Nevada is more than just Las Vegas. While it probably does not draw as many visitors as other states in the Southwest for natural beauty, it does have some gems. Many of you may have heard of the Valley of Fire, and if you have been in these parts, you may have also visited Red Rock Canyon, not far from Las Vegas. In this article, we are going to talk about Cathedral Gorge State Park, a smaller park that people who love rocky landscapes will enjoy and a place that is always featured among the photos of the Southwest.
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How to Get to Cathedral Gorge State Park: Directions
Cathedral Gorge State Park is located in Nevada along the Great Basin Hwy, less than 25 miles from the border with Utah. The two nearest major cities are Las Vegas, Nevada and St. George, Utah. It’s very likely that you’ll depart from one of these cities to reach the park.
- From Las Vegas (168 miles): Take the Great Basin Hwy, which runs through Las Vegas and is I-15 in the first section, and continue on it until you take exit 64, where you will head northwest. You are already on the road that takes you directly to Cathedral Gorge, so just keep going until you reach the park.
- From St. George (99 miles): Take UT-18 north and follow it to the intersection with UT-56 at Beryl Junction. Here you will turn left and continue on the road until you cross the border with Nevada. After about 18 miles, you will arrive in Panaca, and immediately after crossing the town, you will cross the Great Basin Hwy. Within a few minutes, you will see the sign of the park.
How to include this stop in a road trip itinerary
It will be very unlikely that you will choose to visit this park if you are on your first trip to the Southwest since you will certainly want to give priority to larger and more famous parks. This is not to say that smaller parks are to be excluded outright. Far from it! However, Cathedral Gorge is off the beaten track and, therefore, it is more difficult to include it in a classic itinerary than other places. Nevertheless, if you are particularly attracted to it, or if this is not the first time you are visiting this area and you have already checked off all the must-sees, I suggest an alternative itinerary between California and Utah.
Most tourists who travel from California to Utah and vice versa, use two main routes to cross Nevada. Either I-80, in the northern part of the state, connects San Francisco and Sacramento with Salt Lake City, or, in the southern part, I-15, which leads from Los Angeles to Las Vegas and takes you even to the great parks of southern Utah and northern Arizona. There is also a third route. US-6 joins California and Nevada at Yosemite National Park, so why not take advantage of this road after seeing Yosemite or when heading towards it? It’s true, between Yosemite and Cathedral Gorge there are 404 miles. You will have to cross practically all of Nevada, but, as monotonous as it may seem, the journey has its surprises.
Nevada is known for being a place of excess and strange things. This can be seen in its most famous city, Las Vegas, but also in many other remote places around its desert territory. One example is Tonopah, a good place to spend the night on US-6, and not surprisingly, it is one of the stops on our weird itinerary in Nevada. But above all, part of your route will be along the Extraterrestrial Highway, the road that leads to Area 51. In the middle of a desert landscape, which will make you think that you are driving on Mars, you can visit the Alien Research Center and stop at Little A’Le’Inn, the UFO-themed hotel and restaurant.
Along this route, after Area 51, you will find Cathedral Gorge, which will be one of the last stops before arriving in Utah. Cathedral Gorge is near Cedar City, a few miles from Zion (Kolob Canyon) and Bryce Canyon. Here is a map of the itinerary
Hours and Ticket Prices
The park is always open year-round, 24 hours a day. The entrance fee is $5 per vehicle, regardless of the number of passengers. Since it is a state park, it is not possible to enter with the national parks annual pass, which is valid only in national parks. However, the price is very affordable.
What is Cathedral Gorge State Park?
Tall spires and narrow passages between the rocks. Even if it can’t compete with the Mighty Five in neighboring Utah or with other great American parks, Cathedral Gorge State Park is a small but rather important park in the state of Nevada. In 1935, Nevada’s first four state parks were born, and Cathedral Gorge one was one of them. The original picnic facilities built in the 1930s are still in use today, and the stone water tower built at that time remains standing. But let’s step back in time to understand what we’re about to go see.
Tens of millions of years ago, a long series of explosive eruptions began at the nearby Caliente Caldera (“Hot Boiler” in Spanish) volcanic complex, located south of the present Cathedral Gorge State Park, causing layers upon layers of ash to be deposited. Five million years later, tectonic movements created the fault known as Meadow Valley, where space was created to accommodate a large lake. Over time, rainfall caused the deposits to erode and get carried into the lake. Once the lake dried out, the wind molded formations made of clay, silt, and volcanic ash. Today we can admire them in the form of rocky spires and sinuous slot canyons.
The narrow, long valley of Cathedral Gorge State Park is a clear example of how geological processes have generated some of the most striking formations that characterize the great natural parks of the Southwest. But besides rocks, you can admire a variety of plants and animal species that inhabit this valley protected by the surrounding desert. As you walk along the trails in the park, you may come across various species of birds and small rodents, as well as foxes and coyotes.
Cathedral Gorge State Park Trails
The park is small, compared to others, but to visit it well will take some time because the only way to appreciate its beauty is to wear comfortable shoes and walk along the trails. You can drive to Moon Caves, a section of the slot canyons in the park, but this is the only attraction that does not require walking. After the entrance, take the road that goes right and along this road, there will be signs for the trails. Meanwhile, the road that heads to the left leads to the campground. To get the lay of the land, take a look at the map of the park by clicking on this link.
Scorri per vedere tutte le immagini
There are 4 trails. All of them are fairly easy, but they vary in length. In addition to these four, there is a fifth trail that is very short. It starts from the parking lot located at the entrance of the park to Bullionville Cemetery, the small cemetery located at the beginning of the valley.
- Nature Loop (0.5 miles). This is a very short loop that will give you an overview of the tree species present in the area. As you go through this small botanical garden, you can learn about the characteristics of the flora that grows in the valley by reading the signs.
- Miller Point Trail (1 mile). Not far from the entrance of the Nature Loop, you will find the directions for this straight path (which means you will walk back the same way you came), that allows us to go up to Miller Point, a panoramic outlook where you get a good view of Cathedral Gorge. To get to the entrance of the trail, you will pass by Cathedral Caves, another series of slot canyons different from Moon Caves. If you don’t have a lot of time, you can choose to do this trail so that you can also visit Cathedral Caves.
- Juniper Draw Loop (3 miles). This is the longest and most complete trail in the park, allowing you to get a truly complete view of it. The large loop coincides in the southern part with the Nature Loop and with the first part of the Miller Point trail (again, we can stop at Cathedral Cave), but then enters the gorge heading towards the north end of the nature area to see the valley in its entirety.
- Eagle Point Trail (0.8 miles). The fourth trail begins at a secondary entrance to the park, which is located just north along the Great Basin Hwy. This short paved road is referred to as Miller Point Road, as it allows you to reach Miller Point by car, but you will also find access to the Eagle Point Trail there. This is a straight trail and you will have to walk uphill on it to reach the viewpoint it has as its destination, then retrace your steps downhill to the parking lot.
Getting around by Car and on Foot
If you are passing through and have limited time, but also if you are here on a hot summer day, when it is not advisable to walk for a long time under the sun, use your car to reach the main points of interest. Stop first near the Moon Caves and then, past the Water Tower, walk to Cathedral Cave. Get back in your car and head to the secondary access of the park to get to Miller Point and take a nice panoramic picture.
If you have more time on your hands and enjoy walking, take on the Juniper Draw Loop, the only trail that really allows you to see the park in its entirety. You could also add the Miller Point Trail, the first half of which is already included in the loop you are walking on, so you only need to complete the second half up to reach the viewpoint. Then, drive back and head to the secondary entrance to go to Eagle Point and to park your car at Miller Point (if you didn’t go there first).
Map of Cathedral Gorge
Where to Stay near Cathedral Gorge State Park
Panaca is the closest town to the park, but it doesn’t offer many choices for accommodations. If you plan to travel through Utah, you’ll probably pass through St. George or Cedar City. Stay overnight in one of these towns the night before or the night after you visit the park, depending on where you’re headed.
If you intend to follow the alternative itinerary suggested above, two definitely unique hotels you may want to consider are the Little A’Le’Inn in Rachel and The World Famous Clown Motel in Tonopah.
