In late 2012 we visited Valley of Fire State Park in southern Nevada. It was part of a day trip from Las Vegas that included time at the Hoover Dam. We took longer at the Dam than we had plan so we had to rush through Valley of Fire during the last few hours of daylight.
We loved Valley of Fire and knew that we would have to do a return trip, only this time we wouldn't rush it.
You can see our pictures from our first trip to
Valley of Fire here..
And our time at the
Hoover Dam can be seen here...
In late March of this year (2015) we were able to do another trip to the southwest, and this time we blocked out a whole day for Valley of Fire.
I know most people go to Las Vegas to drink and gamble. We go for everything else. Great food, good shopping and the unparalleled desert scenery.
Valley of Fire is just an hour's drive from Las Vegas. There are tour companies that you can go with... But I always prefer having a rental car. That way I can explore at the pace that I want to go and see what I want to see. However, no matter how you get there, it's worth the trip.
On our last trip we we able to spot some big horn sheep. We went to the same spot on this trip but we couldn't get lighting to strike twice. The best we could do was to spot this little lizard. Christy initially saw him as he scurried under a rock. After some patient waiting he came out and we got a good look at him.
Our main destination on this trip was a natural phenom know as the Fire Wave. The hike in is a little over a half mile each way. Being there in late March meant it was warm out but not the scorching heat of summer. Anytime of year you'll want to stay well hydrated.
I'm sure there's some fancy way to describe the geology that created
this amazing display... But who cares. It's so beautiful that you aren't
too worried about how it happened.
About the pictures: you can click on any of them to see a larger picture. I'm not much of a photographer and I don't know if the lighting at the time was the best. So these pictures do not do it justice... But hopefully they'll give you a taste...
If I lived in Vegas, I think Valley of Fire would be a regular destination for me. There's multiple hiking trails taking you to scenic vistas. But even if you don't hike, just driving through gives you stunning views.
It's almost overwhelming. Our trip was 6 months ago but I just now got around to going through the hundred's of pictures to put together this post....
