Existing comment:
The Valley Today and Tomorrow:
The geologic forces that act upon our earth are slow but irresistible. Park visitors will see only small changes, such as the crumbling of a cliff face. But all the time, mostly unnoticed, there will be pressures that build mountains and erosion to wear them down.
Hundreds of millions of years have witnessed the creation of the valley of Fire, one of the most geologically interesting and scenic areas in Nevada. Preservation of this magnificent area for future generations to appreciate in its natural state is a challenge to the sensitivity and responsibility of every visitor to this desert wonderland.
In this drawing of the Valley of Fire today, the Muddy Mountains across the valley are shown at the left, and the brilliant red remnants of ancient sand dunes behind the visitor center are located at the right. The major, open valley between them was carved out as erosion weathered away the Aztec Sandstone covering the soft shales beneath. |