Cathedral Gorge State Park
Skinny slot canyons and cathedral-spire hoodoos carved from soft bentonite clay — an under-the-radar detour off US-93.
Eroded clay spires and slot canyons at Cathedral Gorge State Park
What to expect at Cathedral Gorge State Park
Cathedral Gorge sits in the Meadow Valley Wash between Vegas and Great Basin, and it's the classic Nevada open-highway payoff: 165 miles up US-93, blink twice, and suddenly you’re squeezing through slot canyons cut into pale-tan bentonite clay. The formations look like drip castles — narrow slots barely shoulder-wide open into cathedral rooms of vertical spires. Because it's a state park not a national one, and 3.5 hours from Vegas, you’ll often have it to yourself.
Turn off US-93 at the sign just north of Panaca, pay $15 at the entrance kiosk, and go straight to the Moon Caves parking area. The slots aren’t marked as a trail — you scramble into them from the wash floor, sometimes turning sideways. Bring a headlamp: the deepest slots go dark at midday. Camp overnight ($25) to catch sunset on the spires and the ridiculously dark Milky Way sky.
Questions about Cathedral Gorge State Park
$15 per vehicle for out-of-state plates, $10 for Nevada plates. Camping is $25 per night with hookups $35.
No — Nevada state parks do not offer fee-free days. Walk-in visitors pay $2.
2-3 hours for the slot canyons and Miller Point overlook. A half day if you add the Juniper Draw rim loop.
Never. The park is open 24/7 year-round. The visitor center closes on major federal holidays.
No day-use reservations. Campsites are bookable at reservenevada.com up to six months ahead — needed on spring weekends only.
Panaca, 2 miles south on US-93 (population 963, one gas station). Caliente is 15 miles south with more services.
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