Cathedral Gorge State Park

Cathedral Gorge State Park is 1600 acres of just plain “knock your socks off” rock formation beautifulness….unless you have seen Bryce Canyon which is, by far, the best for seeing a vast amount of this type of rock formations.  This Gorge does not have as red of rock as Bryce, and here the formation is from erosion of soft bentonite clay.  Unlike Bryce, unless you hike down into it, here you can drive right along side of it, get out of your car and see it up close….along with driving to an overlook where you can look down into it similar as you do at Bryce.  

Established as a Nevada State Parks in 1935, Cathedral Gorge is at an elevation of 4,800 feet, and has cold winters and hot summers.  

    

According to Wikepedia, Shakespearean plays were performed with the clay formations in the backdrop. The various naturally formed crevices were used as dressing rooms and as a backstage where actors and actresses would prepare, awaiting their cue.

       

       

While Marcia and the dogs awaited in the car, I meandered down into a few of these crevices.  All I could think about was, “I hope there is cell phone coverage in here, because if I get stuck, I am going to need to call someone to help pull me out of here!”  Narrow areas would open into wide areas, and then into very narrow areas.  At one very narrow place I turned back, went out, went into another and found that had I squeezed through that narrow passage, I would have come out where I was now standing.  What a neat place to play if you are a kid….to be able to go places the adults can’t go.  Hey, perhaps there are a few kids still in there trying to find their way out…but even on a Sunday, we have seen no kids at the park or in the campground.

They call these various areas “caves” these days….but they are not caves, crevices is the better name for them.

Back in the mid 30’s, the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) constructed this water tower for the park.  Water was pumped into the top section, and gravity allowed it to flow through pipeline to the picnic area just beyond this point.

Here is the old portion of the picnic area….the water tower would on the other side of the rocks to the right of this picture.

At the picnic area there are more crevices to get lost in….I passed on these ones.

Beyond the picnic area is a mile walk to Miller Point, which Marcia and I did….

….in the car.  (had you going, didn’t I?)   There was absolutely NO WAY we could have made it with her GoGO….

…especially since the end is right up these stairs.  Thank goodness that Miller Point is a pull-out along U.S. Highway 93.  (Thank goodness for me, that is…because I don’t know about that mile long hike on this dirt pathway with washed out areas….looked like a bunch of “pushing the GoGo” had we tried.)

I am glad we found a way up there, because the view is something else….unless, as I said before, you have been to Bryce Canyon.   (yes, the above picture is three photos combined in order to see it all in one picture.

  

So I have established that Cathedral Gorge is no Bryce Canyon….but that doesn’t mean that it is not worth seeing.  Where else can you walk 30 yards and be inside of a large Crevice?  Where else can you drive right along side of these large spired rock formations??  And where can you camp right next to it all????

Cathedral Gorge State Park is on of those places, that’s for sure.  For $27 per night, or $17 is you don’t use the electrical hookups, it is not that bad of a deal. Price includes the park entrance fee, and if you are pulling a “toad” behind your motorhome, it is all one vehicle (I called to ask because I was not sure when I was doing the self pay.)  Tomorrow….I hope to find a park which has a lot of “Red Rock” around it…..where we plan to stay for a week.  Road Trips, Road Trips, and more Road Trips are in order for us next week.