Earlier this month, I wanted to split up my drive to Las Vegas to not only avoid doing it all at once, but to see some sights along the way. I had hit up Goblin Valley State Park in Utah for one night and then since Valley of Fire State Park is only approximately 58 miles northeast of the Las Vegas strip, it seemed like the obvious choice to chill in nature before the festivities for a friend’s wedding kicked off…

Valley of Fire is a beautiful area consisting of bright red Aztec sandstone outcrops nestled within gray and tan limestone mountains. Left behind more than 150 million years ago during the Jurassic Period, the sandstone landscape is a remnant of the complex uplifting, faulting, and erosion of the region. The rough floor and jagged walls of the park contain brilliant formations of eroded sandstone and sand dunes along with limestonse, shales, and congolmerates.

As part of the Arrowhead Trail connecting Salt Lake City and Los Angeles, a rough road was originally built through the area in 1912 and then during the 1920s, an AAA official was traveling through the park at sunset and supposedly said the entire valley looked like it was on fire, hence the name. It was also during that time when the archaeological richness and recreational possibilities were recognized and about 8,500 acres of federal public land were given to the State of Nevada with the park being established in 1935. That protected area has now grown to nearly 46,000 acres.

I thought Valley of Fire State Park would be cool, but it exceeded my expectations… (and that road is so sweet!)

A wash by Fire Wave

Narrows of White Domes

South-facing viewpoint

Fire Canyon

Fire Wave