When most people think of Nevada, they think of the glitz of Las Vegas or maybe a vast desert with cowboys riding off into the sunset. While there is a lot of glitz and also a lot of cowboys, we’re here to tell you that Nevada has so much more to offer, including a unique National Park.
Great Basin National Park: Fast Facts
Great Basin National Park in Nevada is the perfect place for outdoor adventures. Here are a few reasons why:
- Nevada has over 300 days of sunshine a year.
- Nevada has more mountain ranges than any other state. Wheeler Peak, in Great Basin National Park, is 13,000 feet at its summit.
- Nevada has the oldest trees on earth, the Great Basin Bristlecone Pine.
- Nevada is home to a cave that was formed over 500 million years ago.
If you are ready to explore some of the most endless views you can imagine. Check out our recommendations for visiting Great Basin National Park.
Where to Stay
If camping under a sky with a million stars sounds like a dream come true, then Northern Nevada is the perfect destination for you. There are many options near Great Basin National Park for dispersed camping (boondocking) on public lands. The views are endless, and you can find a dirt road to turn down without looking too hard. When seeking out camping on public lands, make sure to verify access to the land and that the route in and out is appropriate for your RV. Nevada is a dry climate, and wildfires are rampant, so be mindful of campfires and, as always, leave no trace when you depart.
Baker, NV
For our most recent visit, we decided to stay in the nearby town of Baker, NV (population: 41). For its small size, Baker has a lot of personality to go around with a cute coffee shop and an eclectic general store.
We booked a full hook-up site right in the tiny town of Baker, NV. This pet-friendly spot is available on Hip Camp and is right off the main road with five easy-access full hook-up sites and separate restrooms as well. The RV sites are basic, but the views from our back window were like we’d stepped into an Old West painting. It was walking distance to the Bristlecone General Store and only a few minutes' drive to the Great Basin National Park Visitor Center.
Itinerary Recommendations
Day 1: Visitor Center and Breakfast Burritos
Head up to the Great Basin National Park Visitor Center. They have a unique gift shop, knowledgeable rangers, and extensive educational displays. We spent 45 minutes with a ranger learning about the Great Basin Bristlecone Pines. They had a ton of great information to help us plan our visit and recommendations on hikes and current weather conditions.
We usually have breakfast before we head out for the day, but you’ll want to keep your appetite and grab a breakfast burrito from The Café, inside Great Basin National Park. They serve made-to-order breakfast burritos with fresh salsa and a variety of other breakfast and lunch options. Honestly, it’s the best food we’ve had from the National Park, and the views can’t be beat!
Day 2: Lehman Caves Tour
Lehman Caves is the longest cave system in Nevada. It’s full of stalactites, stalagmites, rare shield formations, and you can even see cave bacon. Make sure to ask about it if the ranger doesn’t point it out to you during the tour. If you want to visit the cave, the only way is on a ranger-guided tour. Tours have been going on in the cave since 1885!
Walk-up tours are available, but since tour groups are limited to 20 people, they often sell out, so it’s not guaranteed that slots will be available. We booked our tour in advance at Recreation.gov to make sure we had a spot for our family. The cave tour is roughly an hour long and full of unique cave formations and interesting Nevada geological history.
Day 3: Hiking, Driving & Stargazing
Hiking
We visited Great Basin National Park in the month of May, which we think is the perfect time because the wildflowers are in full bloom, the temperatures aren’t too hot, and there are no crowds to be seen. There are many hikes within the park and just as many nearby. We chose to hike just outside of the park down a dirt road called Pole Canyon Trail so that we could bring our dog with us.
The views were incredible, with the 13,000 ft snow-capped Wheeler Peak visible from the trailhead. We enjoyed blooming purple lupines, vibrant Indian paintbrush, and rich yellow arrowroot balsam. Depending on where you want to hike, you may need a high clearance vehicle and be prepared for potentially muddy shoes, and always be weather aware. The weather can change quickly in the mountains with frequent afternoon thunderstorms, and you don’t want to literally get caught out in the rain.
Scenic Drives
If hiking isn’t your thing, you can take the 12-mile paved out-and-back Wheeler Peak scenic drive, where you will gain 4,000 feet in elevation and end up at over 10,000ft elevation. This is where the world’s oldest trees, the Great Basin Bristlecone Pine Trees, grow. These unique trees are only found in Nevada, Utah, and California, and Great Basin National Park boasts the Prometheus tree, estimated to be the oldest tree in the world, between 4700-5000 years old.
Stargazing
When you’re done for the day, this area is known for its elite stargazing. Great Basin National Park is known as a Premier International Dark Sky Park. On clear nights you can see more stars than you imagined possible, and when the is no moon you can even see the Milky Way. There are several locations and resources within the park to set you up for ideal stargazing, but without any preparation, you can simply go outside, turn off the lights, and see more stars than you can count.
Tips on Visiting
- Make sure to always check the weather conditions for storms.
- Be aware of the wildlife. Nevada is home to rattlesnakes, coyotes, and more
- Always have a map when hiking, and cell service isn’t always reliable, and you may often be the only people out on a trail.
Final Thoughts
This off-the-beaten-path location is easy to miss on a map, but hard to forget once you’ve visited. If you are looking for a place to relax and reconnect with nature, at Great Basin National Park, you can literally explore from deep in underground caves up to heights over 10,000 ft all in the same day. Make sure to bring your sense of adventure, a good pair of hiking boots, and maybe a telescope!
