[RedRockAAAA]

Sunday my wife and I will be making the North Shore of Lake Mead and Valley of Fire trek.

Yes, I did a search. I found some info there and I will figure route via Google Maps and GPS.

I was wondering if there are specific things we need to consider.

Like, go Lake Mead and then VOF or VOF then LM? Any must do stops like restaurants, custard stands, world famous whatever, what would average travel time be (we'll not be hiking) (simple scenic piture stops and pit stops).

Thank you in advance for your prompt, intelligent, informative and classic responses. I would thank each of you by name, but you know who you are.

[MomMom]

Originally Posted by RedRockAAAA

Sunday my wife and I will be making the North Shore of Lake Mead and Valley of Fire trek.

Yes, I did a search. I found some info there and I will figure route via Google Maps and GPS.

I was wondering if there are specific things we need to consider.

Like, go Lake Mead and then VOF or VOF then LM? Any must do stops like restaurants, custard stands, world famous whatever, what would average travel time be (we'll not be hiking) (simple scenic piture stops and pit stops).

Thank you in advance for your prompt, intelligent, informative and classic responses. I would thank each of you by name, but you know who you are.

We always head to Overton first, for breakfast/lunch, real early in the morning....

Sugars Home Plate Restaurant and Sports Memorabilia

(small town-ish, very local, non-assuming, but really good food)

Then we visit the

Lost City Museum, Overton

Lost City Museum Overton Nevada

Then we head to Valley of Fire, pay the park fee and enjoy a couple hours of hiking and driving.

Then we head to Lake Mead and either head to Hoover Dam or sometimes we take the Mid Day Sightseeing Cruise or the Dinner Cruise, depending on when we get there...

Lake Mead Cruises offers a variety of sightseeing and meal cruises on Lake Mead aboard our delightful paddlewheel vessels.

A very full day, but oh so enjoyable!

[RedRockAAAA]

Not sure I can get up that early.

What great info. We'll stock up on beer and Diet Mt. Dew and see how long we can stay awake. We may have to stop for a couple of those 5 hour drinks, twice even.

My lovely wife will be so impressed that I have maps and a plan. When we drove across country for the move, I had no plan. Drove where I wished and stopped when I wanted. But, I also never got lost. Real men don't need maps.

Thanks again. You may become my go to Lady for day trips.

[MomMom]

Your welcome, ask anytime and enjoy! Remember to slather on the sunscreen and bring plenty of drinking water!

Oh, and by the way real men don't stop and ask for directions either...

[Buzz123]

My advice would be to take I-15 north to exit 75 at the Moapa Paiute Travel Plaza: Moapa Paiutes, Moapa Travel Plaza, Fireworks, Las Vegas
Stop for an Indian taco and a Mt. Dew, as it will be a long time before you come to civilization again. Then out of their parking lot, hang a left on SR 169, and follow the road into the VoF from the west. It's a lot faster way to get to the park. Nevada Division of State Parks - Valley of Fire State Park

After the pay station/entrance, stop at the various sites along the way, especially Atlatl Rock. Then when you come to the Visitor's Center, after stopping there for a while, take that road out to the Mouse's Tank parking area. If you don't do any hiking at all you might miss out on some of the interesting features, so I recommend the Mouse's Tank trail as an easy walk. Even if you don't go all the way to the "tank", I'd recommend at least walking a little ways. There are enough petroglyphs, and maybe a few critters, mostly lizards, along the trail to make it worth a short walk. Wear hiking/walking shoes that you won't mind throwing in the washing machine afterward, because they will be red from the red sand.

If you go to Mouse's Tank, you'll have to double back to the intersection of the main road, SR 169, by the Visitor's Center, and go left to continue through the park. You'll come out on the North Shore Road, which, if you go left, takes you in to Overton. (Going in that direction, west to east on SR 169, Elephant Rock is before the eastern entrance/pay station at the top of the last hill on the way out. You'll pass a site where they once found a soldier dead under his buggy as he tried to cross the VoF alone way back when. You're going up hill at that point, and at the top, on the left is Elephant Rock, probably the most photographed attraction in Nevada.) Note that when you intersect with the North Shore Road, SR 169 continues to the left to Overton, and SR 167 goes back to the Lake.

If you still have time, stop at the Lost City Museum just before you get into Overton. It's worthwhile to see.

Then, if you are out of time keep going in the same direction through Overton and Logandale, and you'll hit I-15 again to take you back to Vegas. You'll be pleasantly surprised to see the farmland in that area. But, if you have the time to do the North Shore Road back home, it will be more scenic, although it takes a lot longer. Maybe an hour and a half to two hours back to town. From the Lost City Museum, instead of going on into Overton, just go back towards the VoF, but don't make the turn into the park, keep going straight on SR 167. Now, if you still have time, turn off the North Shore Road at Echo Bay Marina, or even Callville Bay. I think the chances of getting good food may be better at Echo Bay.
Marinas on Lake Mead

I'd recommend leaving the beer at home and taking water instead. You'll be in the open desert and alcohol dehydrates you. Not good, especially if you break down. There are no frozen custard stands, nor are there any gas stations, 7/11s, or anything whatsoever out there. You're on your own. There are a couple of drinking fountains in the park, Atlatl Rock and The Cabins, are two, but the bees hog the water and might not let you drink. If you have to p**, you'll have to find a big boulder to go behind. Forget trees. You'll also have a tendency to want to drive fast out in the open desert. Don't. There are not only wild burros and Big Horny Sheep that wander onto the highway, but the road banks, curves, and narrows unexpectedly...there are also big, ugly, park rangers that take exception to speeders.