Somewhat confusingly, we actually started our October California Road Trip in Nevada as logistically flying into Las Vegas was relatively simple and it gave us the chance to get back into the desert of the Southwest to see some more of the red rock formations that we have been missing in New Zealand.
After a busy morning picking up a huge campervan, plenty of provisions and various other supplies we thought we might need for our road trip, we eventually pointed the campervan east out of Las Vegas to Valley of Fire State Park.
After negotiating some complicated interstate interchanges and some rather narrow lanes through a construction zone, we were relieved to turn off onto the highway leading to the State Park. The road traverses a high desert plain before dropping steeply into the Moapa Valley. After entering the park, you immediately start to see the sandstone outcrops the area is famous for.
We had picked out the rather fabulously named “Seven Wonders” loop trail as a good place to start hiking in the park. The track definitely did not disappoint, and within just a few hundred metres of the car park we started to see the bright red Aztec Sandstone outcrops which contrast dramatically with the surrounding gray and brown limestone.
Perhaps the best part of the hike was that you were able to walk across the formations allowing you to get constantly changing perspectives from the swirling rocks. Despite being less than a couple of hours from Las Vegas the park really wasn’t all that busy and we were able to take our time admiring the rock formations.
The most famous feature in the park is the Fire Wave (above), which was just starting to glow in the early evening light. The Fire Wave was definitely unique with a more pinkish hue to the sandstone, although honestly we though that the entire area was really stunning.
It seemed that everywhere you looked and around every twist and turn in the trail there were new and interesting patterns in the rocks. As we continued on the loop past the Fire Wave we had the entire area to ourselves and were able to take our time exploring each of the features. The early evening light helped make the colours even more vivid.
Eventually the trail started to descend toward a gully and as we entered Pastel Canyon, the rocks around us changed from a deep orangey-red to more pastel colours.
We followed the canyon out through a wash and eventually the rock walls around us started to get taller and we found ourselves in a small slot canyon. Although not as dramatic as some of the slot canyons we had visited in Utah, it was deep enough that the deep shade and cooler air was a welcome change from the bright desert sunlight we had been walking in.
The slot canyon ended in another collection of brightly coloured rocks and we followed the meandering trail through a couple of washes back towards the campervan. We make a quick stop to look at the filming locations for movies such as Total Recall, Star Trek Generations and Transformers, although as Eric and I hadn’t actually seen any of these films the locations were rather lost on us!
With the sun starting to set, we made our way to the campground and were pleased to find our campsite tucked up against the red rocks. After the hectic morning in Las Vegas, it was nice to have such a quiet spot to camp for our first night.
