Let’s talk about Mother Nature. She’s definitely my favorite topic, especially of late. We spent our last day in Vegas enjoying more of what Mother Nature has to offer – The Valley of Fire Sate Park.
Valley of Fire is the oldest State Park in Nevada. So thankful for forward thinking individuals. While it was dedicated in 1935, a long time ago, it was formed more than 150 million years ago during the age of the dinosaurs.
I’m sure you’ve guessed where the name comes from – the brilliant red sandstone glowing when the sun hits it. It took about an hour to get there from Vegas. You drive through the Mojave Desert then wham, the Valley of Fire appears.
Because it’s a State Park, Other’s Half’s National Park pass was a bust. That’s ok. Happy to pay $10 to support such an amazing place. We asked the young man at the park entrance which hike was his favorite. Without hesitation he said, “The White Domes hike”. Other Half asked if “An old guy could do it?” The kid smiled and nodded and we were off.
We stopped at the Visitor Center on the way to the trailhead. The Visitor Center is well done and complete with a mounted Mountain Lion. Mounted is not my ideal way of seeing a Mountain Lion, but for now, it will have to do.
The drive to the White Domes trailhead is a scenic 6 miles from the Visitor Center. The trail is just over a mile and is supposed to take about 45 minutes. It took us a bit longer.
The trail starts off with a steep descent down a rocky slope. We were a bit surprised at the steepness, but then again, we are old.
Once you get down the slope you are onto a flat sandy area. When I say sandy, I mean like walking on a sandy beach.
You pass the remnants of an old movie set. A number of movies have filmed scenes in the Valley of Fire, including Total Recall with Arnold Sshwartzenegger, Star Trek Generations where Captain Kirk bit the dust and Transformers where the Autobots motor along the valley.
The next natural wonder you come to is a slot canyon called the Narrows. The temperature is much cooler in the Narrows. A welcome relief.
The trail continues winding through tight spaces and open areas. Thank goodness for sporadic trail markers. In a lot of areas, it’s not easy to tell where the trail actually is.
Near the end of the hike, we came across a beautiful arch formation.
And a rare collection of 4000 year old petroglyphs.
We finished off with a picnic lunch followed by an off-road drive that pushed the Equinox. We ended our time in Vegas with a new appreciation for the area. Happy to know there is much to appreciate in the state of Nevada.