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March 28, 2024 11:41 pm
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EDITORIAL: Being the Secret Back Door Is Not Good Enough

What follows may be viewed as a rather trivial complaint. It may be seen as too banal for a newspaper Editorial column. But sometimes it is those little things that really get stuck in the craw and become the biggest irritants over time.

It is no secret that the Valley of Fire State Park has long been vitally important to the Moapa Valley economy. As Lake Mead, and its tourism at the north end, has dried up, the State Park has stood firmly as one of a few nearby attractions still drawing steady traffic. Through all of the economic turmoil, the Park has remained as the one constant that can be counted on by local business owners.

Of course, the small town of Overton, being the nearest populated commercial center, has always been quite important to the State Park as well. Local businesses have always been here to provide services to campers, hikers and day-trippers in the Park. Many have also provided sponsorship support to Park activities and events. And the fact that the renowned Lost City Museum, in downtown Overton, is such an apt companion to what the State Park offers, is just icing on the cake.

In short, the Moapa Valley is, and ought to be, the primary gateway into the Valley of Fire State Park. The residents and business owners around town understand that. The rangers and officials at the State Park seem to get it too; they have always partnered well with the community in activities and events. The State’s Commission on Tourism is also on board with the idea; placing the Moapa Valley as a prominent figure in the state’s Valley of Fire literature and web presence.

So why is it that the Nevada Department of Transportation hasn’t yet got the memo on this? The Moapa Valley community seems to be completely cut out of the equation when it comes to signs directing I-15 motorists towards the Valley of Fire? The fact is, there are not any directions nor signage at our interstate exit, southbound or northbound, directing travelers to the State Park through our gateway community.

Of course, there is plenty of signage for the State Park down the road at exit 75. A majority of the visitors coming from Las Vegas and other points south, are bypassed away from the Overton community that way. There’s not much can be done about that. But that’s no reason to relegate the Moapa Valley to a position of secret back door to the State Park.

The State Park should be featured for the northbound lanes with signs approaching the Logandale/Overton exit. What would it hurt for travellers to know that there is another route to the Park other than the exit 75 that they have already passed; this time through a charming and scenic small-town area? After all, shouldn’t we be drawing visitors to our State attractions every chance we get?

Worse yet, though, is the absence of Valley of Fire signage for the southbound I-15 traffic. Visitors travelling south from Utah and points north, coming off the Mormon Mesa and passing the Logandale/Overton exit, would never even know that the Park exists. There is, of course, a southbound sign at exit 93 directing motorists toward Lake Mead National Recreation Area and to the Lost City Museum. We certainly appreciate that. But there is no mention anywhere of our state highway leading to the Valley of Fire State Park as well. If a person was not familiar with the territory, he might think that you could not get there from here. What a shame!

This community should not be content with being the little-known back entrance to the State Park. If we are not considered THE main gateway, we should at least be given equal status to the exit 75 entrance. For starters, it would be relatively easy for NDOT to post a couple of new signs on either side of our exit that gives a tip-off to the State Park. Just a trivial matter. we know. But it would mean the world to local businesses who are just struggling to stay alive.

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