Elephant Rock (Valley of Fire) explained

Elephant Rock
Elevation Ft:1926
Elevation Ref:[1]
Prominence Ft:32
Prominence Ref:[2]
Range:Great Basin Ranges[3]
Isolation Mi:0.78
Parent Peak:The 5-Arch
Country:United States
State:Nevada
Region:Clark
Region Type:County
Part Type:Protected area
Part:Valley of Fire State Park
Map:USA Nevada#USA
Map Size:230
Label Position:left
Coordinates:36.4284°N -114.461°W
Topo:USGS Valley of Fire East
Age:Early Jurassic
Rock:Aztec Sandstone
Easiest Route: scrambling

Elephant Rock is a 1926feet summit in Clark County, Nevada, United States.

Description

Elephant Rock is located 42miles northeast of downtown Las Vegas in the Valley of Fire State Park near the park's east entrance. The landform is one of the most photographed attractions within the park.[4] It is set in the Mojave Desert and it is one of the most famous sandstone features in Nevada.[5] Elephant Rock is composed of Aztec Sandstone which formed as lithified sand dunes in a desert about 180–190 million years ago during the Early Jurassic.[6] Precipitation runoff from the landform drains east to Lake Mead via Thomas Wash and Valley of Fire Wash. Topographic relief is modest as the summit rises 120abbr=offNaNabbr=off above the Valley of Fire Road in 265 feet (81 m). Access to the arch is from a 0.25-mile trail that starts at a roadside parking lot with information and restrooms.[7] This landform's descriptive toponym, which derives its name from a much-photographed natural arch that resembles an elephant, has been officially adopted by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names.[1] [8]

Climate

Elephant Rock is set within the Mojave Desert which has hot summers and cold winters.[9] Due to the elevation and aridity, temperatures drop sharply after sunset. Summer nights are comfortably cool. Winter highs are generally above freezing, and winter nights are bitterly cold, with temperatures often dropping well below freezing.

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. 858272. Elephant Rock. 2024-11-28.
  2. Web site: Elephant Rock - 1,886' NV. listsofjohn.com. 2024-11-28.
  3. 86851. Elephant Rock, Nevada. 2024-11-28.
  4. Greg Ward, The Rough Guide to Las Vegas, Rough Guides, 2002,, p. 133.
  5. Gibbs Smith, Nevada, Our Home,, p.14
  6. Rick Miller PhD, Really, What’s Two Billion Years Among Friends?, Dorrance Publishing, 2023,, p. 32.
  7. Brian Beffort, Afoot and Afield: Las Vegas and Southern Nevada, Wilderness Press, 2010,, p. 165.
  8. National Geographic Guide to State Parks of the United States, 4th Edition, National Geographic Books, 2012,, p. 353.
  9. Peel, M. C. . Finlayson, B. L. . McMahon, T. A. . 2007 . Updated world map of the Köppen−Geiger climate classification . Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. . 11 . 1027-5606.