If you want to really experience the desert and see some of the most amazing rock formations, red sandstone and prehistoric sites, take the short 40 mile drive north of Las Vegas to the Valley of Fire State Park. The Valley of Fire State park has about a 8-10 mile drive off the highway that you will immediately be in awe.
As much as you’ll be in awe, keep on driving! Once you hit the front gate of the Nevada State Park entrance, you’ll pay your $10 (they do accept credit card, if the ranger is there. It’s a bit slow as it’s dial up internet, so be prepared to wait if paying by credit card). The road ahead is another 2 miles of just pure red standstone. It’s amazing. On both sides you’ll drive and wind around these formations. I noticed on the left you’ll see much more of the red sandstone than on the right side. The formations are the result of fossilized sandstone and sand dunes that formed more than 150 million years ago by a shift in the Earth’s crust, faulting and wind and water erosion.
The heart of the park is actualy up by the White Domes Road, so you’ll travel about a mile and a half before seeing the visitor’s center. Don’t rush though, there is plenty of stuff along the way, and several places to turn off and park.
The first stop you may want to visit either on your way in or on your way out is the Beehives. These are rock formations that have occured naturally from the deposits of silt over time. Each “Beehive” tells a different story – from the angle of the wind to the type of deposit over time. It is truly fascinating that these are natural formations.
Passing the Beehives, keep on and once you get to the visitor center, turn left and follow the road around to the left. But note, I do highly recommend stopping at the visitor center – there is always an interesting fact or two you’ll learn!
The road past the visitor center is about a 3 mile loop that will take you up to the White Domes. Along the way, you’ll find some of the best scenery. Rainbow Vista, where the picture is featured on the post was taken. The hike is about a mile. But note, and you can see in the video below, it is very sandy. Make sure you are wearing comfortable shoes. My shoes happened to have mesh breathing holes which does not do well with sand!
You’ll also find Mouse’s Tank which you’ll find some historic Petroglyph’s, and a great picture spot. Once you get to the top of the hill, I recommend stopping at P3 (the third parking lot, on the left), and admiring the sheer size of some of these formations. They do have cell service here, so if you’re like me and wnat to
One thing you really need to pay close attention to is the weather. When I checked in, I received a heat stroke advisory notice, that with the extreme temperatures, any hiking was not advised. The temperatures can vary but in the summer you can expect 100 – 120 degrees. Make sure to drink lots of water! The park strongly advises against any hiking when the temperatures are above the 100 degree mark.
The best times to visit the park are in the spring and fall, when the temperatures range in the 70 degrees.
When you get to the park, you’ll pick up a brochure that’s got lots of history about the park, some recommended drives, and information about the facility. Stop by the visitor information center to check out the geological, ecological, and historical exhibits. It’s definitely worth a stop! You’ll want at least 30 minutes to an hour to check it out.
One thing I found fascinating is that the span of occupation has been dated from 300 BCE to 115o0 CE, which most likely is believed to include hunting, food gathering, and religious ceremonies. The area in general has very scarce water in the area, so the time was likely limited.
You’ll find lots of traces of the history throughout the park – from rock art and formations, it is amazing how much history we can put together.
Oh, a fun fact – if you’ve ever seen Planet of the Apes, they actually filmed a part of it here. Just this year, the park opened an exhibit to showcase part of that.
Have you visited this park? It’s a short hour drive from Las Vegas, and definitely worth the drive. Check out some of the pictures.
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Dad
June 4, 2018 at 2:26 pmThat is awesome! I am so glad you are getting out to see some of the wonders of the world. Theses are things you will never forget, no matter how small or insignificant they may seem now, or how large and over powering they appear they are real things and should be seen by all.