Valley of Fire

Valley of Fire ©

April 23, 2015, Joel Hawk

(Click on pictures to enlarge)

 (I changed phones and sure nuff...lost my pictures in the process).  It's beautiful...trust me.  I'll leave the information posted for general interest.

We were playing a Senior Softball Tournament in Las Vegas and decided to start adding little adventures on our softball trips.  Looking into what to do around LV, I saw this State Park and made plans to check it out.  It's a short 45 minute drive North of Vegas on I-15 and there are plenty of signs to help point the way.  Not many stores or gas stations, so be prepared before you strike out.  Great drive and if you're lucky like we were, not many visitors driving through the park.  Most of this post will be pictures and they alone will tell the story with a few comments as an aside.

One of the first things we saw were the Beehives.  A natural rock formation created by wind and water and it's only a few yards off the road.  As I mentioned, the sights to see are well marked so if it's something you would like to visit, just keep an eye out for the signs.

The next sight we came upon was Atlatl Rock where we saw some exceptional ancient Indian rock art, or petroglyphs.  Viewing these art pieces high up on the rocks is made easy using the man-made stairway. There are facilities here and in many other spots, so no fear ladies.  

 I'm so lucky to have such a gorgeous hiking buddy....

 Along the same path is a naturally made Arch Rock.  Look closely at the last picture as I used Arch Rock to frame the large cliffs in the background.

 As you could imagine, the rock formations and colors are stunning.  We did not visit on a particularly sunny day, but still we enjoyed the beauty that Nature provides in our land.

Driving down the road and looking up at the skyline, I discovered screaming rock.

Our next adventure is to Mouse's Tank where there are hundreds of petroglyphs along the canyon walls.  This is a short hike through the canyon and it is heavily traveled.  No fear of getting lost or having to boulder jump/scramble like I do in many of my hikes.  There are so many petroglyphs that I will just post the ones I thought were interesting.  No one knows how old these are or what they really mean, but I added a picture of a sign discussing what they could mean.

Next, we traveled to Silica Dome where stark white meets with rich reds.

Running out of time and getting a little thirsty, we found a spot overlooking the vast valleys to watch the sunset.

As the sun was setting, we talked about how lucky we are in this life and how about the love we share with each other.  We are truly blessed.  And though the sun is setting on this day, we look forward to tomorrows sunrise and new adventures.

Be safe, enjoy living and appreciate our lands.   ~ Joel

For more information and brochures, visit this link.

http://parks.nv.gov/parks/valley-of-fire-state-park/