Fifteen miles north of Caliente, just past the turn-off to Panaca, Cathedral Gorge State Park is one of those magical out-of-the-way places that you never regret traveling all that way for. Wandering among its wind- and water-eroded shapes, you get the feeling that you've stepped into a magnificent, many-spired cathedral, albeit one whose dome is the blue sky above. Head to the Miller Point Overlook for sweeping views and easy hikes into narrow side canyons.
Sleep beneath a blanket of stars amid badlands-style cliffs at the popular, first-come, first-served Cathedral Gorge Campground.