Eerie Moon Caves Meet Mesmerizing Landscapes In Nevada's Secret State Park

About two hours north of Las Vegas, in what appears to be the middle of the desert, sits the dramatic topography of Cathedral Gorge State Park. Far from the fiery vistas of Nevada's Red Rock Canyon, Cathedral Gorge spans around 2,000 acres off the Great Basin Highway. Small towns dot the roadside, including Caliente, a quaint village with majestic mountain views and unspoiled desert. The region is largely uninhabited and perfect for an escape from the overcrowded streets of Vegas.

Cathedral Gorge State Park doesn't have an abundance of trails, shooting for quality over quantity. Inside its boundaries, you'll find the mesmerizing Moon Caves, a unique type of slot canyon forming labyrinthine walkways. You don't have to venture far to get dramatic views of these tightly packed spires as they climb skyward, making them one of the most iconic natural features of the state park.

Several other trails in Cathedral Gorge are worth exploring, and you'll find a few hidden gems buried in the Nevada landscape just a short drive away. That makes Cathedral Gorge a worthwhile destination while traveling through the Southwest, especially if you're looking for solitude out in the Nevada mountains.

Once you've entered Cathedral Gorge State Park from Highway 93, keep to your right and you'll eventually hit a small parking area for the Moon Caves. Carved slowly as the bentonite clay eroded, you'll now find a series of spires and slot canyons cutting into the cliffside. You can walk directly into this area, weaving between narrow rock walls for stunning, up-close views of the formations. Be sure to look skyward to snap pictures of the small openings overhead (though these are called "caves", very rarely are you fully enclosed).

The Moon Caves are the most dramatic part of this Nevada landscape, but it'll only take you a few minutes to explore everything they have to offer. Once you're done getting your pictures, head north a few minutes to Cathedral Caves. Here you'll find another set of slot canyons, giving you a second chance to indulge in this natural phenomenon. If you want to do some hiking, consider checking out the caves as part of the Juniper Draw Loop or the Cathedral Gorge Nature Loop. Both can be started near the Cathedral Gorge State Park Campground, with the Nature Loop running for less than a mile and the Juniper Draw Loop taking you 3 miles through the gorge.

There are a handful of other trails to enjoy while visiting Cathedral Gorge State Park (including a trek to Miller Point and the lengthy Hawk Ridge Trail), though most people will find that spending a few hours in the park is more than enough time to soak in its otherworldly sights. But if you're not ready to head back to the city, there's plenty of wonderful nature just a short drive from the park.

Kershaw-Ryan State Park is located off the same highway as Cathedral Gorge, making it easy to build into your itinerary. The desert oasis is home to towering canyon walls that climb over 700 feet, and a natural spring feeds thickets of wildflowers to provide the landscape with a pop of color. The must-hike trail here is the Canyon Overlook Loop, which leaves from the park headquarters before climbing 340 feet to offer dramatic views of the canyon below.

Also just off of Highway 93 is Great Basin National Park. You're looking at a two-hour trip from Cathedral Gorge, but the drive north treats you to wide open spaces and mountains lining the horizon. It's certainly worth the adventure, as the Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive lets you peer out over the South Snake Range as you wind high above the desert floor. Once you're done exploring, check out Baker, the funky town serving as a gateway to the national park.