The Towering Spires and Cliffs of This Nevada State Park Are Truly Otherworldly — and Hiking Trails Take You to Its More Remote Areas

Cathedral Gorge State Park sits just 2.5 hours from Las Vegas.

The landscape looks like it belongs in an "Indiana Jones" movie — towering spires made of clay set in a narrow valley in southeastern Nevada. The stunning landscape of almost 1,800 acres was once home to the Fremont, Anasazi, and Southern Paiutes. And as you might expect from such an otherworldly terrain, it has a dramatic origin story.

Long before the towering cathedral-like spires were formed — giving the park its name, Cathedral Gorge State Park — the southeast corner of Nevada was a hot spot for explosive volcanic activity. With each explosion, a thick layer of ash was deposited on the Earth, turning into bentonite clay with time. Over tens of millions of years, erosion and other geological processes formed the surreal landscape of today: cliffs and canyons lined with spires that seem to stretch toward the sky. In 1935, Cathedral Gorge State Park became one of Nevada's first four state parks.

On the valley floor, yucca, juniper trees, primrose, and sage flourish, bringing color to a landscape dominated by buff-colored clay formations. The desert landscape, while harsh, sustains several desert dwellers, including kangaroo rats, black-tailed jackrabbits, and cottontail rabbits. In the evening, the nocturnal residents of Cathedral Gorge State Park make their appearance: coyotes, kit foxes, and mule deer. Up above, in the near-constant blue skies, it’s not uncommon to see ravens, kestrels, and sparrows — or, if you’re lucky, a red-tailed hawk or golden eagle.

Park visitors can hop on one of the park’s four hiking trails to look for wildlife, or explore the series of caves — Moon Caves, Canyon Caves, Cathedral Caves — set just off the entrance road. The three-mile Juniper Draw Loop trail travels into some of the park’s more remote areas, while the one-mile Miller Point Trail leads to the stunning Miller Point overlook. The former is open to bikers and horseback riders, while leashed dogs are allowed throughout the park.

Overnight guests can set up in one of Cathedral Gorge State Park’s 22 campsites, which are first come, first served. Each site has a picnic table, grill, and shade with access to drinking water, flush toilets, and showers. Electric hookups are also available.

The park is open year-round but does experience hot summers and cold winters. In the summer, temperatures range from 95 degrees at midday to 55 degrees at night. The relatively high elevation of the park, at 4,800 feet above sea level, results in cold winter conditions.

Cathedral Gorge State Park is a short 5-minute drive from the town of Panaca, Nevada, and just over two-and-a-half hours from Las Vegas.

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