Valley of Fire State Park

     The Valley of Fire is the oldest state park in Nevada.  The parks gets its name from red sandstone formations that appear to be burning when the sun hits them at the right angle.  The park is located near the Moapa Indian Reservation.  The Ancient Pueblo peoples or Anasazi used the valley from 300 BC to 1150 AD.  They drew interesting pictures on the rock walls called petroglyphs.  While beautiful, this is an inhospitable place for humans.  Summer temperatures reach 120°, and water collects in very few places.
     Spending time at the visitor center is a must, especially if you plan to camp or go off-road.  Scorpions inflict painful bites, but are usually life threatening only to babies and the elderly.  Poisonous snakes are shy, but some species hide in the sand.  Be careful not to step on them.  The park, especially the picnic areas, are full of antelope ground squirrels.  They are smaller and cuter than a Ty Beanie Baby.  Resist the urge to offer them treats or to handle them because they carry bubonic plague.

Antelope ground squirrel - carrier of the black death.

 

 

My favorite formations were called beehives (because they looked like beehives).  This one just needed a little adjustment.

 

It's good to be queen bee.

Real bees are presenting a problem.  Africanized honey bees or "killer bees" (docile European honey bees cross  bred with African honey bees) are a danger to tourists.  Park officials want tourists to report nest locations, so the nests can be moved away from the main attractions.

Mike photographing ancient grafitti.

This is called Mouse's Trench.  It's a trough of greenish, stagnant water that collects from the 4" of annual rain.  Animals can expect water to remain in the trough for most of the year.  This basin was named after Little Mouse, a Paiute Indian renegade.  He would hole up here after his raids.