Established in 1986, Great Basin National Park in eastern Nevada is a tribute to the unique Great Basin region in the western United States. From the sagebrush desert at its alluvial base to the 13,063 foot summit of Wheeler Peak, Great Basin National Park includes 5 ecological zones, which include streams, lakes, alpine plants, abundant wildlife and a variety of forest types including groves of ancient Bristlecone Pines. Great Basin National Park comprises 120 square miles (77,100 acres) in an isolated area of the north-central Great Basin Desert. It includes much of the South Snake Range, a superb example of a metamorphic core complex. Represented within the Park are at least 14,000 feet of marine sedimentary rocks ranging in age from Cambrian through Pennsylvanian.
Part way up the eastern flank of Wheeler’s Peak, behind the Visitor Center, is the entrance to Lehman Caves, a marble-limestone solution cavern famous for the diversity of its decorated passages and galleries extending deep into the mountain.
Introduction
Great Basin National Park, established in 1986, preserves a diverse environment including palatial limestone caves, Nevada’s largest glacier and stands of bristlecone pine, the world’s oldest tree. Lehman Caves National Monument has been part of the Park Service for 75 years, first designated in 1922 by President Warren G. Harding. The Great Basin is a huge dry region of the western United States, which consists of 90 alternating valleys and mountain ranges. It stretches from the Wasatch Mountains in Utah to the Sierra Nevada range in California. The encircling mountains mean that rivers and streams do not drain into the ocean, but soak into the ground or accumulate in landlocked lakes. In an otherwise dry and dusty environment, the mountains capture enough moisture to sustain ecosystems which are so rich as to be unimaginable on the plains below.
The 77,109 acre Great Basin National Park is one of the youngest national parks in the nation. Due to its age and great distance from major population centers Salt Lake City and Las Vegas are both over 250 miles away the park is rarely crowded. Expect to see more animals than people while hiking the park’s 65 miles of trails.
A visit to Great Basin usually begins at the Lehman Caves, a quarter mile long subterranean landscape of limestone and marble chambers carved by water seeping through cracks in the rock. Mineral-rich water then created fantastic stalactites and stalagmites, columns, flowstones, rare shields and clusters of snow-white needles.
A 12 mile highway known as Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive takes visitors into the heart of the Snake Range. From here an easy hiking trail leads to the top of Wheeler Peak (el. 13,063 feet) the second-highest summit in Nevada. As the road climbs, the arid sagebrush of the desert floor sinks away below and pinon-juniper woodlands and aspen trees start to appear along with clumps of manzanita shrubs and mountain mahogany, which grow to tree height. At 9,000 feet, Douglas fir and spruce trees complete the transformation from the Nevada Desert to this island of northern vegetation. Subalpine forests of limber pine, spruce and aspen are interspersed with meadows filled with wildflowers.
The road ends at the Wheeler Peak Campground-one of four campgrounds in the park-and the rest of the trip to the summit must be accomplished on foot. On the way, ice-cold streams twist and tumble through the forests, which are home to many of Great Basin’s numerous mule deer. Sparkling blue alpine lakes are fed by the rains and meltwaters from Nevada’s only glacier. The glacier is nestled in a great U-shaped basin at the foot of the 2,000 foot cliffs on Wheeler’s northeast face.
At the 10,000 foot elevation point grows one of the park’s three groves of tenacious bristlecone pines. These gnarled and twisted survivors are the world’s oldest living tree species. With their gray, wind-sculpted trunks, bristlecones may appear dead, but they cling to life, almost oblivious to the passage of time. The trees adjust to changes in moisture and the dense, resinous wood prevents rot. Many of these trees are more than 4,000 years old. At the snowy summit of Wheeler Peak, the solitude and isolation of Great Basin National Park are at their most pronounced. On a clear day, the view can extend for up to 140 miles in any direction.
Nature & Science
Centered on Nevada but extending into neighboring states, the Great Basin Desert stretches from California’s Sierra Nevada Range on the west to the Rockies of Utah on the east. The region is one of high, silent valleys, numerous mountain ranges and many rivers. Great Basin National Park protects the South Snake Range near the Utah border east of Ely, Nevada. The Snake Range provides a good example of biogeography, the relationship between living things and the landscape. As elevation increases, the climate changes, creating habitats for different plants and animals. During the most recent Ice Age, glaciers sprawled across the high peaks. The air was cooler, allowing forests of Bristlecone and Limber Pine to grow on the valley bottom, along the shores of long sinuous lakes. The largest body of water was Lake Bonneville, of which the Great Salt Lake is today a shrunken remnant. About 15,000 years ago, its waves lapped against a beach just 10 miles from the current park boundary.
That changed around 10,000 years ago, when the climate turned warmer. Glaciers melted, lakes dried up and the desert plants we see today invaded the desiccated valleys. The Snake Range became an island surrounded by desert, a refuge for temperate-climate dwellers. For many organisms with no means of transport, the desert basins presented impassable barriers. These species are isolated from others of their kind, left alone to develop unique adaptations as surely as though they were on islands in an ocean.
Close beneath the summit of Wheeler Peak, a bit of the Ice Age exists in the form of a small glacier, the only one of its kind in the Great Basin. A mere token, it calls to mind the powerful glaciers that capped the Snake Range only a few thousand years ago. Evidence of glacial activity is easy to find in moraines piles of glacial debris composed of boulders, sand and gravel forming mounds and ridges. Sparkling Teresa and Stella Lakes occupy hollows gouged out by ice (cirques).
These were alpine glaciers, not the huge continental ice sheets that enveloped the northern part of the continent. Here, ice never reached the valley floor. Instead, it melted at an elevation of about 8,000 feet. You can see this in the shape of the Baker Creek drainage. Above the melting point, glaciers plucked and carried bedrock, widening and smoothing the mountain slopes. Below the melting point, cascading streams cut sharp-sided canyons.
Recreation
Hiking & Backpacking
Hiking opportunities abound in the park. Easy to moderate trails lead to alpine lakes and a Bristlecone Pine forest. More strenuous is a climb up Wheeler Peak, the park’s highest point. Drive the road to the base of Wheeler Peak; from there, follow easy to moderate trails to alpine lakes and the Bristlecone pine forest. The backcountry backpacking opportunities abound, but there are few maintained trails. Routes generally follow ridgelines or valley bottoms.
For a longer visit climb Wheeler Peak; visit the glacier; or explore one of the other canyons in the park. Snake Creek flows all year through aspen groves beneath limestone outcroppings. Or visit Lexington Arch in the south end of the range At the park’s north end, Strawberry Creek runs through stands of aspen trees and open meadows.
Mountain Biking
Mountain biking is allowed only on designated motor vehicle roadways. The park has miles of dirt roads; check with a ranger about which are open.
When To Go
Great Basin National Park is a mountain park. Roads and trails are open seasonally as snow conditions permit. Summer months are the best for access to the high country. The road from the town of Baker to the park Visitor Center is open year round. Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive opens and closes progressively with changes in weather, but is always open for 3 miles to Upper Lehman Campground. Many backcountry dirt roads are available during summer months.
Traveler Facts
Contact Information
Great Basin National Park
100 Great Basin National Park
Baker, NV 89311
Phone: 775-234-7331
Operating Hours & Seasons
Great Basin National Park is a mountain park. Roads and trails are open seasonally as snow conditions permit. Summer months are the best for access to the high country. The road from the town of Baker to the park Visitor Center is open year round.
Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive opens and closes progressively with changes in weather, but is always open for 3 miles to Upper Lehman Campground. Many backcountry dirt roads are available during summer months.
Visitor Centers
Great Basin National Park is open daily year round except Thanksgiving, December 25 and January 1.
Summer Hours: 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. PDT
Winter Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. PST
Location
The main entrance to Great Basin National Park is five miles west of Baker, Nevada along Utah Route 488, near the Nevada-Utah border.
The nearest cities are Ely, NV, 70 miles to the west and Delta, UT, 100 miles to the east.
Weather/Climate
This is a fairly arid region. Most precipitation is received as snow or during summer thunderstorms. Winters are cool and summers are mild. Be prepared for changes in weather.
Lehman Caves is 50 degrees F, 90% humidity year round; a jacket and suitable walking shoes are recommended.
The roads above 8000 feet are usually closed in the winter because of snow.
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