Valley of Fire
In November I did a short roadtrip from Vegas → Zion National Park → Page, Arizona. But first my girlfriend and I made a quick stop at Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada. All I can say is wow. We were absolutely blown away. It was $10 to enter and you just drive through the park while making pit stops any time you want to get out and soak in the vivid red scenery.
A very brief history: Valley of Fire formed about 150 million years ago when shifting sand dunes hardened into Aztec sandstone. The rocks bleed red due to iron oxide rusting the stones. People have been visiting Valley of Fire for over 10,000 years — the Ancestral Puebloans used the land to hunt, gather and possibly for spiritual purposes. They carved petroglyphs, which you can still see if you visit VAF today. (Unfortunately I didn’t know about this until after we left.)
I made a short YouTube video of our drive. It’s only one hour away from Vegas, so it’s is a must-visit if you’re in the area!!!