Images of Valley of Fire State Park – Nevada, taken in October 2024.

Located in the Mojave Desert fifty miles northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada’s oldest (1934) and largest (approximately 46,000 acres) state park, Valley of Fire State Park, protects red sandstone formations which formed over 150 million years ago from ancient shifting sand dunes. The name of the park comes from the fact that the bright red Aztec Sandstone formations appear to be on fire when lit by the sun, particularly around sunrise.

I set out very early to travel to this park, not only to catch the sunrise on these famous features but also to beat the heat, which was expected to rise to 105 degrees; is this really October? Normal temperatures in this area should be around the high 80’s or low 90’s but as I’ve seen all across the country this year, normal may be a thing of the past.

But there’s absolutely nothing normal about this state park, it is amazing, and as advertised, the glow of the red sandstone features at sunrise was breathtaking, especially against the clear blue skies of the southern Nevada desert. As you probably already know, I generally limit my explorations to the many national parks around the country, however, there are a few well known state parks that are “must see” attractions and this is definitely one of them. And the beauty of this park is not only limited to the ‘fire’ represented by the red sandstone formations. This park also hosts brilliant white sandstone and limestone formations, wind and rain carved windows and arches, petroglyphs and wildlife to include Desert Bighorn Sheep, which were abundant throughout the park.

Seeing the sun rise on this park is a ‘must’ but there is plenty more to see the rest of the day too as the incredible formations stretch for miles along the two main roads that traverse the area. Nevada’s Valley of Fire State Park is a scenic and beautiful place which is spectacular in every way.