I originally went to the Valley of Fire to gather sandstone for a painting series I am working on.  The region is also home to Brittlebush, which in my recollection the Seri Indians used as a toothpaste.  I've tried it, it's a pungent chalky minty flavor.

The Valley of Fire derives its name from red sandstone formations, formed from great shifting sand dunes during the age of dinosaurs, 150 million years ago. Complex uplifting and faulting of the region, followed by extensive erosion, have created the present landscape.

The Valley of Fire houses traces of the Basket Maker people and later the Anasazi Pueblo farmers from the nearby fertile Moapa Valley.  According to the National Park's researchers, the span of approximate occupation has been dated from 300 B.C.E. to 1150 C.E. Their visits probably involved hunting, food gathering, and religious ceremonies, although scarcity of water would have limited the length of their stay. Fine examples of rock art left by these ancient peoples can be found at several sites within the park.  

Listen to the sounds of the wind winding through the reverberant sandstone, reflect on the symbolism and meaning of the Petroglyphs, and wander through an entire landscape on fire.