| Great Basin National Park | |
Things to Do:
Great Basin National Park offers opportunities for a variety of activities depending on your personal interests. To make the most of your visit, stop at one of the park's two visitor centers first. The Great Basin Visitor Center (775-234-7331 Ext. 260) is located in the town of Baker, five miles from the park on NV Highway 487. It provides information on the park, features an association bookstore, and houses permanent exhibits on the Great Basin region. The Lehman Caves Visitor Center (775-234-7331 Ext. 212) is located on NV Highway 488, 5.5 miles from the town of Baker and half a mile inside the park boundary. It offers Lehman Cave Tours, and also includes an information desk, exhibits, theater with orientation film, and brochures.
Lehman Caves Tours
The Lehman Caves National Monument, which was established in 1922, was incorporated in Great Basin National Park in 1986. Lehman Caves can only be entered with a guided tour, which are 30, 60, or 90 minutes long. Longer tours go further along the same route than shorter tours. The full tour route is 0.54 miles round-trip. The First Room Tour (30 minutes) visits only the Gothic Palace, the first room in the cave. Those under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Cave tours are limited to 20 persons per tour and often sell out during the busy summer months. There is advance tickets sales during the summer months; call 775-234-7331 x242.
Hiking and Backpacking
Great Basin National Park is an area best explored by hiking. By following the scenic drive to the base of Wheeler Peak, park visitors can enjoy a variety of hiking options, ranging from easy to moderate trails to alpine lakes and the bristlecone pine forest. If you have more time, climb to the summit of 13,063-foot Wheeler Peak (8.6 miles round-trip), visit the glacier, or explore one of the other canyons in the park. Snake Creek flows through aspen groves beneath limestone outcroppings. At the north end of the park, Strawberry Creek runs through stands of aspen trees and open meadows. All park roads except Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive are unpaved and infrequently traveled.
Great Basin National Park offers extensive areas for backpacking trips. Though there are a number of established routes, much of the park, especially the fragile alpine areas, remains wild country without trails. Backpackers should be prepared to hike cross-country on hard-to-follow routes, or to follow drainages, ridges and other natural features. Skills in map reading are essential to any off-trail travel in the park.
Evening campfire programs are held nightly in the summer season at Upper Lehman Creek Campground and on Friday and Saturday evenings in Wheeler Peak Campground. Program topics vary, covering subjects related to Great Basin National Park's cultural and natural resources.
Other Activities
Horseback riding is permitted on some trails and mountain biking is allowed only on designated motor vehicle roadways. Fishing in the park requires a Nevada fishing license.