Established
1986
Size
77,180 acres
Visitors / yr
152K
Entrance
Free
Best season
June through September
Nearest airport
SLC Salt Lake City International
01
Why Great Basin is worth the trip
Nevada · Established 1986
Great Basin is the park for folks who like their wonders unadvertised. It hides in the Snake Range of eastern Nevada, hours from anywhere, and stacks three improbable things on one mountain. Bristlecone pines alive for more than 4,000 years, among the oldest living things on Earth. Lehman Caves, decorated with more than 300 rare shield formations. And 13,063-foot Wheeler Peak, a legitimate alpine summit you can day-hike from a road that starts in sagebrush.
Then night falls, and the fourth wonder shows up. Great Basin has some of the darkest measured skies in the contiguous United States, dark enough that the Milky Way throws real light. Entry is free, crowds are a rumor, and the nearest town is tiny Baker. Fill the tank before you come.
Start with our full Great Basin guide, then use the planning below.
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Top things to do in Great Basin
Where we would start, and what we would plan a day around. Read the full guide.
Start here
20 Things to Do in Great Basin National Park
Read the guide
01
Guided Tours · nps.gov
Lehman Caves Tour
Lehman Caves Tours
02
Hiking · nps.gov
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...
03
Hiking · nps.gov
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...
04
Junior Ranger Program · nps.gov
Become a Great Basin National Park Junior Ranger
Great Basin Junior Ranger
Guided Tours · nps.gov
Lehman Caves Tour
Lehman Caves Tours
02
Hiking · nps.gov
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...
03
Hiking · nps.gov
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...
04
Junior Ranger Program · nps.gov
Become a Great Basin National Park Junior Ranger
Great Basin Junior Ranger
Before you go
Get the Great Basin heads-up
Permit windows, closures and seasonal alerts, plus our best Great Basin guides, in your inbox before you go. Free, no spam.
03
Plan your trip
Our guides for the big decisions, plus the gear, maps and lodging we would actually use for Great Basin.
Where to stay
Gateway towns with lodging, food and outfitters.
Maps & guides
Carry paper. Cell service dies fast inside most parks.
America the Beautiful pass
$80 a year. Covers entrance fees at more than 2,000 federal recreation sites.
Get the pass
What to bring
Field-tested picks we bring on park trips.
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Trekking PolesSave your knees on steep descents and river crossings. View on REI
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Rain JacketMountain weather turns fast. Pack a shell even on clear mornings. View on REI
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Fleece JacketMid-layer warmth for alpine mornings and evening campfires. View on REI
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Hiking BootsAnkle support and grip for rocky, uneven terrain. View on REI
Getting there
- SLC Salt Lake City International 234 mi
- LAS Las Vegas McCarran 290 mi
Some links in this section are affiliate links. If you book or buy through them we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend what we would use ourselves.
Great Basin map
VC Visitor Center
CG Campground
Nearby Park
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When to go
Loading weather...
Month-by-Month Conditions
Tap any month for details
Month
High
Low
Crowds
Roads
Jan
40°
20°
Low
Open
Feb
41°
21°
Low
Open
Mar
48°
27°
Low
Open
Apr
55°
32°
Light
Open
May
64°
40°
Heavy
Open
Jun Best
76°
49°
Peak
Open
Jul Best
85°
58°
Peak
Open
Aug Best
83°
56°
Peak
Open
Sep Best
73°
48°
Peak
Open
Oct
60°
36°
Heavy
Open
Nov
48°
26°
Low
Open
Dec
40°
20°
Low
Open
Best months to visit
Crowd level (low to peak)
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More Great Basin guides
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Parks near Great Basin
Within reach if you are building a longer trip.
Worth protecting
Great Basin belongs to all of us
Protections that took generations to win can be rolled back in a single session of Congress. We keep watch so they hold.
Stay in the Loop
Free dispatches on the parks and the policy fights around them, almost every day. Threats tracked, wins celebrated, no fluff.
Threatened Lands Map
Follow what's happening on federal lands across the country with our interactive map.
View the Tracker