Valley of Fire State Park

Geology

Complex uplifting and faulting of the region, followed by extensive erosion, have created the landscape. The rough floor and jagged walls of the park contain brilliant formations of eroded sandstone and sand dunes more than 150 million years old. Other important rock formations include limestones, shales, and conglomerates.

History

Prehistoric inhabitants of the Valley of Fire included the Ancestral Puebloans, also known as the Anasazi, who were farmers from the nearby fertile Moapa Valley. Their approximate occupation span has been dated from 300 BC to 1150 AD. Their visits probably involved hunting, food gathering, and religious ceremonies, although scarcity of water would have limited their stay. Fine examples of rock art (petroglyphs) left by these ancient peoples can be found at several sites within the park.

The creation of Valley of Fire State Park began with the transfer of 8760 acre of federal land to the state of Nevada in 1931. Work on the park was initiated by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1933. During the years of their employment, which continued into the early 1940s, the CCC workers built campgrounds, trails, stone visitor cabins, ramadas, and roads. The park opened in 1934; it achieved official designation by the state legislature in 1935.

Climate

The Valley of Fire State Park has a dry and warm climate typical of the Mojave Desert in which it lies. Winters are mild with daytime temperatures ranging from 54 to. and over night lows in the mid 30 °F's to low 50 °F's (3-12 °C). Storms moving east from the Pacific Ocean occasionally bring rain during winter months. Daily summer highs usually range from 100 to and on occasion may reach near 120 F. Thunderstorms from the Southwestern Monsoon can produce heavy showers during summer. The average annual precipitation is 6.50 in.

| Jan record high F = 75 | Feb record high F = 87 | Mar record high F = 96 | Apr record high F = 100 | May record high F = 111 | Jun record high F = 118 | Jul record high F = 120 | Aug record high F = 116 | Sep record high F = 114 | Oct record high F = 102 | Nov record high F = 87 | Dec record high F = 80 | year record high F = | Jan record low F = 19 | Feb record low F = 18 | Mar record low F = 29 | Apr record low F = 29 | May record low F = 42 | Jun record low F = 48 | Jul record low F = 64 | Aug record low F = 61 | Sep record low F = 49 | Oct record low F = 38 | Nov record low F = 28 | Dec record low F = 12 | year record low F = |access-date = December 16, 2023}}{{cite web |access-date = December 16, 2023}}

Valley of Fire Road

Valley of Fire Road is the main road accessing and traversing through the park. The 10.5 mi section of the road between the east and west entrances of the park was officially designated as a Nevada Scenic Byway on June 30, 1995.

Activities and amenities

The park has a visitors center plus facilities for picnicking, camping, and hiking. Petroglyphs are seen throughout the park, with Mouse's Tank and Atlatl Rock two areas in particular with numerous petroglyphs that are relatively easily accessible. The park also preserves three stone cabins built by the Civilian Conservation Corps.

Film history

Valley of Fire is a popular location for shooting automobile commercials and other commercial photography. It has provided a setting for the following films and television shows:

• Viva Las Vegas starring Elvis Presley had multiple shots filmed in the park during the racing scenes for the film's finale in 1963.
• The Professionals with Burt Lancaster, Jack Palance, Lee Marvin, and Claudia Cardinale was filmed in 1966. Valley of Fire was one of three locations used in the film. All that remains of the set is a portion of a rock wall of a hacienda.
• The outside Mars scenes from Total Recall, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, were almost totally shot in Valley of Fire.
• The scenes from planet Veridian III from Star Trek Generations were filmed here in 1994. The Silica Dome is particularly highlighted for Star Trek fans as the site of iconic starship captain James T. Kirk's death and burial.

Law enforcement incidents

On July 10, 2024, a park ranger shot and killed a man who allegedly charged at the ranger with a knife, which resulted in the park being closed for two days. An investigation later conducted by the Department of Public Safety said suicide notes were found; the suspect had knife wounds on his neck; blood was found inside the suspect's vehicle and on the knife, which indicated the wounds were likely self-inflicted, and occurred before he got out of his vehicle.

References

References

1. {{cite gnis. 844569. Valley of Fire
2. (2018). "Division of State Parks Performance Audit".
3. Staff, FOX5. (2024-07-10). "Valley of Fire remains closed amid investigation into deadly shooting involving ranger".
4. (17 July 2024). "Authorities detail events that led to first fatal officer-involved shooting at Valley of Fire".
5. "Valley of Fire State Park". Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
6. "History of Valley of Fire State Park". Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
7. (April 27, 2018). "Inventory of State Lands". Nevada Division of State Lands.
8. "Valley of Fire State Park General Management Plan 2010". Nevada Division of State Parks.
9. "Valley of Fire". National Park Service.
10. "Nevada's Scenic Byways". Nevada Department of Transportation.
11. "Nevada's First State Park". State Historic Preservation Office.
12. Carlo Gaberscek, Kenny Stier. (2014). "In Search of Western Movie Sites". Jerry Schneider Enterprises.
13. (May 16, 2016). "Scene in Nevada: Total Recall". Nevada Film Office.
14. (2006). "The Civilian Conservation Corps in Nevada: From Boys to Men". University of Nevada Press.
15. (2009). "Moapa Valley Trails Study Pre-Design Existing Data Review". University of Nevada.