Valley of Fire State Park, NV
Taking the half-loop into the park and back on to the I-15 adds only an extra 90 minutes to your travel time, along with an extra $10.00 per vehicle entrance fee, but it provides for some stunning views of Mother Nature's amazing artistry.
Valley of Fire State Park has often been used in movies and television for its red, arid, empty landscape, including The Professionals (1966), Cherry 2000 (1987), Total Recall (1990), along with other television shows and automobile commercials.
What makes the red rock red? The red rock formations are made of Aztec Sandstone from 180-190 million years ago. These were ancient sand dunes during the Jurassic period. Other sediment and minerals leached into the sand dunes and "lithified", meaning it turned into sedimentary rock. The red color is due to the presence of iron oxide or hematite. Exposure to the air caused the iron minerals to oxidize, or rust, creating the red, orange, and brown colored rocks.
There are designated camping areas within the park, and numerous hiking trails to interesting rock formations.
There are no facilities at the park aside from covered picnic tables. Bring your own water and food.
The ride through the park runs only 10 miles. However, the half-circular route from the I-15 at Exit 75 back to the I-15 at Exit 93 runs 43.5 miles, and goes through the towns of Overton and Moapa Valley, where you can find gasoline, restaurants, and bars.
Sash and I rode through Valley of Fire State Park on October 1, where temperatures were mild for Nevada, running about mid-80s. As a result, traffic was relatively heavy with campers and hikers.
Valley of Fire State Park
(702) 397-2088
http://parks.nv.gov/parks/valley-of-fire-state-park/
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| Entering the Park from the East entrance |
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| Martian-like scenery from within Valley of Fire as you crest the East entrance. |
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| Iron-rich sandstone creates the red color of these rocks |
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| You can barely see an SUV parked below the sandstone rock, to give you a sense of how big these formations are. |
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| Sash posing with Gracie |
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| Blackbird resting along the side of the road |
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| Obligatory panorama photo |
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| Red rocks baking under the hot sun |
We were just there (St. George - Las Vegas) and missed this loop. Something for the next trip.
ReplyDeletevery mars indeed. awesome photos!
ReplyDeletehalfwhiteboy