One of the best things about staying in a state park, as opposed to a commercial campground or RV park, is that individual sites are usually a good size. Identifying and reserving an appropriate site can sometimes be a bit challenging, but the experience is usually worth the effort.
Many state parks use ReserveAmerica.com or, as with Nevada, a customized version of that platform. When looking for campsites, you are typically able to look at an overview map of the campground, dates that units/sites are available, a list of unit details, e.g., minimum and maximum number of vehicles allowed, maximum occupancy, check-in and check-out times, and site type (pull-through, back-in, pull-in, etc.), a list of amenities, e.g., utilities available, pad length, maximum vehicle length, whether or not there is shade available, driveway type, etc., and even pictures of the site.
The site I secured in Valley of Fire State Park was very nice. In fact, it’s probably one of the nicest campsites we have occupied. The site was a pull-through along the road on the edge of the campground. That meant we had neighbors in front of and behind us, but none right next to us. The site itself was spacious and, as you will see in the images I shared below, we had great views.
The only down side to that park was that we had very limited cell service, as mentioned in my previous post. It was inconvenient, but not really a huge problem for me. In fact, limited service usually means we spend most of our time interacting with each other instead of disappearing into our own little electronic worlds.
One other good thing about the location was getting to see the colorful skies around dawn (rare for me to be outside that early!) and dusk. I’ve shared a few below so you can see for yourself.
It’s not unusual to see really pretty sunsets when in the desert. Especially when in a big, flat, open space and there are some clouds in the sky. It’s a 360-degree view of beautiful colors.
Valley of Fire State Park is in the Mojave Desert. Tucson, where we are currently living, is in the Sonoran Desert. Neither place is particularly pleasant during the warmer months, but winters in the desert can be quite lovely.
I’ll share more images from Valley of Fire State Park in future posts.