Valley of Fire State Park Nevada

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As the name appropriately suggests, Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada is an absolutely stunning visual spectacle to behold. The oldest state park in Nevada, the area spans over 42,000 acres and features fantastic red sandstone formations created by shifting sand dunes during the age of dinosaurs.

Located 50 miles northeast of Las Vegas, this park has to be seen to be believed. The 10.5 mile Valley of Fire Road connects the east and west entrances to the park, and there are roughly a dozen trail heads along the way. Although you could explore each separate section for hours at a time, we decided to squeeze in every stop during our day long visit.

The landscape in Valley of Fire almost seems unreal. The brightness of the red rocks and the elaborate formations boggle the mind. There are detailed natural rock formations that look like snakes, bears, lions and elephants. And when sunshine hits the area, the blast of colour is almost overwhelming.

The area is also known for numerous petroglyphs covering various areas of the park. Some of these sites, like Mouse’s Tank and Atlatl Rock, provide marked areas for viewing these incredible 4000 year old drawings. But part of the fun for us was spotting less obvious places were these drawings were created by early Indian inhabitants. And for fellow sci-fi geeks out there, the whole ancient astronaut phenomena really “takes flight” when you check out some these illustrations.

One of our favorite stops in Valley of Fire was White Domes. The photos don’t really do justice to the awe-inspiring views and breathtaking vistas you experience. The colourful peaks are enormous and all the winding stripped rock alleyways make you feel like you are on another planet. I almost tripped several times because I rarely looked down with so many incredible images soaring overhead in every direction. And for animal-lovers, there’s lots of Bighorn Sheep running around the park too. Spectacular.

And we finished our tour at the famous landmark called Elephant Rock. Mother Nature is one talented artist! And her handiwork is on full display in the Valley of Fire State Park. Do yourself a favour, and make sure you visit this incredibly fascinating destination in the near future. HIGHLY recommended. For now, back to the cage.