Photographers Guide to Cathedral Gorge State Park

Cathedral Gorge State Park is a stunning 2,000 acre park that is known for its otherworldly landscapes of eroded bentonite clay, carved into spires, slot canyons, and hoodoos formed by volcanic ash deposits. View Park Map Here.

It is truly a unique location to photograph, but there are definitely some tips and tricks I have for you - having spent a full day there this past November.

First of all, this park is surprisingly SMALL - all things considered. It is, after all, still a State Park. There is also not a WHOLE lot else out in this region of Nevada. That being said, I do think coming here for a FULL day is 100% worth it. Sunrise to Sunset.

If you come in the Spring or Fall, you can enjoy pleasant temperatures and it is overall not a very busy park. It is the type of area, however, where WEATHER can play a HUGE role in your photographic experience. The formations really shine with either sunset or sunrise lighting, as well as with dramatic cloud formations overhead.

I was lucky in my trip to experience a bit of it all. Clear skies followed by some ominous storm clouds and then a beautiful sunset where colors broke through the horizon.

The main areas I insist you explore are:

1. Miller Point - A 1mi roundtrip spot to an overlook. When I was here ,the parking lot up that way was actually closed. So I actually spent the entire day basically parked over by the Cathedral Caves. That being said, the hike from Cathedral Caves TO Miller Point is worth doing. It goes down a narrow area of canyon and then you work your way up some fun stairs to the Miller Overlook. 

2. Cathedral Caves - This area is about 0.5mi roundtrip and is one of the MAIN things people come here for! Walk directly through the tall-spire corridors, which can feel very maze-like. Parking right here also has some of my favorite formations right at the parking lot.

3.  C.C.C Water Tower - This is roadside and within walking distance of the Cathedral Caves (I told you everything is close together!). A fun subject to frame with intense landscapes, or to photograph in the blue hour and light up the inside.

4. Moon Caves - 0.3mi round-trip from car, this is a second section of tall-spire corridors to walk through. What is great about this whole region is you can just explore freely into different nooks and crannies! Be careful but don’t be too afraid to climb UP above as well for a unique vantage point. Just watch your footing and watch for the sudden cliff edges, as huge openings into the abyss can sneak up on you from above.

5. Juniper Draw Loop - This 3.3mi loop walks around the entire basin and is the largest hike I’d suggest out here. It runs along the edges and has some great views throughout.

With that being said, let me show you my TOP 20 photos from my day trip and I’ll put details in the description of each to give some tips about them.

Sunrise outside of Caves

All along the area with Cathedral Caves and Moon Caves you are presented with these otherworldly formations, where at their base it is just super soft eroded minerals.

Sunset outside the Caves

As the storms left into sunset and the sun peaked out, I was given a second chance to capture sunny shots like this.

Golden Hour Outside Caves

After the sun was set, there was a magical moment when the clouds glowed golden over this patch of Caves.

Inside the Slots

This is the vibe as you walk through both the Cathedral and Moon Caves. Narrow maze-like slots with views of the skies forming different shapes.

Slots Paths

Some of the areas are so narrow you have to turn sideways to fit through! Bonus points if you find the SECRET HOLE that you crawl through, leading to a section with a rope obstacle.

Abyss Openings

Those formations look like this at mid-level, if you climb up above. Just be careful here as some of these are STEEP vertical drops with no way out but back ukp - which may prove challenging.

Above the Slots

This is a little nook you can climb above the slots and get a whole new perspective.

View of the Abyss

This is what I WARNED about if you DO climb from above. When you are walking in the slots you will reach dead ends and have stunning views looking UP. But when you are from above, well, you can stumble upon said openings that are 20+ feet vertical drops. Worse than that, in some cases like in this photo, there is NO aparent 'exit' if you did fall down...

Cathedral Cave Parking Lot Formations

This is one of my favorite formations in the whole park, and it is right by the Cathedral Caves parking lot!

Storms over Cathedral Cave Formations

This was my mid-afternoon vibe, with dark storms rolling through the area. Luckily, no rain!

Sunset at Cathedral Cave Parking Lot

By sunset, the storms had rolled mostly away and I got sunny views in the golden hour.

Cathedral Gorge Panorama

A panoramic view of that stunning formation, pressed against the valley and snowy mountains in the distance.

C.C.C Water Tower

I had a lot of fun with this water tower, with my favorite being into the blue hour and setting lights inside the tower.

Juniper Draw

This was the vibe of the Juniper Draw hike. Very narrow (almost hard to find) trails in soft yellow grass and dark black dirt. Shots like this encompass that alien-like landscape.

Juniper Draw Panorama

The trail winds its way along this basin and has stunning wide views the whole way.

Miller Point Bridge

If you hike to Miller Point from Cathedral Caves (my recommendation), you are going to go through this valley and have fun bridges like this.

Miller Point Stairs

Finally, you see Miller Point and have these fun staircases to get up.

Miller Point

The view from the top here is not terrible, but if I am honest it wasn't my favorite spot to be at. A case of the journey being better than the destination. BUT - If the parking lot up here is open in the future then it can be a very short and flat walk to this viewpoint.

Formations Against Snowy Mountains

I can't help but take telephoto shots like this, compressing those stunning snowy mountains against these golden formations.

Light Painting the Slots

The party doesn't stop at sunset! Grab some lights and get creative, lighting up the slots in the blue hour.

I hope you enjoyed these images and guide. Comment below if you have any great memories from Cathedral Gorge!