Simply Otherworldly

We got off the plane, hurried to the car rental lot – and as soon as we possibly could – headed out of Las Vegas.

The First Signs of Red Rock Along SR 167

While there are several ways to get to Valley of Fire State Park, the way I like the best is SR 167. Last December we swung by Hoover Dam, so that meant we followed 167 pretty much its entire length. We didn't plan on visiting the dam this time around, so we took SR 147 from North Las Vegas. Either way, the road sets the pace for the rest of the trip: no garish neon, no power lines, few cars, and wonderful scenery.

The reason I like SR 167 is that it starts out mundane enough -- sandy desert with occasional glimpses of Lake Mead -- but gradually the landscape changes from familiar to odd, and eventually, to otherworldly. It isn't too long before you come across gashes of blood-red rock jutting out from scabby ridges of volcanic black rock. Eerie. Fascinating. Wonderful.

As you drive, the gashes and rifts of red rock become more common, and by the time you reach the east entrance of Valley of Fire

Sandstone Erodes Unevenly, Forming Incredible Shapes

State Park, this is the only color rock you see.

Moreover, the wind and water have sculpted the sandstone into bizarre shapes. One hundred fifty million years ago (so the brochure goes) this was an expanse of sand dunes. Over time, the dunes were covered, and some minerals seeped down to

Minerals Tint The Sandstone Giving It Brilliant Colors

cement the sand grains together, while others tinted the rock. Later, the ground buckled, forming cracks which either filled with other minerals, or eroded to form the landscape we see today.

Whether one finds the geology interesting or not, it's incredible to see the artistry 150 million years of time has produced.

At the hill just inside the east entrance of the park is Elephant Rock. The brochure made the hike seem like it was a ways away,

Elephant Rock Near the East Entrance

but it turns out it's actually stone's throw from the road. You can see it as you drive by, if you know where to look. This would be the first of many arches that we would see on this trip, and one of the more unusual ones, too. It's also the park's emblem landmark.

We had only been on the road for an hour, but we were already impatient, so we spent some time exploring the area around the east entrance.

A Lizard Looks On Disinterested as We Explore Elephant Rock

By the way, the east entrance is a beautiful place to watch the sun come up. It is during sunrise and sunset that the rock achieves its most fiery colors, and gives the park its name. When we were here last December, we watched as the landscape went from muted pre-dawn brown, to crimson, and finally to brilliant orange as the sun's first rays caressed the stone.

A mile or so into the park we came to the Seven Sisters, seven ridges of sandstone erupting from the valley floor. As is common with sandstone, long parallel cracks formed over the years,

The Seven Sisters Bask in the Last Seconds of Sunlight

and these cracks widened. In a few million years, the sisters will be nothing more than a few mounds of red sand, but in the meantime, they're ours to behold (especially at sunset!)

Many people, I'm told, only see that part of Valley of Fire that lays along the main road, State Route 169. Those people don't know what they're missing! One of the greatest treats

Up the Road Behind the Visitor's Center the Adventure Begins!

to be had at Valley of Fire is along the ten-mile road that leaves SR 169 near the park's visitor center. First, there's the Petroglyph Canyon trail to Mouse's tank, (a great hike in the early-morning, when the shadows are still long and the day hasn't gotten too hot!) Down the road is Rainbow Vista. Early morning and mid-afternoon are great times to come along this stretch of brilliantly-colored road that meanders past white sandstone streaked with reds, yellows, lavenders, and pinks.

Rainbow Vista and the Road to White Domes

A dirt-road spur leads to Fire Canyon and Silica Dome. We got here as the ranger was about to close the gate (the dirt road is closed after 5:00 PM or so) but we managed to get a few shots of Fire Canyon. The contrast between the gypsum-white Dome and Terra-cotta red Fire Canyon is striking: two geological eras delineated by such a fine line.

Stark Contrast Marks the Boundaries Between Red and White Sandstone at Fire Canyon

We backtracked to the paved road, and then headed out to White Domes. If Silica Dome represents the stark contrast between fire and ice, The trail through White Domes is what I'd call "Broken Rainbow Trail." Though the landmark is called "White", in reality, the rock here is almost everything but.

Silica 'Spiderweb Cracks' Permeate this Pink Block of Sandstone at White Domes

Climbing down the trail we see boulders and rubble of every imaginable color. The ubiquitous red, of course, but also fawn, white, yellow, orange, and even streaks of ashen black. Moreover, the fissures and cracks have sometimes refilled with more silicas – harder than the adjacent sandstone – causing the rocks to seem

Veins of Harder Silica Rise out of the Sandstone

to erode "in reverse." Instead of cracks cutting into the rock, it seems like the cracks are eroding outward! As the sun sought the horizon, these ridges grew more and more pronounced, as if the stone was so old that it was getting varicose veins.

Sandstone with Varicose Veins at White Domes

Color. Texture. Form. This place is an incredible combination of all of these elements. It's incredible to think that this part of the world has been around for millions of years, and yet it seems so surreal, so other-worldly.

No Danger of Being Stung at the Beehive, but no Honey Either

It seems that every time I come here I seem to go through several rolls of film. It's just that kind of place. Around every bend there seems to be something else to see.

Well, enough waxing nostalgic; Valley of Fire is definitely going to be on my itinerary the next time I swing by Las Vegas again. It's a mere sixty miles away (and quite frankly, I much prefer the fire to neon!)

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