A Visit to Cathedral Gorge State Park (Panaca, Nevada) and Fremont Indian State Park (Sevier, Utah)

While staying in Baker, Nevada, we took a little side trip to Cathedral Gorge State Park in Panaca, Nevada.

As we traveled along US-50 and US-93, I noticed how little private property is around.  Very few who came to these areas under the Homestead Act lasted long enough in these harsh, arid lands to get title to their 160 acres.  Now, the federal government operates more than 80% of all land mass in Nevada.  Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest is just one example.  It is comprised of 6.3 million acres of land, scattered around Nevada and a small portion in Eastern California.  It is the largest National Forest in the Lower 48.  (With that land mass, locating the Basque sheep herders Aspen tree arborglyphs there would be problematic for this stuffed rat).  Our public lands, the “Lands of Many Uses” according to the moniker of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and yet they are seen, utilized, and enjoyed by so few.  Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we had another Homestead Act?  With modern technology and humankind’s ingenuity, new water collection and waste disposal systems could be developed.

 

While this Rambling RV Rat was ruminating, Mom informed me that we had arrived at Cathedral Gorge State Park.  As one of Nevada’s first State Parks, it is quite a gem!  Our day-use fee for a non-resident vehicle was $10, a steal for the stunning views and mazes of slot canyons to explore.  The work of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) from the 1930s is on display in the Park, too.

No human in sight at the Visitor Center to ask questions, and these guys were just hanging around.

You can see the CCC-built water tower (center background of photo) and fireplace (center foreground of photo) while viewing the cathedral canyons.

Sadly, Miller Outlook Trail and the actual viewing area atop Cathedral Gorge were closed due to repairs/maintenance.  But we clocked 3 miles along the Juniper Draw Loop.  I know folks must think we are a bit nuts to hike trails at the peak of a summer day’s heat in full sun at nearly a mile high elevation.  But the trails were flat, there was a cool breeze, and we had plenty of water and sunscreen.  It was well worth it to see the spectacular geology.  From slots to spires, all formed by the God-given elements of wind and water, but each unique with its outer worldly appearance.

I had to suck in my rotund belly to fit through these slot canyons.

Looking up!

 

We also walked along the Nature Loop to check out the campground.  Renovations were in progress during our visit, but we found 4 sites that would accommodate our set-up on a future visit.  All sites have an electric hookup, and water spickets and a dump station are on premises.  This campground has spotless modern showers/bathrooms, and it even provides free Wi-Fi.  All for $20/night for non-Nevada residents.

 

We completed our tour by climbing ½ mile along the Bullionville Cemetery Trail to pay respects to the locals of the late 1800s in their final resting place.

 

What a lovely view from the trail!

As we returned to the RV Park in Baker that evening, I bid farewell to Nevada.  I enjoyed my touring of the State immensely.  It has so much more to offer than just Las Vegas, and I hope to return in the future to further my exploration.

 

The next day we hitched up the Rambling RV Rat Rubicon to Big Boomer/Suite Retreat on our RV site at the Border Inn in Nevada, and within 1 minute we were welcomed into Utah.  Our first 90 minutes along US-50 in Utah was driving through desolate desert lands—until we reached Delta, Utah.  Suddenly, the desert turned to fertile fields, and we were among civilization again.  We passed Sevier Lake, which looked more like a salt bed than a body of water.

 

The fertile fields of Delta, Utah were a welcome sight after 90 minutes of driving through desert.

We arrived at Fremont Indian State Park and Museum in Sevier, Utah, conveniently located right off I-70.  This was another of my “wish list” places that Dad incorporated into our travels.  Unfortunately, we learned the Visitor Center and Museum are under renovation, so we could not visit.  But my disappointment quickly dissipated when we arrived at Sam Stowe Campground.  This small, scenic campground offers private, full-hook-up RV sites nestled within Clear Creek Canyon.  Only 2 of the 9 RV sites are pull-throughs, but the back-in sites are long enough to fit Big Boomer/Suite Retreat with the Jeep tucked in, too.  There are also tent sites, a group site, and cabins, including one converted from a Fremont Indian pit house.  The campground was quiet during our mid-week stay, and according to the friendly work-camping staff, it is a very pleasant gig.  The commitment includes 2 days off, 20 hours/week/person, with 10 of those hours/person spent on site in the evenings to be available for guest inquiries/needs.   

Our full hook up site at Fremont Indian State Park... 

...was very private due to these lovely berry bushes acting as a barrier.

Of course, this guy didn't care about invading our privacy.  He came every day to enjoy the berry bushes and we enjoyed watching him from our dining area window.

This Fremont Indian pit house has been converted to a cabin for rent in the campground.  How cool is that!

The dark skies provided a good view of Starlink's satellite train.

Despite the Museum being closed, we kept quite busy.  There are tons of hiking trails, with a vast array of rock art on display.   Created by the Fremont people, the rock art provides insight into their culture and lifestyle.  The area also contains artifacts from early settlers, like the cabin of John Lott.  As we hiked, we picked up a few geocaches, too.  If you prefer not to hike, there are several mines in neighboring areas like Marysville that can be toured.  There is also a Centennial Trail on which you can bicycle for 5 miles along Clear Creek  (we opted for hiking vs biking).

 

John Lott Cabin is located in Centennial Park and can be accessed by hiking the Centennial Trail.

If you look VERY closely, you will see a red blanket painted on the center rock.  An Indian woman's baby died and was buried near Clear Creek Canyon as the Indians traveled to their winter camp.  The despondent mother painted a picture of a blanket on this rock to symbolically keep the baby warm during the cold of winter.  (Normally, I would blame my photography staff for this lousy picture of the blanket.  But, in this case, the viewpoint is several miles away from the drawing, which requires looking through the Park's telescope for viewing.)

Newspaper Rock.

Close ups of some panels from Newspaper Rock from later in the day when it wasn't so sunny.

Petroglyphs we spotted along the Parade of Rock Art Trail.

Rock art found on Hidden Secrets Trail.

Rock art along the Sheep Shelter Trail.

Pictographs at Cave of 100 Hands.

Rock formations at Freemont State Park's Castle Rock Campground.

Near Castle Rock Campground, we toured the site of Belknap Ranger Station.  Observe the 1915 rendition of a refrigerator! 

Some wonderful views from...

...the Coyote Canyon, Alma Christensen, and Canyon Overlook Trails.

I thought this was really an elk!  It turned out to be art!

This was the only real wildlife specimen I encountered.  I spotted him as we hiked Centennial Trail.

We kept our eye on this wildfire... 

...that was about 20 miles away from our campground.

We spent some time exploring the Paiute ATV Trail, which provides a wonderful series of trails for all off-roading machines.  Some trails are specific to 50-inch machines, while others can accommodate the wider units—like Jeeps!

 

While off-roading, we visited Skinner Canyon to see its rock art.

I thoroughly enjoyed our time at Fremont Indian State Park, and I would like to return when the Museum and Visitor Center reopen in a year or two.

 

It was a beautiful day when we departed Fremont Indian State Park, with a relaxing drive along I-70 and UT-10.  I was shocked by the number of solar farms that have overtaken the agricultural fields.  We arrived at 2:30 p.m. at our evening’s Harvest Host, Liberty Farms in Price, Utah.  Located within Carbon County (appropriately named for all the oil drilling and coal plants nearby), it is not the most scenic area.  Host Kimball greeted us warmly, directed us to our dry-camping spot, and mentioned the items for sale: sourdough bread ($10/loaf for plain; $15+ for specialty flavors which must be pre-ordered) and banana oatmeal cookies ($12/dozen).  (He also offers a full hook-up site.  At $50/night, I think not!)  Mom stated we would take 2 loaves of the plain sourdough bread, which Kimball acknowledged was not a problem since he had enough batter for 3 loaves.  At 4 p.m. we apprised Kimball that we were running to Walmart and that we would be back shortly.   No bread awaited us upon our return.  We texted the host at 6 p.m. stating we were home and hoping to pick up our bread.  At 6:30, we received the response that it takes “a couple of hours” to prepare/bake and deliver it fresh from the oven.  WHAT!  We ordered it at 2:30 p.m.!  Mom was driven to tears!  You see, she refrained from eating all day so she could savor a juicy, medium rare, angus burger embraced by two slices of fresh-baked sourdough.  I was a bit disappointed, too, for I envisioned eating a hot slice with melted mozzarella.  Good thing we are not early to bed folks--the bread arrived at our door at 9:10 p.m. with apologies that Kimball’s oven was giving him problems.  They say good things are worth waiting for, and that certainly was true for this bread.  It was scrum-de-lish-us!  So, a word of advice: if you plan to visit, PRE-ORDER your baked goods, even though they indicate it necessary only for specialty flavored breads.

We enjoyed some nice scenery--before we entered Carbon County.  Another fire in the horizon.

Transitioning to Carbon County, Utah.

The welcoming committee...

...at Liberty Farms.

I loved getting acquainted with all the animals on the farm.

A lovely sunset to close this post.

Well, it’s time for me to sign off.  But, I’ll talk to you again soon!