Valley of Fire State Park
Valley of Fire State Park
We really drug our feet last week on our way to Utah. Which is good, because we would not have visited Valley of Fire otherwise. We talked about going here when we left Washington, and then again when we left Arizona. And as luck would have it, when we passed through Las Vegas there was a road that went right off the freeway, to the state park. So we took it. I wish we had stayed longer however. We boondocked about 5 miles outside Valley of Fire and only spent one evening, and the next morning in the park.
What an amazing, and crazy place. The colors are so incredible, but they are plunked down in the middle of the barren Nevada desert.
I love the red rock desert, and this is the perfect place. There is red, purple, yellow, and even pinkish in this desert.
The evening we were there, I got all caught up in taking photos in one area. Little did we know there was so much more to the park. We found a great drive, but by the time we drove there the sun was down too far for photos. So we got up the next morning and made sure we were in the park for early morning light. We took the same road and pretty much had it to ourselves. Which shocked me. It was a Sunday and I thought for sure there would be photographers out and about.
It was great actually, because there were a lot of ravens and we could stop anywhere we wanted and take photos.
The sand stone is not only a great variety of color here, but the wind and water have really made some great formations.
The photography was great close up, and far away.
These photos I especially like, so I have added them to the Desert store on my photography site.
If you are close to Las Vegas, and want to see a great place I highly recommend taking the detour to Valley of Fire.
the rock desert reminds me a little of a rock dessert… it looks like caramel sauce over a chocolate cake…(that die-t lets me see food in everything lol)
Oooo, the dreaded D-word. But the rocks do look sweet.
What a stunningly beautiful place! Wow! And I love that ‘nowhere is my favourite place’.
The raven flying in front of the rock is very provocative.
Thank you Mary for sharing this special place.
Thanks so much. If I can be Nowhere, I am a pretty happy person.
Great photos. Rocks are pretty in photos, but not our thing in person. We never want to go to Utah again, Mom didn’t like it as a kid, and she really dislikes it after our trip to Vegas, but your photos are gorgeous. We also agree that nowhere is our favorite place. People always ask Mom where her favorite place is in the world since she has traveled so much and she always says there is no one place.
Ya, I would avoid Utah for anything more than a short visit, if I could. I love rocks though, always have. So interesting to think about the time in a rock.
Awesome photos, Mary. Amazing rock structures. I love thinking about what the world was like during each historical layer revealed.
This is an amazing park! You can hike all the popular trails in one day for a total of seven miles. My daughter and I made a one day trip out while she was visiting us in Vegas and we did the whole park. Then, John and I returned and stayed in the gorgeous park campground. We then explored each area in more depth. The nice part about this park is that they encourage you explore anywhere and everywhere. The whole park is slickrock and a giant playground. We have been back a couple times. The rock colors are amazing!! So glad you had a little time to see its beauty:)
Valley of Fire is quite something, isn’t it. I visited the park some years ago and was astonished. In these photos you not only captured the special beauty of the rock formations, but did it with a personal touch. Beautifully done.
When we lived in Las Vegas in the early nineties, I used to enjoy visiting Lake Mead and Valley of Fire. Back then, there was no admittance fee anywhere. Loved it. Fantastic photos of a beautiful area.
Wow…. the colors are stunning! I can see why you got up for the morning light. It made the rock glow even more. Thanks for sharing!
Wow, fantastic photos! I never heard of that park before. Will have to add that to our list of places we want to see!
One of my fav places in Nevada, and you captured it beautifully!
Nina
Breathtaking captures of these rocks! Thank you for the fabulous tour, Mary. :)
How stunning. I’m continually amazed at the diverse beauty of our continent.