Valley of Fire 火焰山谷

Valley of Fire State Park is the oldest state park in Nevada, USA and was designated as a National Natural Landmark in 1968. It covers an area of 42,059 acres (17,021 ha)  and was dedicated in 1935. It derives its name from red sandstone formations, the Aztec Sandstone, which formed from great shifting sand dunes during the age of dinosaurs. These features, which are the centerpiece of the park's attractions, often appear to be on fire when reflecting the sun's rays.

Valley of Fire is located 50 miles (80 km) northeast of Las Vegas, at an elevation between 1,320–3,009 feet (402–917 m). It abuts the Lake Mead National Recreation Area on the east at the Virgin River confluence. It lies in a 4 by 6 mi (6.4 by 9.7 km) basin.

Complex uplifting and faulting of the region, followed by extensive erosion, have created the present landscape. The rough floor and jagged walls of the park contain brilliant formations of eroded sandstone and sand dunes more than 150 million years old. Other important rock formations include limestones, shales, and conglomerates.

火焰谷州立公园(Valley of Fire State Park)位于拉斯维加斯东北90公里处，简称火焰谷。它是内华达州最古老的国家公园，成立于1935年，覆盖面积达14120公顷。之所以叫火焰谷，是因为山谷中大面积露出地表的中生代时期的红色砂岩会在阳光下折射出像烈火般的红色，远远望去就像火烧山谷。

数百万年遭受风雨侵蚀的砂岩，奇形怪状满布山谷之中，正如火焰谷红的真像是在燃烧一般。沙漠狂风在此地不断吹袭红色的沙岩，形成奇特的石头造型。据考证，此地曾被当地的原住民印地安人认为是圣地，所以，在红色的砂岩之上还留有许多的壁画，壁画的内容包含当时的印地安人的生活及大自然的变化等，有些壁画已经有8000年的历史了。