The road to Valley of Fire was full of the dips and curves that the two RV Gypsies are becoming accustomed to seeing and driving on. The mountains were mostly rocky with scattered patches of greenery. |
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Then the mountains changed and were very black in color and razor sharp in shape. Amazing. These are named The Muddy Mountains. |
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The mountains changed yet again, and the two RV Gypsies noticed that the mountains were full of big holes. |
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Valley of Fire is one of the Nevada's oldest state parks, with 3,000-year-old petroglyphs carved in sandstone and breathtaking views of maroon-colored rock formations.
It covers an area of almost 42,000 acres and was dedicated in 1935. It derives its name from red sandstone formations, formed from great shifting sand dunes during the age of dinosaurs. These features, which are the centerpiece of the park's attractions, often appear to be on fire when reflecting the sun's rays.
Valley of Fire is located 50 miles northeast of Las Vegas, at an elevation between 2,000 - 6,000 feet. It abuts the Lake Mead National Recreation Area at the Virgin River confluence. It lies in a 4 by 6 mile basin. |
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Beehives: The Beehives are sandstone formations that not only demonstrate the unique design that can be created by nature, but is an excellent representation of geologic cross-bedding via the grooved lines going in different directions. The layers or beds represent different layers of silt that are deposited at different times. The beds indicate the angle of the wind or water that was moving at the time the material was deposited. Cross-bedding is very common in sand dunes, beach deposits, and river sediments.
Below: A short path winds through rocky dunes with the hills of the Muddy Mountains visible in the distance. Once part of a sand deposit that covered a vast area, these rocks have been subjected to a relentless attack by harsh winds, rain, heat and cold, creating the many unusual formations that make up the Valley of Fire. |
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Below is the two RV Gypsies' favorite part of this park. |
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Lee Duquette tried to hide in a beehive at Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada, but eagle-eyed Karen saw him before he could completely disappear into the rock formation. |
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Notice the mountain range called The Muddy Mountains in the background of this panorama and in the photo below it. |
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Karen Duquette went into a Beehive and found a window to look out of. Lee Duquette put the camera on self-timer and tried to join Karen but could not get there in time. |
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Atlatl Rock
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The roads in the Valley of Fire were full of dips, same as the regular roads
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