Great Basin National Park guides
12 in-depth guides to Great Basin National Park, in reading order: what to see, how to get around, and what to know before you go. Back to the Great Basin National Park overview.
Paved Roads, Dirt Tracks, and Reaching Snake Creek
Only two of the main roads in Great Basin National Park have pavement. One runs to the visitor center, and the other climbs toward Wheeler Peak.
Summer Peak Season and Year-Round Visits
Summer is the park's busiest season. As the snow melts and the park opens up, parking lots fill and the crowds grow.
Lehman Caves: Shields, Parachutes, and Ranger Tours
Lehman Caves runs roughly two miles through limestone, making it the longest known cave in Nevada.
Twelve Miles Up the Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive
The Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive is a paved, out and back road of 12 miles from the park boundary on Nevada Highway 488 up to 10,000 feet.
Ancient Bristlecone Pine Groves
The Great Basin Bristlecone Pine is the oldest non-clonal organism on Earth. Unlike Pando, the giant aspen that clones itself, each bristlecone is a single tree that keeps aging.
Dark Sky Park Nights and the Observatory
Great Basin holds Gold Tier status as an International Dark Sky Park. Park staff use red exterior lights, switch off white lights after dark and fit motion sensors so fixtures run only when needed.
Alpine Lakes Loop to Wheeler Peak Trail
The Alpine Lakes Loop is an easy hike that still gets you away from the road. The loop covers 2.7 miles, and most hikers finish it in one and a half to three hours.
Basin and Range Peaks and Rock Glaciers
Nevada's last glacier lies on Wheeler Peak, the highest point in Great Basin National Park.
Fremont People and the Upper Pictograph Cave
About 1,800 years ago, the Fremont people learned to farm and began living in villages in this region.
When Campgrounds Fill: Dispersed High-Desert Camping
The campgrounds at Great Basin National Park often fill on busy summer days, especially weekends and holidays.
Baker Creek: Late-Season Trails and Alpine Lakes
Baker Creek is among the areas of Great Basin National Park you can reach latest into the year, and it sees far fewer visitors.
Hiking to Lexington Arch
Lexington Arch rises above Lexington Canyon in a remote corner of Great Basin National Park.
