TimeOut

Valley of Fire

 

Valley of Fire State Park
Nevada.

By 'DRMW'


I've made my fair share of trips to Las Vegas and have been to some interesting places off The Strip.  Most visitors to Sin City will head out to Hoover Dam, take a helicopter to the Grand Canyon, or drive along Blue Diamond Road to Red Rock Canyon.  Recently I traveled to an area known for some unique rock formations.  Most people don't realize how wonderful the desert can be. 

The Valley of Fire State Park is a easy trip up the Interstate 15 and about a 55 mile, 45 minute drive to the West Entrance Station.  When you take Exit 75, it may not seem like much but once you get in, there are quite a few sites to see.





Lots of sand and some mountains....of course it's Nevada so the sun can get intense if you go during the summer time.  We planned it so we would be here in the winter and while rain was in the forecast the weather was just perfect when we arrived in the late morning! 

Up ahead, the scenic route!

The Valley of Fire is Nevada's oldest national park and it's name is from the red sandstones found in the area.  It was opened in 1935 and designated a National Natural Landmark in 1968.  There are campsites but no restaurants or food vendors other then basic drinks and snacks at the visitor's center so if you go, makes sure you bring plenty of water and food, you can easily spend over 3 hours here.  During the summer, it's even more critical to make sure you are properly hydrated especially if you go walking or hiking the various trails around the park.  The entrance fee to the park is minimal and is per vehicle plus the friendly park ranger hands out maps if you don't have a gps. 

Just past the West Entrance we start to see the red rocks that the Valley of Fire is known for...

The park is protected to maintain the natural beauty of the desert, hiking is prohibited and allowed only in designated areas.  Certain roads were being updated so we could visit the Fire Canyon or Silica Dome

Our first landmark is known as the 'Beehives', these formations are made up from sandstone that have eroded from strong winds and water.

Next is Atlatl Rock, this places was fascinating as it contains petroglyphs all around the formation.  You can take the stairs all the way up (it's over 40 feet high) and see the images engraved into the rocks.  Cool stuff for archeology buffs and lots of photo ops for shutterbugs. 

The Visitor's Center:

Inside is a self guided tour of the history of the Valley of Fire with some live displays of the wildlife that resides in the park:

Located right next to the Visitor's Center is the Petroglyph Canyon and Mouse's Tank...

So interesting to see the holes and divots created by nature on the rock face:

Even thought the sun was out, the sky was amazingly blue.  Off in the distance in many of my pics is the moon.

Sometimes it felt like I was on another planet, it was very nice to be surrounded by nature.

Further up the road is Rainbow Vista, named because of the colorful rocks found in this area.

The furthest point north is White Dome, you can see it off in the distance:




Lots of elevation changes as we continue our drive...

While the Valley of Fire is named for the red rocks, here the rocks are white!

Well most are white rocks, there are still huge red ones...

One of my favorite sites was this one...


Hope you enjoyed my trip to the Valley of Fire, if you find yourself in Vegas and want to do something different than the usual casino, show, and buffet, then I highly recommed heading out here.  Lake Mead is at the other end of the West Entrance so you can make a full day of outdoor activities.



-MW