At the recommendation of son Jeff, we left Las Vegas on October 1 and drove the approximately 55 miles northeast through the Mojave Desert to The Valley of Fire State Park. It is the oldest Nevada State Park and was dedicated in 1935. It covers an area of approximately 35,000 acres and was named for the magnificent red sandstone formations that were formed from great shifting sand dunes during the age of the dinosaurs more than 150 million years ago (Mesozoic Era). These brilliant sandstone formations can appear to be on fire when reflecting the sun\u2019s rays. Other important rock formations include limestone, shale, and conglomerates.<\/p>\n
We had a marvelous time driving to the various named sites and then hiking about. The last day we went on a ranger-led hike to the Atlatl petroglyphs. We had been there earlier in the week, but thought it might be interesting to get more information. We were amazed at how many petroglyphs were in the immediate area that we had not noticed.<\/p>\n
Jeff came out and visited us for a few hours one afternoon in his new Jeep Wrangler. <\/p>\n
Next time you are in Vegas, take some time off from the glitter and gloss and spend some time in this beautiful patch of nature.<\/p>\n\n\t\t