Elephant Rock in Valley of Fire

Valley of Fire State Park in southern Nevada is iconic for its stunning landscape of vibrantly red rock cliffs and canyons. The state park derives its name from red sandstone formations, the Aztec Sandstone. Elephant Rock is a unique rock formation just off Valley of Fire Highway, next to the east entrance of Valley of Fire State Park. This is the sort of sandstone formation that can’t be believed by people who haven’t seen it. Is Elephant Rock an oddly shaped natural arch or perhaps a stone encased mastodon trunk? Get a close look at Elephant Rock on to see that the elephant’s trunk – a natural arch of sandstone, really stands out, but look closer and you can visualize the elephant’s legs and body as well. The trunk-like natural arch drops off the west side of Elephant Rock. The top of the arch is created of brick-like blocks that look different from other arches. The trunk on elephant rock is not made up of one smooth piece of bending rock as you might expect.