165 miles northeast from
Las vegas off highway 93 lies Cathedral Gorge State Park, known
for its caves, strange landscapes, & unique desert beauty.
One of Nevada's truly out of the way, off-the-beaten-path treasures,
this spot makes for an intruiging and remote place for camping,
hiking, picnics, exploration, photography & fun. Below you'll
find pictures, information & links about the park. It's a
cool, strange looking, neat place! Check it out.
CAMPING - There
are 16 sites for camping, tents & motorhomes (no electrical
hookups available), with picnic tables, firepits with grills,
& shade ramadas. Restrooms equipped with flush toilets and
(free) showers. Fees are $12.00 night, & $3.00 for day use
fee. Campsites are spacious & not cramped, with introduced
Russian Olive & Locust trees.
HIKING - There
is one 4 mile hiking trail leading through the desert & around
the campground, as well as a 1 mile trail starting from the end
of the paved road. The real fun & highlight of a visit to
the park is exploring the earthen labyrinth of caves at the pullout
at the signboard, or near the end of the road by the sheltered
picnic/barbeque area. It's impossible to get lost, but relatively
easy to get stuck in a narrow passage! Notice how cool it is,
especially in summer, in the depths of the caves!
PHOTOGRAPHY - The
best time for photography is late afternoon & evening, since
the gorge & caves face East. Closeups inside the caves shooting
skyward are always rewarding, as well as long-range shots from
afar of the uncommon land formations.
NEARBY ATTRACTIONS - While
visiting Cathedral Gorge, it is easy to make a 2-4 day trip visiting
some spectacular countryside & historic small towns.1 mile
South is the town of Panaca, with a few old building &
stores. Further South is the quaint town of Caliente, with
its 1923 Union Pacific rail station, the center of town. Very
close by is Kershaw-Ryan State Park, a small spot, with
a neat canyon & pretty trees. About 40 miles east of Caliente
is Nevada's most remote park, Beaver Dam State Park, which
has a 40 site campground with fishing, swimming & more. North
of Cathedral Gorge is the historic & picturesque town of Pioche.
Some of the old buildings you'll want to check out are are the
"Million-Dollar" courthouse, the old opera house, the
town cemetary, the Wells Fargo Bulding, the Gem movie theater,
& the Amsden Building. Pioche is one of the best preserved
historic mining towns in all of the West, & definitely worth
a look! 2 State Parks are near Pioche - Echo Canyon Resevoir,
which is rather dull yet has a nice campground; & the remote
Spring Valley State Park. Here, there is a gorgeous resevoir
with plenty of wildlife & scenery, 2 great campgrounds ( Horsethief
& Ranch), mountain hiking & exploration, swimming, boating
& fishing. Highly recommended! Near Spring Valley, off Eagle
Valley road, nestled in a steep-walled canyon with an annual stream
running through it, is a tiny, secluded, primitive campground
called Meadow Valley. With about 3 sites, this is the
spot in the area if you are looking for beauty & seclusion
in a campsite!
For more information call
the park at (775) 728 4467
PHOTOS
Looking up through the
caves
Your author, climbing
& acting like an idiot (again) !
