Photo: Frank K. from Anchorage, Alaska, USA, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Cathedral Gorge is a fun gorge of bentonite clay that has been eroded into tall, intricate formations. Although all the hikes are relatively short, they afford visitors the chance to explore the cathedral-like spires for which the park is famous. The most accessible areas include Cathedral Caves, Moon Caves, and Canyon Caves, although these aren't really caves, but more like narrow slot canyons. Some of them go quite deep and have dark, underground sections. Wildlife includes lots of rabbits and desert spiny lizards. The park also offers a Dutch oven cook-off in April (https://parks.nv.gov/events/dutch-oven-cook-off-at-cathedral-gorge).
Cathedral Gorge State Park is a public recreation area and geologic preserve featuring a dramatic landscape of eroded soft bentonite clay covering almost 1,800 acres (730 ha) in Lincoln County, Nevada. The state park is located along U.S. Route 93 at the west end of State Route 319, two miles (3.2 km) northwest of the town of Panaca.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
A distinctive hill/rock formation that was used as a jail until 1871.
Panaca Ward Chapel was constructed in 1867 or 1868 as a Mormon meetinghouse. The oldest building in Lincoln County and is Nevada's Historic Marker #182.
Beaver Dam State Park is the most remote park in the Nevada system, located 34 miles southeast of Panaca. It is a wild area of forests, canyons, streams, and, of course, beaver dams. Activities include fishing, camping, and hiking.