Valley of Fire Behind the Camera

What appears to be an ancient ruin was actually built in 1965 as a movie set for "The Professional," with the main set, a Mexican hacienda, located where the parking lot is now, and railroad ties still visible in the rocks. Commercial photography in the park began in the 1920s when Hal Roach started filming westerns there, and he also produced "One Million B.C." The park's distinctive landscape became widely known through more than 45 commercial photo shoots each year, and other films made there include "The Electric Horseman" and "Star Trek Generations." Recognized nationally for its picturesque geologic formations, the park is now carefully managed by rangers to limit lasting environmental effects from commercial photography so film crews can take pictures and leave only footprints.

Nevada · United States