This is a great, safer way to see an amazing state park and some fascinating bits of history. Clayton, our guide, made sure that we were well supplied with water, sunscreen, electrolytes, and snacks, and checked in frequently to see how we were doing in the heat. He set expectations clearly about what we could and couldnāt do in this weather, told us an astounding number of facts, and kept conversation moving among a group who didnāt know each other, including some whose first language wasnāt English.
Heās thoughtful, professional, and fun to talk toā he will talk a lot and talk fast, but donāt be afraid to interrupt with a question or an issue or if you need him to slow down.
The lunch is from Subway but for those who arenāt fans it seems to be one of the better franchises- itās fine. Call ahead if you have allergies and theyāll do what they can to adjust snacks for sure.
The tour is well planned in terms of restroom and food breaks, as well as planning around traffic dropping off on the Strip (to the extent possible)
The Lost City Museum and the park Visitors Center are clearly older in terms of the exhibits, but I see a lot of thought and care in whatās presented and while I am not an expert on Native representation by any means and the tone of the signage varies across the park and the museum, there does seem to be some work going into representing Native perspectives, and gift shop staff could point me to Native made crafts and understood why I was asking.
The rock formations are GORGEOUS. This was a welcome break after the overstimulation of attending a professional conference, and even though summer hiking is a bad plan for most of us, youāll get some walking and scrambling up rocks in if you want to. If that is not within your range of mobility or heat tolerance, youāll still see some stunning sights from in or near the vehicle. No guarantees on the fauna, but we were fortunate to see big horn sheep and vultures.
Response from Host
Jul 2023
Hi Julian,
Thank you so much for the detailed review. Clayton is a blast and Valley of Fire is truly a Jewel in the Desert. Please come back and visit with us again, there is so much yet to see.
Very best regards,
Will & Donna Tryon - Owners