What does the death of Captain James T. Kirk (one of three I might add), the movie The Professionals, Fire Wave, and petroglyphs all have in common? Well if you answered Valley of Fire State Park, then you would be right and astoundingly astute, though given that’s the title of this article, you might also just be Captain Obvious!
As we venture out more from our pandemic den in Fort Collins, we decided to take a long road trip to Overton, Nevada. Some 50 miles outside of Las Vegas and on the “north shore” of Lake Mead is Overton and our destination, Valley of Fire State Park.
This geologically diverse area is populated by red rocky crags, white-domed mountains, a colorful plethora of small arches, panels packed with petroglyphs, and pastel-hued slot canyons making it one of the more beautiful state parks we have been to.
This natural background also attracts something else, movie making! Many moves were shot against these backdrops, why you can even visit what is left of the movie set The Professionals which is part of a Mexican hacienda wall that was built up one slot canyon. This is also the place where Captain James T. Kirk met his demise against Soran in the movie Star Trek: Generations.
That fact maybe made it a little less surprising for what we saw as we returned one evening from our visit to the Fire Wave, which is a beautiful sandstone wind-carved feature reminiscent of the more spectacular “The Wave” in Arizona. Down the trail came a crew of young movie makers, steady cam harnesses and professional cameras in hand, perhaps to shoot a B roll or scout the location for an upcoming move in the alpenglow evening light.
When visiting Silica Dome, one of the white-domed mountains in the park, we also witnessed two helicopters racing up and down the adjacent Valley of Fire red stone canyon, perhaps they were only sightseers from nearby Las Vegas, or perhaps they were shooting an exciting chase scene through the valley, later to dub in fighter jets or UFOs, I imagined. This is where the final death scene of Kirk was shot in a battle assisted by Captain Jean Luc Picard. Okay, I am geeking out way too much!
But wait, there is more. Not one, not two, but three slot canyons can be hiked on one loop trail. Slot canyons are formed by rushing flash flood water carving its way between sandstone cracks making well-polished passages one can hike up….preferably when it is not raining! Every slot canyon we have hiked has its own unique beauty, tight squeezes, technical maneuvers, and awe to behold. These canyons, Pink, Kaoli, and White Dome were gorgeous. Aptly name Pink is aglow in subtle hues of pink and brown. Kaoli has odd spiny rock formations reminiscent of ascent coral reefs, and white dome is tall and narrow.
There are small arches all over the park, many unnamed. These are not grand arches like in Arches National Park, most are human size, big enough to walk or crawl through to get some interesting pictures.
This area was also inhabited by ancient Puebloans, or Anasazi. Within the red stone Valley of Fire canyon itself are many trails you can take to see massive panels of petroglyphs pecked into the dark red varnish of the surrounding canyon. One particularly dense collection is up Mouse’s Tank and another at Atlatl Rock.
The park is relatively small, but if you are ever in the Las Vegas area it is worth a visit. Just don’t expect to see Lake Mead when you are there because the water levels are so low that there is no north shore, just a stranded beach and a valley of sagebrush to behold.
Enjoy the pictures and as usual leave your comments off the comment link above. Happy hiking!
