LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – The most popular state park in Southern Nevada is now closed. That has taken some would-be visitors who have made the trip out to Valley of Fire, only to be turned away, by surprise. The entire park is closed to the public to make much needed improvements.
From the ancient petroglyphs at Atlatl Rock, to the multi-colored swirls of the Fire Wave, to Instagram’s darling: Mouse’s Tank Road and the herds of big horn sheep often spotted there, Valley of Fire State Park has boomed in popularity in recent years as iconic pictures from the park have been widely shared on social media.
“Those red rocks just pop out of the landscape… It’s inspiring for sure,” shared Tyler Kerver, Education and Information Officer for Nevada State Parks.
“Social media has really promoted the park more than we can keep up with,” Kerver asserted.
The world-renowned 40,000 acres park is now the second most visited state park in Nevada with more than 800,000 visitors last year, only behind Sand Harbor in Lake Tahoe which welcomed more than a million people.
“We have a couple wedding vendors that constantly use the park. It’s a really beautiful spot and pretty unique in Nevada. So, it just attracts so much attention,” Kerver explained.
It is also Nevada’s oldest state park, which opened in 1934 and the infrastructure has not kept up with the surging demand. The main priorities during the two-week closure: adding restrooms and a new visitor center which will require a new roadway, work that needs to be done during the cooler months which happen to be the park’s most popular.
“December, January, and February. Usually, our highest numbers,” Kerver revealed.
For the last few months, the park has been trying to get the word out about the full closure on their website and social media accounts. Now until December 15, both entrances will remain closed to all visitors. The message has not reached everyone.
“People are showing up. Unfortunately…It’s just two weeks that we can’t visit,” Kerver stated.
While Valley of Fire is closed, visitors are encouraged to explore other nearby Nevada State Parks like the newest state park Ice Age Fossils in North Las Vegas or the Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort in the heart of Las Vegas. In addition, visitors can also opt to visit National Public Lands instead like Lake Mead National Recreation Area or Red Rock Canyon.
Valley of Fire Park Supervisor Randy Denter also shared this: “We understand this park closure may impact planned vacations to the area…However, completing these maintenance and improvement projects is essential to the park’s preservation for future generations.”
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