After visiting with friends in St George, Utah it was time to head on my way in Nevada with a couple stops along the way. Signs for public lands and overlooks hook me like fish on a worm. And could be one of the reasons I don’t put down many miles in a day. Only mid-June and still in the desert Southwest.
Having studied the cultural history of northern Arizona and southern Utah plus visited Lees Ferry many times over the years, I’d heard about the Mountain Meadow Massacre. So when I saw a sign for an overlook, just had to stop and check it out though I did not visit any of the other sites. In early September 1857, about 140 people camped in Ox Valley, families from Arkansas who were headed to California with all their worldly belongings in wagons, herding cattle, mules, horses, and oxen. On September 7th, a group of Mormon militiamen and Paiute Indians attacked the camp and the emigrants fought for five days to protect their families. Under a false white flag of truce, the militiamen entered the camp, collected weapons, and separated the emigrants into three groups marching them out of camp. Then, at a prearranged signal, militiamen shot the men, older boys, and some of the wounded before massacring the women and most of the children. The last 17 small children were stripped of clothing and left to die. Two years later, United States Army soldiers buried the scattered remains. Yet it took 17 years for a federal grand jury to indict nine Mormon militiamen for these crimes and only one, John D. Lee, was brought to trial, convicted, and executed on March 23, 1877. This National Historic Landmark memorial site was completed/established in 2011.
Orange Mallow covered hillsides welcomed to Nevada
From there I continued on SR18 north to SR56 west which became SR319 in Nevada then north on US93 which gets its start in Wickenburg, Arizona (near my home base). Are you lost yet?
After watching Carolyn’s RV Life video about Cathedral Gorge State Park I decided to see it for myself.
First stopped at the Regional Information station where I asked questions and bought a hat pin and sticker. Non-residents of Nevada pay a $10 day use fee and $20 to dry camp which includes entry.
I thought about staying in the campground yet slipped right past the electronic iron ranger, missed the campground turn off, and ended up at day use parking.
At 90° it was too hot to hike much even though there are six developed trails from .05 to 3 miles long.
I did poke my nose, and camera, into a couple almost slot like canyons that ended rather quickly.
This badlands landscape began tens of millions of years ago during volcanic activity that left behind ash altered into silt and clay then later deposited by rivers, streams, and fluctuating lake levels about 2.5 million years ago. Add erosion and you have the continuingly sculpted formations with deeply incised canyons seen today. In 1935, Cathedral Gorge became one of the first state parks in Nevada. Sadly, I didn’t wander far enough to see the CCC built picnic facilities, stone water tower and rest room.
Although the formations were interesting, especially with the dramatic sky, I didn’t think the park was worth the price of admission. So being late in the afternoon and still needing a place to camp, preferably through the coming weekend, I continued north under threatening skies to explore more of Nevada.