Valley of Fire State Park is a public recreation and nature preservation area covering nearly located south of Overton, Nevada. The

state park State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...

derives its name from red sandstone formations, the Aztec Sandstone, which formed from shifting sand dunes 150 million years ago. These features, which are the centerpiece of the park's attractions, often appear to be on fire when reflecting the sun's rays. It is Nevada's oldest state park, as commemorated with

Nevada Historical Marker Nevada historical markers identify significant places of interest in Nevada's history. The Historic Marker Program was initiated by the Nevada State Legislature in 1967 to bring the state's heritage to the public's attention with on-site markers. ...

#150. It was designated as a National Natural Landmark in 1968. Valley of Fire is located in the Mojave Desert northeast of Las Vegas, at an elevation between . It abuts the Lake Mead National Recreation Area on the east at the Virgin River confluence. It lies in a basin.

Geology

Complex uplifting and faulting of the region, followed by extensive erosion, have created the present landscape. The rough floor and jagged walls of the park contain brilliant formations of eroded sandstone and

sand dune A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, fl ...

s more than 150 million years old. Other important rock formations include limestones,

shale Shale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock formed from mud that is a mix of flakes of clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4) and tiny fragments (silt-sized particles) of other minerals, especial ...

s, and conglomerates.

History

Prehistoric Prehistory, also known as pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the use of the first stone tools by hominins 3.3 million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use of ...

inhabitants of the Valley of Fire included the

Ancestral Puebloans The Ancestral Puebloans, also known as the Anasazi, were an ancient Native American culture that spanned the present-day Four Corners region of the United States, comprising southeastern Utah, northeastern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico, a ...

, also known as the Anasazi, who were farmers from the nearby fertile Moapa Valley. Their approximate span of occupation has been dated from 300 BC to 1150 AD. Their visits probably involved

hunting Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...

, food gathering, and religious ceremonies, although scarcity of water would have limited their stay. Fine examples of

rock art In archaeology, rock art is human-made markings placed on natural surfaces, typically vertical stone surfaces. A high proportion of surviving historic and prehistoric rock art is found in caves or partly enclosed rock shelters; this type also ...

(

petroglyph A petroglyph is an image created by removing part of a rock surface by incising, picking, carving, or abrading, as a form of rock art. Outside North America, scholars often use terms such as "carving", "engraving", or other descriptions ...

s) left by these ancient peoples can be found at several sites within the park. The creation of Valley of Fire State Park began with transfer of of federal land to the state of Nevada in 1931. Work on the park was initiated by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1933. During the years of their employment, which continued into the early 1940s, the CCC workers built campgrounds, trails, stone visitor cabins, ramadas, and roads. The park opened in 1934; it achieved official designation by the

state legislature A state legislature is a legislative branch or body of a political subdivision in a federal system. Two federations literally use the term "state legislature": * The legislative branches of each of the fifty state governments of the United Sta ...

in 1935.

Climate

The Valley of Fire State Park has a dry and warm climate typical of the Mojave Desert in which it lies. Winters are mild with daytime temperatures ranging from to . and over night lows in the mid 30 °F's to low 50 °F's (3-12 °C). Storms moving east from the Pacific Ocean occasionally bring rain during winter months. Daily summer highs usually range from to and on occasion may reach near . Thunderstorms from the Southwestern Monsoon can produce heavy showers during summer. The average annual precipitation is 6.50" (165.1mm).

Valley of Fire Road

A502, Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada, USA, Civilian Conservation Corps cabins, 2016

Valley of Fire Road is the main road accessing and traversing through the park. The section of the road between the east and west entrances of the park was officially designated as a Nevada Scenic Byway on June 30, 1995.

Activities and amenities

The park has a visitors center plus facilities for picnicking, camping, and hiking. Petroglyphs are seen throughout the park, with Mouse's Tank and Atlatl Rock two areas in particular with numerous petroglyphs that are relatively easily accessible. The park also preserves three stone cabins built by the Civilian Conservation Corps.

Film history

Valley of Fire is a popular location for shooting automobile commercials and other commercial photography. It has provided a setting for the following films and television shows: * '' Viva Las Vegas'' starring Elvis Presley had multiple shots filmed in the park during the racing scenes for the film's finale in 1963. * ''

The Professionals A professional is someone who is skilled in a profession. Professional or professionals may also refer to: * Professional sports Music *The Professionals (band), a British punk rock band formed in 1979 * ''The Professionals'' (The Professionals ...

'' with

Burt Lancaster Burton Stephen Lancaster (November 2, 1913 – October 20, 1994) was an American actor and producer. Initially known for playing tough guys with a tender heart, he went on to achieve success with more complex and challenging roles over a 45-yea ...

, Lee Marvin, and Claudia Cardinale was filmed in 1966. Valley of Fire was one of three locations used in the film. All that remains of the set is a portion of a rock wall of a hacienda. * The outside Mars scenes from '' Total Recall'', starring

Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, film producer, businessman, retired professional bodybuilder and politician who served as the 38th governor of California between 2003 and 2011. ''Time'' ...

, were almost totally shot in Valley of Fire. * The scenes from planet Veridian III from '' Star Trek Generations'' were filmed here in 1994. The Silica Dome is particularly highlighted for ''Star Trek'' fans as the site of iconic starship captain James T. Kirk's death and burial.

References

External links

Valley of Fire State Park
Nevada State Parks
Valley of Fire State Park Trail Map
Nevada State Parks {{authority control State parks of Nevada Parks in Clark County, Nevada Protected areas of the Mojave Desert Protected areas established in 1935 1935 establishments in Nevada Civilian Conservation Corps in Nevada Landforms of Clark County, Nevada Geologic formations with imbedded sand dunes Petroglyphs in Nevada Rock formations of Nevada Sandstone in the United States National Natural Landmarks in Nevada Nevada historical markers