--
White Domes
White Domes: Sandstone formations with brilliant contrasting colors, picnic area, and a one mile scenic trail. White Domes is 5.5 miles (8.8 km) drive from the Visitor Center.
Park Features
From a geologic perspective, White Domes in Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada, have very attractive geological formations with vivid colors. The area is formed basically of sandstone of the Navajo Formation, dated about 150-190 million years and thus from the Jurassic period. Over time, wind and water erosion caused the sand to be sculpted into smooth dome-like shapes to form the "White Domes" of the area's namesake.What apparently gives this place the most at-first striking feature is the contrast between the white, cream, and pinkish hues of this rock against the surrounding red sandstone formations typical of Valley of Fire. This is because of the different levels of iron oxidation in the rock: whiter colors have less iron compared with the red rock around them.
Most visitors tour the White Domes via hiking trails and can closely see these geological formations, which also include narrow slot canyons and remnants of old movie sets. The formations and textures of the rocks make this area popular for photography, too.
