onto Badwater Road which goes South, just before Furnace Creek. After 15 minutes drive from Zabriskie Point, a small road will come from the left. This is the return road of the Artits Drive. Take the following road to the left and enjoy the fantastic scenery along the Artists Drive. There will be a short road to the right about half way along the drive which takes you to the Artist's Palette (map HERE). From that point you will see an astonishing scenery of rocks with a great variety of colours due to multiple types of metals that compose them. 

Once you have completed the Artists Drive, you can continue South on Badwater Road until you read Badwater. Badwater is a place covered with salt formations and, with its altitude of 86 meters below sea level, it corresponds to the lowest point of the North American continent. Close to the car park, you will certainly see remaining water but you will be able to walk along the salt path to reach a set of hexagonal shapes which are created by the salt when water evaporates