The Valley of Fire is the largest (17,000 hectares) and the oldest (opened in 1935) national park. You can get here from Las Vegas (only 80 km) or by visiting an excursion in Los Angeles. A trip from Los Angeles will take quite a long time: about 4.5-5 hours. But a park with red sandstone rocks costs a tedious road of 450 km!
What amazes tourists Valley of Fire? Formations of red color, formed by the movement of the dunes about 150 million years ago, under the influence of winds acquire bizarre forms. Everyone who has visited this mysterious place sees in the rocks something of its own: stone palaces, figures of animals or trees stretching upwards. The rays of the setting sun, illuminating the formation of sandstone, give the latter an unusual fiery color, for which the valley got its name. Futuristic scenery of the area makes you fantasize: tourists seem to be on another planet.
And did people live here? In ancient times, the Anasazi Indians lived in a valley with red rocks. They traditionally hunted, conducted religious rituals, but the lack of water forced the tribe to leave these places. Anasazi left samples of rock art, dating from 300-1150 BC. You can see petroglyphs of prehistoric inhabitants even now, like their everyday objects found by archaeologists.
What to do in the Valley of Fire? Tourists, having gone on tours to Los Angeles and Nevada, are not limited to a sightseeing tour of the national park. Many travelers stay in the valley for a few days: they are engaged in rock climbing, go hiking and break tents. It will be interesting to visit the tourist center with a tour of the exhibits from the field of archeology and geology.
A trip to the national parks of the USA, namely to the Valley of Fire, is better planned for autumn or spring - in the summer in Nevada it's too hot.
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