Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Steaming Tender Restaurant
Tiptree Jam Museum entrance.
Tiptree Jam Museum
The Reading Room blends the intimacy of an inviting bar with the inviting solace of a good bookstore.
The Reading Room
Building
The Mountain House
The pond.
Jolly's Mill Pond
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
The Hunterian Museum in London.
Where to See the World’s Most Famous Preserved Body Parts
Old Tonopah Cemetery.
Atlas Obscura’s Guide to America’s Most Haunted Cemeteries
Chattanooga Whiskey started distilling here in 2015.
It All Comes Together in Chattanooga
The Clown Motel’s “IT” room.
The Best Haunted Hotels to Book for a Spooky Getaway

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Nevada Panaca Cathedral Gorge
AO Edited

Cathedral Gorge

Narrow slot canyons in a badland eroded into soft sedimentary rock provide an otherworldly landscape in this remote Nevada state park.

Panaca, Nevada

slgwv profile photo
Added By
slgwv
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Looking out a slot canyon.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Off US-93.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Looking out a slot canyon.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Cathedral-like indeed.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Sunlight at the top.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Sunlight at the top.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Slot canyon “cave.”   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
“Cathedral” is not a misnomer!   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Into a slot canyon.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Stairway down from US-93 overlook.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
One of the “caves.”   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
The slot canyons are called “caves”.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Spires by picnic area.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Why “cathedral” is not a misnomer!   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Into a slot canyon.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Why “cathedral” is not a misnomer.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Off US-93.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Slot canyons.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Cathedral lighting from the Sun.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Slot canyon “cave.”   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
“Canyon caves.”   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Slot canyon entrance.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Slot canyon entrance partly hidden.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Into a slot canyon.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
In a slot canyon.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Cold but gorgeous day!   lritchie1124 / Atlas Obscura User
Stone water tower built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Astonishingly narrow, these deep slot canyons are incised into sedimentary rock, capped with a resistant volcanic layer.

The canyons are so tight that park signs describe them as "caves," which certainly captures their feel. The tall, nearly parallel walls, lit by indirect sunlight and highlighted by parallel streaks of mud left by runoff, also show that the name "Cathedral" was not drawn from a hat. Not only do the "caves" invite exploration, but there are several hiking trails as well.

Some stone structures built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s still exist and are an interesting sight to behold.       

Places

Discover your next amazing Atlas Place.

Get more unusual and extraordinary places each week with the Atlas Obscura Places newsletter.

Your newsletter subscriptions with us are subject to Atlas Obscura's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Know Before You Go

Cathedral Gorge State Park is right off US-93, on the west side between Caliente and Pioche, and is well-signed. The main entrance is about 165 miles north of Las Vegas, reached by taking I-15 to US-93. An overlook from the rim, with a trailhead going down into the park, is reached by a turnoff about 2.1 miles farther north off US-93.

The park also includes a campground with amenities such as flush toilets, showers, and some campsites with electrical hookups.

Community Contributors

slgwv profile photo

Added By

slgwv

L lritchie1124 profile photo K kctobs profile photo

Edited By

lritchie1124, kctobs

  • L lritchie1124 profile photo lritchie1124
  • K kctobs profile photo kctobs

Published

January 26, 2022

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos

Related Tags

Geology Canyons Nature
Cathedral Gorge
111 Cathedral Gorge State Park Road
Panaca, Nevada, 89042
United States
37.82405, -114.415455
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Historic Silver Café

Pioche, Nevada

miles away

Panaca Summit Kilns

Panaca, Nevada

miles away

Bristol Well

Pioche, Nevada

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Panaca

Panaca

Nevada

Places 2

Nearby Places

Historic Silver Café

Pioche, Nevada

miles away

Panaca Summit Kilns

Panaca, Nevada

miles away

Bristol Well

Pioche, Nevada

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Panaca

Panaca

Nevada

Places 2

Related Places

  • Aerial view of High Rock Canyon.

    Gerlach, Nevada

    High Rock Canyon Wilderness

    Many generations of travelers have passed through the steep, smooth walls of this canyon.

  • Palo Duro Canyon

    Canyon, Texas

    Palo Duro Canyon

    The Grand Canyon of Texas.

  • Amazing Views

    Marshall, Indiana

    Rocky Hollow–Falls Canyon

    A hidden canyon deep in the woods of Indiana offers visitors a spectacular experience in nature.

  • Santa Ponsa Quarry

    Alaior, Spain

    Santa Ponsa Quarry

    Abandoned limestone quarry from the 19th century, now a man-made canyon reclaimed by nature.

  • Zipline through the "Grand Canyon of the South."

    Breaks, Virginia

    Breaks Interstate Park

    Zipline through the deepest canyon in the eastern United States.

  • Red Rock Canyon

    Lake Forest, California

    Red Rock Canyon

    A striking geological formation in Southern California.

  • Cañon del Guejar (Güejar River Canyon)

    Mesetas, Colombia

    Cañon del Guejar (Güejar River Canyon)

    River raft through rural Colombia’s ancient rock formations, pristine landscapes, and towering waterfalls.

  • Rock formations in Kokkala Gorge.

    Shayyr, Kazakhstan

    Kokkala Gorge

    Jurassic clays where the dinosaurs once roamed.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2026 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.