{{Short description|Road and former state route in Nevada, USA}} {{Use American English|date=May 2025}} {{Infobox road |state=NV |type=Scenic |route=Valley of Fire Road |map={{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-align=center|frame-width=290|frame-height=250|type=line|raw={{Wikipedia:Map data/Wikipedia KML/Valley of Fire Road}}}} |map_custom=yes |map_notes=Map of the Valley of Fire Road in red |length_mi=23.5 |length_ref=<ref name=google>{{google maps |title = Overview Map of Valley of Fire Road |url = https://www.google.com/maps/dir/36.5029465,-114.7621547/36.4407897,-114.4274597/@36.4632879,-114.6217009,23072m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!4m1!3e0 |access-date = September 4, 2017 }}</ref> |known_for=Valley of Fire State Park |restrictions=State park entry fee required |history=Existed as SR 40 {{circa}}1935-1976; Designated scenic byway in 1995 |direction_a=West |terminus_a={{jct|state=NV|I|15}} at the Crystal–Moapa River Indian Reservation line |direction_b=East |terminus_b=Northshore Road in Lake Mead NRA |county=Clark }} The '''Valley of Fire Road''' (also called the '''Valley of Fire Highway''') is a road in northeastern Clark County, Nevada serving the Valley of Fire State Park. The roadway was previously designated '''State Route 40''' (SR 40) and the segment within the state park is currently designated a Nevada Scenic Byway.
==Route description== thumb|right|Valley of Fire Road as seen in 2009 The western terminus of the Valley of Fire Road is at the Interstate 15 (I-15) exit 75, located at the former Crystal townsite within the Moapa River Indian Reservation approximately {{convert|33|mi|km}} northeast of downtown Las Vegas. From there, the two-lane highway travels southeasterly about {{convert|7|mi|km|spell=in}} through open desert terrain towards the Muddy Mountains. The road begins to follow more a more hilly and curvaceous path as it meanders through the mountains. Around the 12-mile mark, the road officially enters the Valley of Fire State Park boundary and the scenic route begins, with the state park's west entrance station coming approximately {{convert|2|mi|km|spell=in}} east of there. Beyond the fee station, Valley of Fire Road traverses the southern reaches of the state park, passing nearby to various campgrounds, trails, the visitor center, and other points of interest. The mountainous landscape adjoining the highway becomes much more colorful, reflective of the terrain featured in the park. Valley of Fire Road spends roughly {{convert|10|mi|km|spell=in}} in the park before passing the east entrance station near Elephant Rock, where the scenic byway designation ends. The roadway reaches its eastern terminus {{convert|2|mi|km|spell=in}} east of there, at an intersection with Northshore Road within the Lake Mead National Recreation Area approximately {{convert|9|mi|km|spell=in}} south of Overton.<ref name=google/><ref name=NDOTclark2>{{cite map |author = Nevada Department of Transportation |author-link = Nevada Department of Transportation |date = January 2017 |title = General Highway Map: Clark County, Nevada (zone 2) |scale = c. 1:95,040 |location = Carson City |publisher = Nevada Department of Transportation |url = https://www.nevadadot.com/travel-info/county-maps |access-date = September 4, 2017 }}</ref>
Payment of a state park entrance fee is required to travel on Valley of Fire Road between the west and east entrance stations. As of June 2021, the day use entrance fee is {{dollarsign|USD}}10 per vehicle and {{dollarsign|USD}}15 per non-Nevada vehicle.<ref name=VOFSP>{{cite web |author = Nevada Division of State Parks |date = n.d. |title = Valley of Fire State Park |url = http://parks.nv.gov/parks/valley-of-fire#fees |work = Nevada State Parks |publisher = Nevada Division of State Parks |access-date = June 19, 2021 }}</ref>
==History== 50px|thumb|left|The Valley of Fire Road was designated SR 40 c. 1935–1976 A county road appearing in an approximately parallel alignment of the Valley of Fire Road appears on official state highway maps as early as 1933. However, the road proceeded much more easterly from U.S. Route 91 (US 91) and SR 6 at Crystal to connect to SR 12 near St. Thomas, bypassing north of the Valley of Fire.<ref name=1933NDOTmap>{{cite map |author = Nevada State Highway Department |year = 1933 |title = Official Road Map of Nevada |scale = Scale not given |location = Carson City |publisher = Nevada State Highway Department |url = http://contentdm.library.unr.edu/cdm/ref/collection/hmaps/id/461 |access-date = September 4, 2017 |via = University of Nevada, Reno, Library }}</ref> This roadway was marked as State Route 40 by 1935, and was shown along a route connecting Crystal more directly to Overton on SR 12,<ref name=1935NDOTmap>{{cite map |author = Nevada State Highway Department |year = 1935 |title = Official Road Map of the State of Nevada |scale = Sacle not given |location = Carson City |publisher = Nevada State Highway Department |url = http://contentdm.library.unr.edu/cdm/ref/collection/hmaps/id/465 |access-date = September 4, 2017 |via = University of Nevada, Reno, Library}}</ref> a distance of roughly {{convert|30|mi|km}}.<ref name=1936NDOTmap>{{cite map |author = Nevada State Highway Department |year = 1936 |title = Official Road Map of the State of Nevada |scale = Scale not given |location = Carson City |publisher = Nevada State Highway Department |url = http://contentdm.library.unr.edu/cdm/ref/collection/hmaps/id/465 |access-date = September 4, 2017 |via = University of Nevada, Reno, Library }}</ref> By 1941, SR 40 was moved to a new alignment that resembles the present-day alignment of the Valley of Fire Road—the new routing was an unimproved, {{convert|23|mi|km|adj=on}} roadway traversing the southern side of the Valley of Fire State Park.<ref name=1941NDOTmap>{{cite map |author = Nevada Department of Highways |year = 1941 |title = Official Road Map of the State of Nevada |scale = Scale not given |location = Carson City |publisher = Nevada Department of Highways |url = http://contentdm.library.unr.edu/cdm/ref/collection/hmaps/id/475 |access-date = September 4, 2017 |via = University of Nevada, Reno, Library}}</ref> The road was finally paved by 1964.<ref name=1963NDOTmap>{{cite map |author = Nevada State Highway Department |author2= Rand McNally |author2-link= Rand McNally |year = 1963 |title = Official Highway Map of Nevada |scale = Scale not given |location = Carson City |publisher = Nevada State Highway Department |edition = 1963-64 |url = http://contentdm.library.unr.edu/cdm/ref/collection/hmaps/id/5416 |access-date = September 4, 2017 |via = University of Nevada, Reno, Library }}</ref>
On July 1, 1976, the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) began an effort to renumber its state highways. In this process, the SR 40 designation along Valley of Fire Road was proposed to be combined with SR 12 into a new State Route 169. This new highway designation was first seen on state highway maps in 1978.<ref name=1978NDOTmap>{{cite map |author = Nevada State Highway Department |year = 1978 |title = Official Highway Map of Nevada |edition = 1978-79 |scale = Scale not given |location = Carson City |publisher = Nevada State Highway Department |url = http://contentdm.library.unr.edu/cdm/ref/collection/hmaps/id/535 |section = F6 |access-date = September 4, 2017 |via = University of Nevada, Reno, Library }}</ref> This action ultimately was not carried out, leaving the Valley of Fire Road without a state route number by 1982.<ref name=1982NDOTmap>{{cite map |author = Nevada Department of Transportation |year = 1982 |title = Official Highway Map of Nevada |scale = Scale not given |location = Carson City |publisher = Nevada Department of Transportation |url = http://contentdm.library.unr.edu/cdm/ref/collection/hmaps/id/539 |section = F6 |access-date = September 4, 2017 |via = University of Nevada, Reno, Library }}</ref> However, as of 2020, the portion of Valley of Fire Road within the state park boundaries is still maintained by NDOT as a state park road.<ref name=NDOT_Log>{{cite web|title=State Maintained Highways of Nevada: Descriptions and Maps|author=Nevada Department of Transportation|author-link=Nevada Department of Transportation|url=http://www.nevadadot.com/doing-business/about-ndot/ndot-divisions/planning/roadway-systems/state-maintained-highways-descriptions-index-maps|date=January 2020|access-date=July 4, 2020}}</ref>
A {{convert|10.5|mi|km|adj=on}} section of the Valley of Fire Road—the portion between the west and east entrances to the state park—was designated a Nevada Scenic Byway on June 30, 1995.<ref name=scenic-archived>{{cite web |author= Nevada Department of Transportation |date = n.d. |title = Nevada's Scenic Byways |url = http://www.nevadadot.com/traveler_info/scenic_byways/nevada_scenic_byways.aspx |publisher = Nevada Department of Transportation |access-date = September 4, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141220125438/http://www.nevadadot.com/traveler_info/scenic_byways/nevada_scenic_byways.aspx |archive-date = December 20, 2014 }}</ref>
==Major intersections== {{jcttop|state=NV|county=Clark|length_ref=<ref name=google/>}} {{NVint |location_special=Crystal–Moapa River Indian Reservation line |mile=0.0 |road={{jct|state=NV|I|15|city1=Las Vegas|city2=Mesquite}} |notes=Western terminus; I-15 exit 75 }} {{jctplace |location_special=Valley of Fire State Park|lspan=3 |mile=14.5 |place=West entrance fee station }} {{NVint |mile=18.9 |road=Mouse's Tank Road |notes=Serves Valley of Fire Visitor Center and White Domes }} {{jctplace |mile=21.5 |place=East entrance fee station / Elephant Rock }} {{Jctint |location_special=Lake Mead NRA |mile=23.5 |road=Northshore Road – Overton, Lake Mead |notes=Eastern terminus }} {{jctbtm}}
==See also== * {{Portal-inline|Nevada}} * {{Portal-inline|U.S. Roads}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Attached KML|display=title,inline}} * {{Commons category-inline}}
Category:Nevada Scenic Byways