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The Two RV Gypsies: Full-Time RVers
caught in a Flash Flood in the Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada in 2012
(and a link to more Valley of Fire State Park in 2022 at the bottom of this page)

The two RV Gypsies continued their drive in the Valley of Fire State Park and it started raining lightly. They stopped at the Rainbow Vista lookout, but decided not to get out of the car in this area due to the rain. Instead, they drove a distance up the road towards the White Domes, thinking the rain would stop by the time they reached White Domes and they could check out Rainbow Vista on the return trip. However, they never made it to the White Domes.

The road was full of dips and they came to a spot in the road with a big dip, a short hill then another big dip. Just as they got in-between the two dips, it suddenly started raining VERY HARD and the two RV Gypsies stopped because they realized that they could not get through the second dip in the road because it was a very deep dip and already filling with rain water.

But already, it was too late to turn around. They were caught in a FLASH FLOOD. They looked in their rear-view mirror and saw a ranger coming. The ranger told the two RV Gypsies to back up through the dip behind them, so they did. By then there was a line of cars behind the two RV Gypsies and nobody could move. For about an hour-and-a half, everyone just sat in their cars and watched the water in the dips get deeper. The rain was pouring down the sides of the mountain, and quickly formed a very long stream. (see the photo directly below)

flash flood pouring water down the mountain side

The ranger was on the hill in-between the two dips where the two RV Gypsies originally stopped. Brown water was gingerly flowing across the road and through the dips.

ranger at Valley of Fire State Park
cars caught in flash flood at Valley of Fire State Park

Cars were starting to come down the hill on the other side of the road and the ranger made them stop there. In the photo above on the left the water level in the dip in front of the rangers car could barely be seen, but seconds later, in the photo on the right above, a lot more water can be seen in the dip. And the running rain water formed a river on the right hand side of the road. Some of the cars on the other side turned around and headed back to White Dome.

flash flood at Valley of Fire State Park
flash flood at Valley of Fire State Park

Finally, an hour and a half later, the ranger said it was safe for the two RV Gypsies and the cars behind them to turn around and leave. But the cars on the other side of the hill were going to be stuck there at least another hour or more.

rainy day at the state park
rainy day at the state park

The two RV Gypsies turned around and drove back towards the entrance of the park and they came upon cars stopped in front of other dips. Eventually those cars got brave enough to struggle through the water and so did the two RV Gypsies.

panorama at Valley of Fire State Park

Below: It appeared that the rain had really brought out the colors in the mountains.

red red tall cliff
rain has really brought out the colors in the mountains.
sign: in memory of Sgt John Clark
cross in memory of Sgt John Clark

The last stop in Valley of Fire State Park was Elephant's Rock. By now, the rain had stopped, and the two RV Gypsies were disappointed to discover that Elephant's Rock could not be seen from the parking lot,. It was a long hike to see it, so the two RV Gypsies got back in their truck and headed back to the campground via Lake Mead Recreational Area.

elephant's rock parking area

The entrance the two RV Gypsies came into the Valley of Fire State Park was closed off, and luckily the Lake Mead Recreational Area was an alternative way back to Las Vegas. But when they got out of the park, they were told that the bridge to Lake Mead Recreational Area was also closed, but since they had just come from the Valley of Fire State Park, they were allowed to continue.

sign: welcome to Lake Mead National Recreational area
mountains at Lake Mead National Recreational area
sign about contaminated water
contaminated waterfall at Lake Mead Recreational Area
danger sign at Lake Mead Recreational Area
Lake Mead Recreational Area

And finally, the City of Las Vegas loomed in front of the two RV Gypsies. It was a long day and quite an experience.

the City of Las Vegas

continue on to the next adventure of the two RV Gypsies BUT WAIT, THERE IS MORE VALLEY OF FIRE TO COME because In 2022, the two RV Gypsies were able to get past this point and so they went to White Domes, Fire, Canyon Seven Sisters and more, so continue on here.