St. George, UT to Las Vegas, NV (I-15, Valley of Fire Hwy, Hwy 169)
I-15 continues to angle to the southwest as we leave the balmy realm of Utah’s Dixie. The interstate continues to follow the Virgin River as it cuts through desert mountains in a very narrow canyon.
Nearly 30 miles later we emerge from the canyon onto the desert floor and leave the Virgin River as it heads more directly south into Lake Mead. Cacti dot the desert landscape which is still dressed in green nourished by the winter rains. Arid mountains rise in the distance both to the north and south of the interstate.
About 70 miles east of Las Vegas our journey veers off I-15 to explore the “back door” to the metropolitan area. At exit 75 we turn south on the Valley of Fire highway which heads directly into a narrow slot in the range of mountains that have been lining the southern horizon.
Emerging from the short canyon, one of the natural wonders of southern Nevada erupts up out of the sage and tan desert landscape. 150 million years ago this was a land of shifting sand dunes slithering across the land. During the ensuing climate and geologic changes the sand dunes gradually turned into red sandstone which in turn has been weathered and carved into fantastic formations that erupt from the desert floor. This is Valley of Fire State Park.
Valley of Fire State Park
While waiting at the entrance station, the west side of ochre colored rock formations stand out in stark contrast to the surrounding landscape.
Just on the other side of this initial red ridge the scenic drive veers off to the left from the highway. The drive pierces the interior of the formation heading due north. The two pictures below are of the backside of the view from the pay station.
The next series of pictures are taken as I head north to the end of the road at White Domes, where the road terminates in a turn-around. The rock formations begin to be a mix of colors, though the bright burnt orange is most dramatic.
Look closely at the lower left of the picture below and you can see two people climbing the rocks. It gives an idea of the scale of the rock formations.
The delineation of colors is often sharply drawn as layers of different minerals laid down at different times form the sandstone.
The first part of the drive is through a narrow canyon dominated by red rock but it rises to the top of a hill and the view opens up towards the back part of the state park. This is the view from Rainbow Point, looking north towards the White Domes.
The road curls around the White Domes, offering views from a number of angles.
Exiting the turnaround and beginning to head back to the entrance nearly 6 miles to the south, there are better views to the north of the formations rising from the desert floor.
Striking examples of the varied colors of the landscape splash across the both sides of the road.
Here are pictures that demonstrate the two “halves” of the formation. The north part is dominated by lighter hues while the southern part is a narrow canyon cast in hues of crimson and ochre.
Emerging from the canyon at the exit of the state park the view is of the broad desert floor stretching towards the Virgin River and Lake Mead to the east.
Valley of Fire Highway ends at Hwy 169 where we turn south and head towards Lake Mead. Note how low the lake is. This is a combination of the fact that it is late winter and so spring snow melt hasn’t yet arrived in the lake but more importantly the impact of the drought which has plagued the west for years.
The highway eventually veers to the right and follows the northern shore of Lake Mead (out of sight in the rugged landscape) to Henderson, a southeastern suburb of Las Vegas. Las Vegas is in a large, shallow bowl rimmed with mountains on all sides. After cresting the hills to the west of Henderson we have a view across the hazy valley towards the Las Vegas Strip on the left and downtown Las Vegas to the right.
Who knew that “Nature’s Neon” is a little side trip just an hour northeast of the Strip?
Next up: The “other” Las Vegas…
Post a Comment