Great Basin National Park guide · 2 min read
When Campgrounds Fill: Dispersed High-Desert Camping
The campgrounds at Great Basin National Park often fill on busy summer days, especially weekends and holidays.
The park has five developed campgrounds: Upper Lehman Creek, Lower Lehman Creek, Baker Creek, Grey Cliffs, and Wheeler Peak. Each has vault toilets, picnic tables, tent pads and fire grills, but no hookups. When every site is taken, dispersed camping on nearby public land is the next option.
Much of the land around the park is managed by the Bureau of Land Management, and camping there needs no permit or paperwork. Dispersed camping means setting up in an undeveloped area, and tents or average vehicles generally work best. Bring your own food, shelter and water, and follow Leave No Trace rules so the land stays in the condition you found it.
The Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive branches off Nevada 488 and climbs twelve miles of curving road with hairpin turns to 10,000 feet. Lower Lehman Creek Campground sits at 7,300 feet, Upper Lehman Creek Campground at 7,752 feet, and Wheeler Peak Campground at 9,886 feet near the top. Vehicles longer than 24 feet cannot continue past Upper Lehman. Altitude sickness is a genuine risk, including for visitors who already live high up.
The lot at the trailhead may be full on busy weekends and holidays, so it helps to pick a backup hike before you go. Along the drive you can reach trails to alpine lakes and a grove of bristlecone pines. The 2.8-mile Bristlecone Trail passes some of the oldest trees in the park.
Away from the campgrounds, the high desert offers solitude and dark skies. The park holds International Dark Sky Park status, and rangers lead stargazing programs. Baker, the small town just outside the park, has limited services, with some lodging, one gas station and a small number of restaurants. For broader choices, drive to Ely, Nevada, or Delta, Utah.
