Park Hours (Today)
All Day
Lehman Caves Visitor Center: 8:00AM - 5:00PM
Miza AI
Plan your Great Basin trip
About the Park
From the 13,063-foot summit of Wheeler Peak to the sagebrush-covered foothills, Great Basin National Park hosts a sample of the incredible diversity of the larger Great Basin region. Come and partake of the solitude of the wilderness, walk among ancient bristlecone pines, bask in the darkest of night skies, and explore mysterious subterranean passages. There's a lot more than just desert here.
Ready to explore Great Basin National Park?
Take the stress out of planning. Our AI will automatically sequence your stops, find the best hotels, and optimize your driving time in seconds.
What to See & Do
Lehman Caves Tour
Lehman Caves Tours
Hike the Baker Creek Loop
An upper easy/low moderate hike, Baker Creek is often accessible or semi-accessible year round, making a viable alternative when roads close or parking lots are crowded. 3.3 miles makes for acceptable easy distance for most visitors, though challenging in the winter when deep snow is present.
Hike to the Wheeler Peak Bristlecone Grove
The Bristlecone Trail is not to be missed on a visit to the park. This 2.8-mile round-trip hike takes visitors through some of the oldest organisms on Earth, and offers opportunities for introspection as you consider your place in the universe.
Become a Great Basin National Park Junior Ranger
Great Basin Junior Ranger
Hike to Lexington Arch
Hike 5.6 miles through shrubland to see one of the largest limestone arches in the world. Find plenty of peace on this lesser traveled trail. Lexington Arch is also the only park trail that allows dogs, so bring your pet for an excursion to this remote corner of the park.
Hike the Upper Strawberry Trail
The meadows of the Sage Steppe Loop combined with moderate difficulty ascending to a mountain saddle, the Upper Strawberry trail's 4.0 miles provides ample fall colors and plenty of running water.
Self-Guided Tours
Walking Tour: The Mountain View Nature Trail
The Mountain View Nature Trail is a ¼ mile long path around the Lehman Caves Visitor Center. Along this hike, you will see how humans, native plants, animals, rocks, and soils are all parts of a large, diverse environment. Look for numbered posts along the path which match the stops found in this digital tour. The path is not accessible to wheelchairs. The trail is at 7000ft elevation, so the air is thin. Please take extra care. Lastly, stay on the trail so those who come after may also enjoy the scenery.
Auto Tour: Great Basin Life Zones
Welcome to the Great Basin Life Zones tour! On your trip up the mountain to 10,000ft, you will pass through several life zones. These are areas of differing elevations where certain plants and animals are found due to varied temperatures and levels of precipitation. The lower elevations in the Snake Valley start at about 5,000 feet, rising to the top of Wheeler Peak at just over 13,000 feet in elevation. The park is filled with life adapted to each zone and its climactic conditions.
Visitor Centers
Lehman Caves Visitor Center
Phone: (775) 234-7510 Lehman Caves Visitor Center is located 5.5 miles up from the town of Baker, NV. At this visitor center visitors can plan their visit, purchase cave tour tickets, watch the park movie, and explore exhibits about the caves and the darkness of Great Basin National Park.
Great Basin Visitor Center
Phone: (775) 234-7520 Located just north of the town of Baker on the west side of NV Highway 487. The Visitor Center contains an information desk staffed by park rangers, exhibits about the ecology and history of the park, a theater with the park film, and brochures.
Where to Stay
Lower Lehman Creek Campground
Among the lush green vegetation which hugs Lehman Creek, you'll secure your tent or park your RV within earshot of clear mountain water which has tumbled 3000 vertical feet from the lakes and snowfields of the high Snake Range. Naturally landscaped with red-barked water birch, aspen and white fir a stroll through this sky island ecosystem provides for great bird-watching or a cooling dip in the stream while placing you just minutes from spectacular Lehman Caves.
Upper Lehman Creek Campground
Whether you prefer the rich smell of summer mahogany riding air currents blended with the vanilla of ponderosa pine, or the sound of a clear mountain stream babbling beneath a symphony of swaying white fir, you won't regret your stay at Upper Lehman Creek Campground. At 7500 feet in elevation and 3 miles up the Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive a stay at Upper Lehman Creek is just a brief cruise from high alpine trails that will take you into the heart of the Snake Range.
Wheeler Peak Campground
Located at 9,886 feet above sea level, Wheeler Peak Campground is the highest-elevation campground in the entire National Park System. Nestled in aspen groves in the shadow of Wheeler Peak, this campground is a perfect base camp for exploring the park's alpine region - where camping is otherwise prohibited. Prepare for dynamic weather and cold temperatures even during the summer. Potable water is not available.
Baker Creek Campground
Baker Creek Campground contains 37 campsites. All sites are available, when the campground is open (seasons permitting), via reservation on Recreation.gov. Potable water is not available.
Grey Cliffs Campground
For visitors to Great Basin National Park, Grey Cliffs Campground is an ideal place to setup and start exploring. Experience the solitude of the desert, the smell of sagebrush after a thunderstorm, the darkest of night skies, and the beauty of Lehman Caves.
Snake Creek Primitive Campgrounds
Make yourself at home in the Snake Creek Campsites along the Snake Creek River, located on the south-eastern side of the park. These sites are nestled among Aspen groves and at the base of impressive limestone cliffs. Sites to choose from include, Monkey Rock, Squirrel Springs, Pinnacles, Eagle Peak. The Shoshone and Johnson Lake trail sites are a short 0.5 mile hike from the parking lot at the end of the Snake Creek Road.
Dump Station
No overnight camping allowed. Dump Station is for dumping garbage and RV sewage.
Parking & Access
Getting Here
From the East or West: From U.S. Highway 6 & 50, turn south on Nevada State Highway 487 and travel 5 miles to Baker, NV. In Baker turn west on Highway 488 and travel 5 miles to the park. From the South (Utah): Travel north on Utah State Highway 21 through Milford, UT and Garrison, UT, Highway 487. Turn west on Highway 488 in Baker and travel 5 miles to the park. From the South (Nevada): Travel north on U.S. Highway 93. No public transportation is available to, or in, Great Basin National Park.
Official NPS directionsParking Lots
Bristlecone Parking lot
Located at the top of the wheeler peak scenic drive, this parking lot is at the base on some of the most popular trails.
Open in MapsLehman Caves Visitor Center
A medium sized parking lot at the Lehman Caves Visitor Center
Open in MapsSnake Creek Parking Lot
A small parking lot at the end of the snake creek road at the base of 3 trailheads.
Open in MapsStrawberry Creek Parking Lot
A dirt small parking lot at the end of the Strawberry Creek road
Open in MapsSummit Parking Lot
A Parking lot located on the scenic drive, this parking lot is at the base of the wheeler summit hike.
Open in MapsGetting Here & Transit
How to Get Here
From the East or West: From U.S. Highway 6 & 50, turn south on Nevada State Highway 487 and travel 5 miles to Baker, NV. In Baker turn west on Highway 488 and travel 5 miles to the park. From the South (Utah): Travel north on Utah State Highway 21 through Milford, UT and Garrison, UT, Highway 487. Turn west on Highway 488 in Baker and travel 5 miles to the park. From the South (Nevada): Travel north on U.S. Highway 93. No public transportation is available to, or in, Great Basin National Park.
Park Amenities
Permits & Reservations
Permits may be required
Some activities in Great Basin National Park — including backcountry camping, certain trails, and climbing routes — require advance permits. Check the official NPS website for current requirements before your visit.
Operating Hours
Great Basin National Park
Park Grounds and Trails Check "Visitor Centers" tab for facility-specific hours
- MondayAll Day
- TuesdayAll Day
- WednesdayAll Day
- ThursdayAll Day
- FridayAll Day
- SaturdayAll Day
- SundayAll Day
Photos
Bristlecone pine tree with a dark blue sky behind it with a bright Jupiter shining
Brown and tan cave formation in the shape of a parachute
Colorful Milky Way over the red lit Lehman Caves Visitor Center
Tan and green Visitor center with mountains in the background.
When to Go
Crowd CalendarPlan your trip around peak seasons to avoid crowds or embrace the energy of the busy months. Our crowd predictions are based on historical NPS Visitor Use Statistics.
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Build your Great Basin itinerary
Tell Miza your dates, pace, and interests—get a day-by-day plan with hikes, drives, and must-see stops.
Best Time
May-September
Trip Length
2-4 days
Searching for the best hotel deals near Great Basin National Park...
Planning Great Basin
These common questions go deeper into logistics and planning. For real-time updates on road closures and current conditions, always check the Alerts section above.