Valley of Fire
Early January found us taking a daytrip picnic to Valley of Fire State Park, some 60 miles northeast of Las Vegas. Sandstones of various colors have been uncovered by erosion in this area. While the sandstones are primarily red, other colors of sandstone, as well as limestone intrusions can be seen in the Rainbow Vista area.
Rainbow Vista 46k
We stopped to picnic in the Beehive area. There are eroded rocks shaped like beehives you see in cartoons (The Coyote or Daffy usually end up with them on their heads). Although there is no formal picnic area here (except for the group picnic area), you can tailgate easily. There are also plenty of rocks to climb on or otherwise explore.
Near theBeehives 45k Across from the Beehives 52k Paul atop the rocks41k
We continued on to the Visitor Center, where there are displays on the geology and ecology of the area. A short video on the area is shown. from there, we continued towards Rainbow Vista with a stop to hike to Mouse's Tank. The tank(s) are holes worn into the sandstone where water collects in a shaded area protecting it from evaporation by the sun. Mouse was a turn of the century Pauite "bad guy" who could come into this remote, rugged area to escape his white pursuers. The hike is about a mile and you pass several panels of petroglyphs carved by early indians (probably Anasazi).
After a short stop at Rainbow Vista (see the picture above), we continued on the recently opened road to White Dome. The road dead-ends in an area leading into a deep canyon. You can bushwhack your way in easily; the trails are no more than use trails. There are several turnouts before you get to White Dome. These trails lead to other remote areas on more formal trails or jeep/maintenance roads. One area I will try eventually is the trail to Silica Dome.
White Dome Sunset 15k Going into White Dome 52k
There are several areas in the park that we did not go to, mostly because we have been there before. These areas include the Atl-Atl/Campground area (with its large panel of petroglyphs), the Seven Sisters, Petrified Wood and Elephant Rock. You can also take interesting side trips to Echo Bay on Lake Mead, the Lost City Museum on Overton and Rogers Spring, along Lakeshore Drive. A stop at the Moapa Paiute Casino/Store might also be interesting. These diversions do not even touch on the wilderness trips you can take in the area.
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