I may be going to Vegas in October (not by choice I assure you) so I'm trying to take advantage and see the Valley of Fire. Has anyone paid it a visit and is it worth seeing?
Cheers!
Mark
Yes, it is worth seeing. More than anything else in Nevada, including Las Vegas and even Lake Tahoe.
Officially the hours are from dawn to dusk, but effectively that isn't a problem. There are no gates that get closed at night; you can drive in or out any time you want. In more than 25 years of visiting that park I never had a problem with that rule, to the point that most of the time I am not even aware of it.
The remains of the movie set dondga mentions are in the White Domes area, which is at the end of the White Domes Road. You can't miss it. A loop trail starts and ends at the parking lot. Along this trail you will find the movie set, as well as a small slot canyon, to my knowledge the only one in Nevada.
Valley of Fire is known for thousands of small rock formations that inspire interpretations and great images, They can be found anywhere in the park, but the highest concentration can be found along a trail between the two campgrounds near Atlatl Rock. Probably the most rewarding location if you're on a tight schedule.
The park's most popular feature is Elephant Rock, located near the east entrance. A short trail from the parking lot near the entrance will get you there.
Another interesting feature is the monolith near the visitor center. It rivals Balanced Rock in Arches NP for adventurous balancing of rocks on top of another. Viewed from the west it can look like a rat and some people call it that.
Most of VoF is morning shooting, some areas - including the trail between the campgrounds - are good for most of the day, and the Fire Canyon/Silica Dome area is good for late afternoon and even sunset shooting when the sun sets far enough to the north.
Valley of Fire is a hot place. It's temperatures between March and October rival those of Death Valley. Be aware of that when planning a visit.
Happy shooting.