This small state park, some 50 miles north of Las Vegas, is often overlooked by those rushing to the more famous national parks of Utah - and I can well understand the desire of those folk with little time to spare to see Zion and Bryce before wandering around a little-known desert park in Nevada.

However, the Valley of Fire offers high rewards to those willing to explore off the beaten track. The colours in the sandstone are remarkably varied and more than compensate for the absence of the sinuous curves found further east in the sandstone of the Paria Plateau. Indeed, it is the fractured nature of the rock that offers countless alcoves and arches that reveal themselves to the curious explorer.

I have posted a separate portfolio of intimate sandstone images from this location, which I confess I enjoy as much, if not more than this portfolio.