Cathedral Gorge State Park

Up the road a bit, near Panaca, was a state park we had passed as we approached Caliente, called Cathedral Gorge. From the highway, where you could see just the tops of the hills, it had looked like a muddy erosion you would find in Georgia. But, it turned out to be another unexpected treasure. We stopped by the very helpful visitor center and talked with a park ranger; she also recommended we visit Beaver Dam State Park, for the bird watching, while giving us lots of maps and brochures. We continued on down the side road to the pullover area for parking, and got out of the Jeep to follow the path.

My Moon travel books uses the word "Baroque," and they are exactly correct. This park is awash in architectural fantasy, with cliffs and caves and stairs and bridges. The Moon book discussed the horizontal line running through the rock, darker on top and greenish in the middle. This is all a dried-up lake bed, and the darker rock on top is compacted clay, and the green is silt from the lake.

The main path was a direct (upward) route to the Miller Point Overlook, connected to the gorge's floor with a rocky steep path and a metal stairway.

That's me, waiting patiently.

I think the most entertaining part for Tom was the bathrooms at the top. Apparently, someone objected to the gender-neutral bathrooms, and took the signage into their own hands.