The western terminus of the Valley of Fire Road is at the Interstate 15 exit 75, located at the former Crystal townsite within the Moapa River Indian Reservation approximately northeast of downtown Las Vegas. From there, the two-lane highway travels southeasterly about 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 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 in the park before passing the east entrance station near Elephant Rock, where the scenic byway designation ends. The roadway reaches its eastern terminus east of there, at an intersection with Northshore Road within the Lake Mead National Recreation Area approximately south of Overton. 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 September 2017, the entrance fee is 10 per vehicle for day use.
History
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 and SR 6 at Crystal to connect to SR 12 near St. Thomas, bypassing north of the Valley of Fire. 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, a distance of roughly. 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, roadway traversing the southern side of the Valley of Fire State Park. The road was finally paved by 1964. In 1976, the Nevada Department of Transportation 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. This action ultimately was not carried out, leaving the Valley of Fire Road without a state route number by 1982. 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. A section of the Valley of Fire Road—the portion between the west and east entrances to the state park—was designated a NevadaScenic Byway on June 30, 1995.
