Great Basin
Quiet Nevada park with a 13,000-foot peak, ancient bristlecones, a marble cave, dark skies
- Hours
- Open 24 hours, all year; free entry
- Entry
- Free entry
- Reservations
- Not required
- Size
- 77,180 acres
Great Basin Weather Now
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Great Basin National Park sits in the South Snake Range of eastern Nevada, rising from sagebrush desert at about 5,000 feet to the top of Wheeler Peak at 13,063 feet. That climb packs desert, aspen and conifer forests, alpine lakes and a small glacier into a short drive. Great Basin bristlecone pines grow near treeline here, and some of them are among the oldest living things on Earth. The area became a national park in 1986, taking in the older Lehman Caves National Monument.
This is one of the least crowded national parks, so trails and viewpoints often feel empty. Lehman Caves is a marble cave known for more than 300 shield formations, rare flat discs that grow out from the walls. Entry to the park is free, but cave tours carry a fee. Great Basin is an International Dark Sky Park, and on moonless nights the Milky Way is bright enough to cast shadows.
The park and surrounding area
- Park boundary
- Other parks
- Major highway
- Road
- Rivers and lakes
- Town
Plan your trip
- Best time to go
- Late June through September is best, when the full scenic drive and high-elevation trails are snow-free; early fall adds golden aspens.
- How long to stay
- Two days covers the cave, the scenic drive and a couple of hikes; add a day to summit Wheeler Peak.
- Getting there
- Salt Lake City (SLC) is about 4 hours away and Las Vegas (LAS) about 4.5 to 5 hours by car; tiny Ely (ELY) is about 1 hour 15 minutes away.
- Wildlife
- Look for mule deer, jackrabbits, marmots, pikas, Clark's nutcrackers and the occasional mountain lion track.
Plan and book
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Where to stay
- Hotels in Baker (opens in a new tab)Nevada
- Hotels in Ely (opens in a new tab)Nevada
- Hotels in Garrison (opens in a new tab)Utah
- No lodging inside the park. The towns above are the closest bases.
Tours and activities
- Guided tours on Viator (opens in a new tab)Day trips, wildlife, photography
- Tours on GetYourGuide (opens in a new tab)Compare options and reviews
- Campsites on Recreation.gov (opens in a new tab)Official federal booking site
What to pack for Great Basin
- Warm layersTemperatures drop fast above 10,000 feet, and snow is possible in any month.
- Refillable water jugsCampgrounds have no potable water, so you need to haul your own.
- Hiking boots with ankle supportThe summit and glacier trails are rocky and steep.
- Red-light headlampKeeps your night vision for stargazing and is handy at camp.
- Light jacket for the caveLehman Caves stays about 50 degrees all year.
A first day, start to finish
- Lehman Caves tour
- Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive
- Alpine Lakes Loop
- Bristlecone Grove
- Stargazing near the Lehman Caves Visitor Center
Don't miss
- Lehman CavesRanger-led tours of 30 to 90 minutes, never more than 0.75 mile of walking, through a marble cave packed with rare shield formations and stalactites.
- Wheeler Peak Scenic DriveA paved 12-mile road that climbs more than 4,000 feet to about 10,000 feet, with pullouts looking up at Wheeler Peak and down on Snake Valley.
- Bristlecone GroveA trail from the end of the scenic drive to a grove of Great Basin bristlecone pines, some of them several thousand years old, below the park's only glacier.
- Alpine Lakes LoopAn easy 2.7-mile loop above 10,000 feet past Stella and Teresa lakes, with Wheeler Peak rising straight behind them.
- Wheeler Peak SummitA strenuous 8.6-mile round trip that gains about 3,000 feet to Nevada's second-highest point at 13,063 feet.
Know before you go
Do
- Book cave tour tickets on Recreation.gov as soon as they open 30 days ahead.
- Fill water bottles at the Lehman Caves Visitor Center, since campgrounds have no potable water.
- Stay after dark for some of the darkest skies in the lower 48.
Don't
- Drive a vehicle or trailer over 24 feet past Upper Lehman Creek Campground on the scenic drive.
- Touch the cave formations, since skin oils stop them from growing.
- Expect services nearby; Baker is tiny and the nearest full-service town, Ely, is more than an hour away.
The park grounds are open 24 hours a day, year-round, and there is no entrance fee. The Lehman Caves Visitor Center inside the park and the Great Basin Visitor Center in Baker are open with seasonal hours and close on some winter holidays. The upper Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive closes at Upper Lehman Creek Campground after heavy snow and usually reopens by Memorial Day; it was open as of late September 2026, as were the gravel and dirt roads to Baker Creek, Snake Creek and Strawberry Creek.
Drive to the top of Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive early, hike the Alpine Lakes and bristlecone trails, then come down for an afternoon cave tour.Trekker's tip