page_title: Valley of Fire State Park
section_title: Geology
hierarchical_section_title: Valley of Fire State Park / Geology
caption_attribution_description: English: The north end of Lake Mead National Recreation Area (right) and Nevada's Valley of Fire State Park (the red area), viewed from an SFO–ABQ flight
context_page_description: Valley of Fire State Park is a public recreation and nature preservation area covering nearly 46,000 acres located 16 miles south of Overton, Nevada. The state park derives its name from red sandstone formations, the Aztec Sandstone, which formed from shifting sand dunes 150 million years ago. These features, which are the centerpiece of the park's attractions, often appear to be on fire when reflecting the sun's rays. It is Nevada's oldest state park, as commemorated with Nevada Historical Marker #150. It was designated as a National Natural Landmark in 1968.
  Valley of Fire is located 50 miles northeast of Las Vegas, at an elevation between 1,320–3,009 feet. It abuts the Lake Mead National Recreation Area on the east at the Virgin River confluence. It lies in a 4 by 6 mi basin.
context_section_description: 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.
caption: Aerial view, with Lake Mead
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