Great Basin National Park Guide

Road through Great Basin National Park, Nevada

Great Basin National Park Highlights

The 77,000-acre national park, officially designated in October 1986, has primitive camping facilities along Snake Creek and Strawberry Creek roads. Campsites have fire grates, picnic tables, and pit toilets (no water) and are free of charge.
Nevada's highest-elevation pavement delivers you to its highest-elevation campground, Wheeler Peak. At a breath-catching 10,000 feet, virgin forest secludes the 40 spacious campsites. Each campsite has a table, fire pit, and grill. The outhouses are clean and so is the hand-pumped water.
At 7,300 feet, Lower Lehman Creek Campground has 11 sites, six are pull-throughs. Upper Lehman Creek Campground is 500 feet higher, with 24 sites for cars (trailers are not advised). Lehman Creek runs right through both.
From the park's visitor center, Baker Creek Road leads three miles to Baker Creek Campground. Three loops contain 32 sites, with outhouses and boil-first running water. The choice spots are under tall conifers on the banks of the creek.

By Travel Expert: Deke Castleman

Warm up your hiking boots on the Alpine Lakes Loop, a three-mile jaunt from Wheeler Peak Campground that takes an hour or two depending on your pace. The grades are easy, the lakes are pretty, and the views are mighty.
Wheeler Peak Trail leaves from the horse-loading area above the campground and then climbs 3,000 feet in four miles-steep, high, and exhilarating-to the second highest spot in the Silver State.
One of the main attractions at Great Basin National Park is the Lehman Caves, a series of richly decorated subterranean caverns. Guided tours leave from the visitor center. The temperature is a constant 50 degrees Fahrenheit, so wear a jacket.
Great Basin Park has more than 40 caves within the 8,000- and 12,000-foot level of the Snake Range. Eight of these "wild" caves are accessible with a permit. To qualify for a permit, you must prove your expertise with caving techniques, ethics, and equipment.

By Travel Expert: Deke Castleman