Cathedral Gorge State Park (Lincoln County, Nevada)

Arriving at this park on the far eastern fringe of the state, makes me wonder why I haven't come here before. The site is quite breathtaking. After the initial entry into the park, you enter a long gorge running north to south, and contained by the feature that gives the park its name on either side. Much like the Sump, this area was once a lake bed. Once dried, the muddy bottom began to dry into an almost stone like substance, and later erode into what I will describe as the cathedral's pipe organs. Many thousands of this formations form either side of the gorge as it narrows to a shallow canyon as one approaches the northern end.
 

As I intend to camp here tonight, I pay the fees and begin setting up my tent. Of all the campgrounds I have ever stayed, this one ranks among the nicest. With a couple hours of sunlight left, I decide to hold off on cooking dinner in lieu of exploring a bit. I walk the short distance to the eastern side of the gorge to begin taking in the pipe organs. The scale and quantity are breathtaking and truly beautiful. I'm compelled to take a huge number of pictures in a futile attempt to convey this places majesty to my friends.

Exploring still further on, I discover the "caves", which a ranger had mentioned to me upon my entry into the park. While not true caves, they are in fact eroded paths through the 'pipes' that remain in shadow most of the day and therefore noticeably cooler than the outside air. Some of them travel a few dozen yards into the cliff wall. Rather exciting to explore into these.

Finding may way back out to the gorge, I hike into the more narrow section at the northern end. From a distance, I can see stairs leading up to the precipice and what appears to be an observation deck overlooking the whole of the park. I make my way there for the view, and then fairly exhausted return to camp to cook some dinner.

My evening ends looking over a beautiful campfire, while attempting to keep warm in the plummeting evening temperatures. Crawling into my sleeping bag, I drift off to a restful peace and wake shortly after dawn. It's pretty cold though and so, I resist getting out from under the covers and out of the tent, though eventually I manage to do so. Watching the sun come up over the eastern pipe organs was awe-inspiring as I sip on my morning tea and look forward to my next stop. Cathedral Gorge did not disappoint. I hope to return here someday.