We spent more time yesterday hiking in the back-country of Valley of Fire. As most of you already know, this is my favorite area in Nevada. This cool hill kind of reminds me of The Wave in Northern Arizona – without the people and permit hassles.
Las Vegas may have fancy shows and great restaurants, and can be a lot of fun, but it still can’t compete with sweet light in a beautiful landscape like Valley of Fire. Throw in a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a cool shooting star at the end of the day and you have something that Las Vegas could never top!
Comments 43
Spectacular location and a beautiful image Ron! I’m looking at a trip out this way early next year and will have to add this park to my list of destinations. Quite stunning!
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Amazing shot! I absolutely agree with you, Las Vegas has nothing that could compete with the Valley of Fire. Great colors and shapes!
Øyvind
Very beautiful hill, lots of nice color. Great capture Ron
Awesome shot – no doubt it looks like “the wave”.
Really unique view from this great location, Ron. Just goes to show that venturing off the beaten path often rewards. Vegas doesn’t hold a candle!
Cool find, Ron. 99 times out of 100, I’d drive straight thru Vegas to camp out here.
Looks like you’ve got a gem here! Very nice, great composition!
Hi
Amazing picture with beatiful colors.
I liked the foreground with fine structure.
Tommy S
Beautiful! The lighting and the wave just make this perfect. None of my Valley of Fire pics looking anything like this. Did you just stumble upon this while hiking around?
I like hiking there but also check out the Mt. Charleston area. It’s about 50 miles NW of Vegas. The temp is also 20-30 degrees cooler up in the mountains.
This is indeed one cool formation! I’m jealous of your day in the field once again.
Author
Thanks so much everyone!
Janine just spotted a photo of this location, although a much different composition on the cover of a map for Nevada. Bummer.
@ Scott This is a great area, cool photos all around, but this is especially nice. I hiked within a 100 yards of it two years ago, but didn’t see it!
@ Steve Mt Charleston has been on our list every time we come to Vegas, but we haven’t made it there yet. Maybe this time!
Thanks again everyone!
God, this is great Ron! I really need to get out there since it is only a few hour drive from my house.
Hey Ron,
Nice .. pretty amazing how much it looks like the Wave .. though the color is extraordinary. Very cool.
Cheers
Carl
” Throw in a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a cool shooting star at the end of the day and you have something that Las Vegas could never top!”
I agree completely!!
Author
Thanks!
Outstanding. We saw the same photo and found a website description of it (in German I think) and somehow we couldn’t find it! (found some other beautiful stuff though)
It looks like someone painted on it, it is amazing how this can be found in nature.
Congratulations for the shot!!!
Author
Thanks I appreciate it!
Truly amazing shot – I’m a student at Hertfordshire Univeristy in the UK. I have chosen to study your work for our Landscape/Cityscape Brief. I travelled Canada for two years before uni and parts of the US, I definatly want to make my way down to Nevada at some point! Your work is inspiring! 😀
Author
Thanks so much Natasha! Canada is wonderful, and so it the Southwest, in a completely different way. Thanks.
I’m one of those who missed this spot when in the Valley. Thanks for bringing it to us!
Author
Thanks Joni – you must pass through there one of these days!
Ron
Very nice again!
I think your should seriously do a workshop in the Valley of Fire! You have the skills, and VOF has the setting…I know I would really want to attend!
Author
Thanks Chris – I have considered it.
Ron, Last Oct.,at the VOF information center, I was given some rough instructions as to where to look for this formation.They said they didn’t know exactly where it is.I spent two hours hunting for it and couldn’t find it.Can(Will) you tell me where it is.
Love Your Photography,
Lowell
Author
Thanks Lowell!
There isn’t a trail, but if you couldn’t find it after two hours, you probably went too far. I think it is less then 1/4 of a mile East of the road to White Dome near one of the last washes.
I went to the second pulloff past rainbow vista, which is on the right.I was told to walk east about a mile and then walk north or south to find the formation.I ended
up walking back toward the road and came out at the first pulloff.Since there is no trail you really need GPS coordinates to find this place.
Amazing Shot Ron, very well done.
I’m going on a Vegas trip in March and as always will spend some photo time out in Valley of Fire (Such an amazingly beautiful place, and much more fun to explore before it to gets too hot!). I’ll try find this location and if I do I’ll get a gps location for others.
Question Ron… if you don’t mind. Going by the Valley of fire Brochure map, http://parks.nv.gov/pdf/VOFBrochure.pdf
How far up the road from Rainbow vista to say the turn off to duck rock would the trek start if you divided it into 10 with one starting at rainbow and 10 the turn to Duck rock?
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Awesome, thanks so much. 🙂
Bruce, Johanna Wight, Ronda and I went there last weekend. IThis was my 1st trip there. It was spectacular and we had so much fun shooting. I’m sure we will be back.
Author
Glad you had fun!
Hi Ron
This is very nice composition and shot very well. I have been to valley of fire three times but did not find the spot. I went all the way to the end of rainbow drive but did not find this formation. Would you mind sharing the location so I could also admire . I have some pictures from this area on my site which you can view and comment.
Thanks
P.S There is another good area to visit near Las Vegas called devil’s fire that you may also like
Author
Thanks Edward!
If you look at some of my responses above, I give about as good as a description as I can w/o gps coordinates. It is basically just off the last wash you cross on the road to White Tanks – to the East about a quarter mile. There isn’t a trail, but if you can find a few high vantage points you should be able to spot it. It might be a half mile, but I don’t think any further.
Great photo! I’m actually planning a trip to do down to Valley of Fire in the spring and would love to see this. How do you get to it? I’ve never been to the park before and don’t know much about it. It def reminds me of the Wave in AZ.
Author
Hi Patrick It definitively is a beautiful area. As far as directions to this location – did you read the comments? That is about is detailed as I can get.
Dear Ron,
Thank you for all this information. I only have one more question. I live in Switzerland and I m coming to visit the area this 14 february… but have no idea at what time it would be the best…. what time does the sun go down in your area around this time of year?
Thanky again and wow what a beautifull image! Congrats. 🙂
Natalia
Author
Thanks Natalia. I don’t remember, seems like is was between 5 and 6. Have fun.
I have been to the valley but where exactly is this? I am going back and would love to see this.
Author
Rafael – there is now a sign at the trailhead. Check out my previous comments – park after the last dip and look across the road for the sign.