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Great Basin National Park, Baker, NV

Photo: James R Bouldin ( talk · contribs ), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

Sport & OutdoorOutdoor AdventureFamily FavoriteFree

Great Basin National Park

Lehman Caves Visitor Center, Lehman Caves Rd, west of Baker · Baker, NV

Why you should go…

Great Basin National Park covers 77,180 acres of eastern Nevada, rising from sagebrush desert to 13,063-foot Wheeler Peak. Ranger-guided tours of Lehman Caves need a paid ticket, and the park recommends reserving ahead. The paved Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive climbs 12 miles to above 10,000 feet, passing through several ecological zones to trailheads that include the bristlecone pine trail. The park has no entrance fee, and its night skies are among the darkest in the contiguous United States.

  • #national park
  • #cave tours
  • #stargazing
  • #bristlecone pines
  • #hiking

Good to know

General sport & outdoor guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Weather calls the shots

    Check the forecast the morning of and keep an indoor backup in your pocket for the day it turns.

  • Shoes, water, sun cover

    The three things that decide whether you last the whole outing or cut it short after an hour.

  • Parking and launches fill early

    On a nice weekend, lots and trailheads are often full by mid-morning.

  • Daylight shrinks in shoulder season

    Spring and fall visits need an earlier start than the same trip in July.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Great Basin National Park, ordered by straight-line distance.

  • Museums
    History Buff

    Nevada Northern Railway Museum

    Under $25

    Tour a 1905 copper-era rail yard in East Ely and ride behind vintage steam and diesel locomotives.

    39 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums