I have been to Las Vegas numerous times and have always stayed on the Strip. This time, I wanted to do a day trip to explore outside of Sin City. The Valley of Fire State Park is known for its bright red and incredible sandstone formations (Aztec sandstone) covering nearly 40,000 acres. It is about an hour drive away from Las Vegas Strip in the Mojave Desert. It is the oldest and largest Nevada State Park established by the State of Nevada in 1935.
We entered the Valley of Fire State Park from the west entrance. From there, we followed the main road to see the Beehives, the Seven Sisters, the Cabins and the Elephant Rock. Once we reached the east entrance, we turned around to head back to the Visitor Center. As we entered the parking lot at the Visitor Center, there it was… a bighorn sheep was standing a few feet in front of our car. As it was staring at us, I quickly took my camera to take picture of it before it ran away. Outside the Visitor Center was the Balanced Rock, which was interesting to see how it can balance being so high. We then headed to Rainbow Vista and White Domes. On the way back, we did a 2-mile scenic loop at the Arch Rock to see more carved wonders such as the Piano Rock.
Beehives
One of the parkβs most famous point of interest. The layers that form the βbeehivesβ represent different layers of silt that were deposited over the course of hundreds of years.
Seven Sisters
A group of seven tall, red, eroded boulders surround by the sandy desert. They can be easily spotted in the east of the park.
The Cabins
Historic cabins were built with Valley of Fire sandstone by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the 1930βs for travelers.
The Elephant Rock
A fine example of an arch in the shape of an elephant. This requires a 1/3 mile hike to reach from the east entrance.
Balanced Rock
Located outside the visitor center is another one of the famous Valley of Fire formations.
Rainbow Vista
The canyons, domes, towers, ridges and valleys of Rainbow Vista werecarved from sand deposited 150 million years ago, during the time when thedinosaurs walked the earth.
Arch Rock
An interesting natural arch formed over many millennia by strong winds and rain slowly washing away the materials holding its sand grains together.
Piano Rock
Shaped like a grand piano.
We enjoyed our time at Valley of Fire looking at unique rock formations, petroglyphs and petrified logs dating back thousands of years ago. Who would have thought that something as beautiful as Valley of Fire could be located so close to the Las Vegas Strip.
Tips Before You Go
- Visitor Center Hours: 8:30 a.m β 4:30 p.m. daily.
- $10 entrance fee per vehicle for day use.
Valley of Fire State Park
29450 Valley of Fire Hwy
Overton, NV 89040
https://parks.nv.gov/parks/valley-of-fire
If you have been to both Valley of Fire and Red Rock Canyon, which one do you like better?