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Photo: Tillman at en.wikipedia, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
Pioneer Day is an official holiday celebrated on July 24 in the U.S. state of Utah, with some celebrations taking place in regions of surrounding states originally settled by Mormon pioneers. It commemorates the entry of Brigham Young and the first group of Mormon pioneers into the Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1847, where the Latter-day Saints settled after being forced from Nauvoo, Illinois, and other locations in the eastern United States. Parades, fireworks, rodeos, and other festivities help commemorate the event. Similar to July 4, many local and all state-run government offices and many businesses are closed on Pioneer Day.
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.
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).