Welcome to De Ek Wadapush (Cave Rock)
(elevation 6238')
Nevada State Historical Marker No. 226
This location and this state historical marker have a lot of history... the location more than the marker, but the story of the SHM also reflects the culture, controversy, and community surrounding Cave Rock itself. The original marker hardly made mention of the value of Cave Rock to the Washoe Tribe... and focused almost entirely on the tunnel and the toll road. A long ways back, the marker (along with a few others like SHM #181: Washo Indians) were removed from their locations. According to the website of the Nevada State Historical Preservation Office, this marker was removed because "the interpretive text is undergoing revisions." As you can see from the original marker text shown at the end of this description, those revisions were defintely needed. But then, for years it seemed, nothing happened. This was one of 3 missing markers discovered in an NDOT maintenance yard in December 2010... and yet even then, it would be years until the marker would make its reappearance.
In November of 2018 the Nevada Department of Transportation posted on social media that they had teamed up to replace the missing marker... with its new and improved successor:
De Ek Wadapush.
It’s the Washoe Tribe’s name for Cave Rock at Tahoe
It’s a sacred place for the tribe, and an important area where we’ve worked to enhance safety with recent tunnel extensions to reduce rockfall onto U.S. 50.
And just last week, we were proud to join Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California and Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources in placing State Historical Marker 226 near Cave Rock to explain the history and significance of this beautiful place.
Thanks to all our partners in this process, and thanks to NDOT Cultural Resources staff and to road maintenance crew 250 who quarried and placed the rock on which the monument now sits.
- November 28, 2018
New Marker Text:
A sacred place to the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California, cave rock is the subject of many legends. Named for a cave, a remnant of which can be seen some 200 feet above the waterline. This formation was a landmark on the Lake Bigler Toll Road in the early days. Quarried granite blocks, which support the toll road, can still be seen on the west face of cave rock. The rock was first tunneled for the construction of a highway in 1931 and the second tunnel was put through in 1957. The Washoe name for Cave Rock is De-ek Wadapush which is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a Traditional Cultural Property. It is important now as it has been for thousands of years for the Washoe.
"Medicine men meditated and prayed here" and many distinct features help make up our culture, gifted basket makers, the wisdom of long-preserved legends, and our traditional way of life.
Cave Rock was one of our prominent sacred sites reflecting our traditional values of respect for the land and "da ow" (Lake Tahoe) the life-sustaining water, the center of the Washoe world (Washoe elder)
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The replacement of the marker is a partnership between the Nevada State Historic Preservation Office and the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California.
For historical context here is the Original Text of the Marker that was removed and eventually replaced:
Romanticized in Indian lore as a sacred place, Cave Rock is the subject of many legends. Named for a cave, a remnant of which can be seen some 200 feet above the waterline, this formation was a landmark on the Lake Bigler Toll Road in the early days. Quarried granite blocks which supported the toll road can still be seen on the west face of Cave Rock. The rock was first tunneled for the construction of a highway in 1931 and the second tunnel was put through in 1958.
You can see why this marker needed a revision... and certainly some involvement from the Wahoe Tribe to make sure that such a sacred place was being given the respect it truly deserves.
Accessing the Marker:
The SHM itself is behind the gate and inside the fee-use area of Cave Rock State Park. The park is open sunrise to sunset. Day-use parking costs $15/car, or $10 for Nevada vehicles. The parking lot allows access to the beach, picnic area, boat launch, and the historical marker. You cannot access the hiking trail up to Cave Rock itself from the lot. The trailhead is located across the highway, about 1/4 mile up Cave Rock Drive. In the off-seasons, the parking area is self-pay, which makes it pretty easy to just duck in quickly to read the marker, find the cache, and head out without having to pay for the few minutes you're there. When a ranger is on duty, you may be able to convince them to let you come read up on Nevada history for a few minutes without paying the park fee... but I can't guarantee it will work.
The cache itself is NOT hidden on the large rock or marker plaque... but can be found under cover just a few feet away. Look for something silver and activate stealth mode.
Please rehide the cache carefully to keep it secret and keep it safe!