When I realized how close Valley of Fire State Park is to Las Vegas, I nearly peed my pants. This surreal landscape has been on my bucket list forever. The brilliant hues and rock formations are incredible. The landscape is formed by eroded sandstone and sand dunes over 150 million years old. The formations, known as Aztec Sandstone, were once inhabited by the Anasazi people. It is no wonder that Valley of Fire was Nevada’s first state park. Witnessing the beauty of this place only emphasizes even more the need to #protectourlands.
We attempted to take a group jumping photo on this road and ultimately failed. It left our bellies aching from laughter. Our first stop in the park were the “beehives,” seen below.
We then headed up to Rainbow Vista. The short hike is only 1.5 miles round trip and boasts expansive views of the park.
Next up, we hit up the iconic view of Valley of Fire State Park, the Fire Wave.
I did not manage to capture the classic view of the Fire Wave due to lighting and the number of people but below is a photo I found online of the wave by Anne McKinnell.
Valley of Fire did not disappoint. Thank goodness for friends who are willing to be dragged all over Nevada with me!