Valley of Fire State Park Roadways
Atlatl Rock, NV

Atlatl Rock (pronounced at’-lat-l) contains perhaps the best petroglyphs in the Valley of Fire State Park. Visitors can reach Atlatl Rock by traversing a long set of iron stairs. At the top, a panel of incredible petroglyphs opens to the view. The red sandstone contrasts the dark veneer of the desert varnish dramatically, making the petroglyphs very visible. The petroglyphs depict mountain sheep, spirals, birds, other objects, and, of course, hunters. Many of the hunters have an atlatl, a notched stick used to add speed and distance to a thrown spear, etched realistically nearby. According to some sources, Atlatl Rock in the Valley of Fire has one of the best prehistoric renderings of an atlatl in North America.