Discovereighng with Dana: Valley of Fire

Welcome back! I'm really excited about today's post on the Valley of Fire in Nevada. On our last trip to Vegas, I rented a Stingray Corvette Convertible for the day for Lovely's birthday & anniversary gift. #bestmoneyeverspent To get the most out of it, I planned a long drive outside of Vegas along highways, through parks, and scenic drives. It was one of our best days, like ever! We enjoyed the scenery, wind blowing through our hair (ok, my hair), and the company. Our main stop on the itinerary was the Valley of Fire which is about an hour and a half drive from the strip.

It is so beautiful there! As soon as we got close, we could see how it got it's name. The rocks were so vastly fiery red compared to the terrain on the way. We enjoyed several hours here, driving from trail to trail, rock to rock, and hiking along the way. We saw ground squirrels, lizards, Indian petroglyphs, and beautiful rock formations. We first stopped on a scenic lookout before actually getting into the park, and, boy, were the views stunning! At the entrance, we stopped to pay our fee in an honor system meter--no attendant, just leave your cash in the box & put a form on your dash. From there we drove around to see Arch Rock, then made our way to the White Domes Trail.

This spot was extraordinary! Right in the middle of all this red was an area of white rocks, sand, and terrain. Amazing! From White Domes, we stopped at several trails on our way back to the main road, including Mouse's Tank Trail. This was perhaps the most exciting stop. Here is where we saw lizards & no-telling-how-old Indian petroglyphs. These are drawings carved into the sides of rocks. It was amazing to see! Another fun stop was, believe it or not, the visitor center. Along with lots of educational info, we found water, much needed, and the cutest little animals scurrying around--ground squirrels. There were also hummingbird feeders out the back door, were so many of the birds were feeding! I never imagined there would be hummingbirds in the desert! Always learning!

Our last little adventure was to Elephant Rock towards the back of the park. You can actually see this rock from the road, but you aren't allowed to walk on the road or stop in this area. So in order to get a good look, you have to stop near the park's Lake Mead entrance/exit, and walk the short trail to get there. It was pretty neat to see, though not as large as I'd envisioned. Another great treat was spotting a heart formation in the side of a rock. I hadn't read or heard about this, so that was really cool! It was off the road between the Visitor's Center & Mouse Tank's Trail. The Valley of Fire is a beautiful park to visit while you're in Vegas if you need a little time away from the hustle & bustle. Just be sure to pack lots of water and a few snacks, you're truly secluded out there!