Valley of Fire State Park

Valley of Fire
Nevada State Park
"Designation"	State Park
"Location"	Overton, Nevada
"Nearest Major City"	Las Vegas, Nevada
"Coordinates"	?
"Area"	? acres
"Date of Establishment"	1935
"Governing Body"	State of Nevada

Valley of Fire State Park is Nevada's oldest State Park. It covers an area of 34,880 acres (141 km²) and was dedicated in 1935.

Valley of Fire is located 50 miles (80 km) northeast of Las Vegas at an elevation of between 2,000 and 2,600 feet (610 and 790 m). It abuts the Lake Mead National Recreation Area at the Virgin River confluence. It lies in a basin 4 miles (6 km) wide by 6 miles (10 km) long, 15 miles (24 km) southwest of Clark County, Nevada.

The rough floor and jagged walls of the park contain brilliant formations of eroded sandstone and sand dunes more than 150 million years old. These features, which are the centerpiece of the park's attractions, often appear to be on fire when reflecting the sun's rays.

The Valley of Fire derives its name from red sandstone formations, formed from great shifting sand dunes during the age of dinosaurs. Complex uplifting and faulting of the region, followed by extensive erosion, have created the present landscape. Other important rock formations include limestones, shales, and conglomerates.

Prehistoric users of the Valley of Fire included the Ancient Pueblo Peoples, also known as the Anasazi who were farmers from the nearby fertile Moapa Valley. The span of approximate occupation has been dated from 300 B.C. to 1150 A.D. Their visits probably involved hunting, food gathering, and religious ceremonies, although scarcity of water would have limited the length of their stay. Fine examples of rock art left by these ancient peoples can be found at several sites within the park.

Winters are mild with temperatures ranging from 32 °F to 75 °F (0 °C to 24 °C). Daily summer highs usually exceed 100 °F (38 °C), and may reach 120 °F (49 °C). Summer temperatures can vary widely from day to night. Average annual rainfall is four inches (102 mm), coming in the form of light winter showers and summer thunderstorms. Spring and fall are the preferred seasons for visiting the Valley of Fire.

The park entry from Interstate 15 passes through the Moapa Indian Reservation.

The park has a visitor center that should be visited by anyone planning any off road activities.

The site is marked as [http://dcnr.nv.gov/markers/mark_150.htm Nevada Historical Marker 150] .

Valley of Fire Road

Valley of Fire Road is the main road through the park. The 10.5 mile road connects the east and west entrances of the park.It was designated as a Nevada Scenic Byway on June 30, 1995. [cite web |url=http://www.nevadadot.com/pub_involvement/scenicbyways/the-byways.asp |title=Nevada's Scenic Byways |accessdate=2008-09-19 |work= |publisher= Nevada Department of Transportation |date= ]

Park Features

Although there are petroglyphs spread through the entire park, there are two areas in particular with many petroglyphs that are relatively easily accessible. These are Mouse's Tank and Atlatl Rock. The park also features three cabins built by the Civilian Conservation Corps. Although overnight camping in the cabins is now prohibited, they were previously an important stopping point between Overton and Las Vegas.Fact|date=July 2007

Film history

Valley of Fire is a popular location to shoot automobile commercials and other commercial photography. The park is a popular getaway for locals and visitors alike. The park provides facilities for picnicking, camping, and hiking.

*"Transformers", directed by Michael Bay, filmed a scene where the Autobots are driving along the valley with other military vehicles during sunset.
*"Star Trek Generations" was filmed in Valley of Fire, and it was here that Captain Kirk fell to his death. In the film, Lake Mead is clearly visible in the background.
*"The Professionals" with Burt Lancaster, Lee Marvin, and Claudia Cardinale was filmed in 1966
*Criss Angel, filmed an extreme stunt on his show: "Criss Angel Mindfreak" here.
*"Domino". A scene in the film where the protagonists crash their RV in the "Valley of Fire". The title character played by Keira Knightley is later described as the "Angel of Fire" by their rescuer, played by Tom Waits.
*The outside Mars scenes from "Total Recall", starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, were almost totally shot in Valley of Fire.
*"Cherry 2000" uses the Beehive group camping area as the Sky Ranch compound of the lead antagonist.

References

External links

* [http://parks.nv.gov/vf.htm Valley of Fire web site] Nevada Division of State Parks
* [http://travelnevada.com/content.aspx?ID=150 Valley of Fire Scenic Byway] TravelNevada.com
* [http://www.mazmanian.net/visuals/valley-of-flames.html The Valley of Fire images]