Nevada 93 - The Most Scenic Drives in America: 120 Spectacular Road Trips - page 215

4. Caliente
Localwildlife—warycoyotes,browsingdeer,andprowlingbobcats—bordertheambitious
lobby mural of the mission-style train depot, Caliente's trademark building. South of town,
the gentle Meadow Valley Wash is hemmed in by majestic Rainbow Canyon, where sheer
rock walls have been stained by minerals into a kaleidoscope of color, and the valley floor
is dotted with postcard-perfect farms and ranches.
North of town a 28-mile detour along a steep gravel road leads to Beaver Dam State
Park. Short interpretive walks and longer hiking trails corkscrew through the park's pine-
scented canyons at nearly a mile above sea level.
5. Cathedral Gorge State Park
Rte.93hugsMeadowValleyWashonitswaytoCathedralGorge,astrikinglyerodedland-
scape spiked with steep-sided buttes. Hike on superb nature trails or take in the views of
the gorge at Miller's Point Overlook, about a mile from the park entrance.
6. Pioche
In the mid-1870s Pioche reveled in its reputation as the bawdiest, most lawless town in
Nevada. Feverish with dreams of wealth, prospectors poured into the settlement, swell-
ing the population to 7,000. So reckless was life there, legend tells us, that while about
four dozen men died “with their boots on,” only two were brought to justice. The pioneer
cemetery records some of the shootings and shenanigans that earned Pioche its special
place in frontier history.
Meanwhile,thecityfathersweresweptawaywithboomtownoptimism,floatingbonds
in 1871 for a new courthouse that the county didn't manage to pay off until 1938. By then,
with accrued interest, the debacle had been dubbed the Million-Dollar Courthouse.
Southeast of Pioche, through Eagle Valley (where golden eagles swoop with effortless
grace),isEchoCanyonStatePark.Areservoirthat'swell-stockedwithrainbowtroutabuts
asteeprockwall—theperfectacousticalsetupforechoes.NinemilesbeyondisSpringVal-
ley, another state park favored by anglers. A number of homesteaders' cabins are perched
among the soaring, cinnamon-colored rocks.