Great Basin National 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.
Alerts
- ClosureWheeler Peak Scenic Drive Seasonal Closure
Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive is closed to vehicle traffic at the Upper Lehman Creek Campground for the winter season.
- ClosureDump Station Seasonal Closure
Due to incoming winter weather, the park's dump station will be closing for the season at 12:00 pm on Friday, October 9, 2026. After that time, there will be no potable water available inside the National Park.
- ClosureWheeler Peak Campground Seasonal Closure
The Wheeler Peak Campground will close for the season on Saturday, October 10, 2026. Availability in the other park campgrounds can be found on recreation.gov.
- CautionNo Potable Water in Park Campgrounds
There currently is no water available in any campground in Great Basin National Park. Water is available at the RV Fill and Dump Station, the Great Basin, and the Lehman Caves Visitor Center as well as some local businesses.
Fees & passes
Free. No entrance fee here.
Hours
| Great Basin National Park | Daily · All Day |
When to go
July draws the most visits here and December the fewest, averaged over 2021 to 2025.
Campgrounds
| Lower Lehman Creek Campground | 20 sites | |
| $20 a night · Lower Lehman Creek Campground is open year-round. | ||
| Upper Lehman Creek Campground | 23 sites | |
| $20 a night · Upper Lehman Creek Campground is open typically from June through October. This campground closes seasonally after the first snow of the year. · 23 reservable | ||
| Wheeler Peak Campground | 36 sites | |
| $20 a night · Wheeler Peak Campground is open in the shoulder season until the first significant snowfall. Reservations are available one day in advance. | ||
| Baker Creek Campground | 37 sites | |
| $20 a night · Baker Creek Campground is open from Memorial Day - Labor Day (weather permitting) · 37 reservable | ||
| Grey Cliffs Campground | 16 sites | |
| $20 a night · Grey Cliffs Campground is generally open from late spring to fall. · 13 reservable | ||
Show all 7 campgroundsHide
| Snake Creek Primitive Campgrounds | 12 sites | |
| Snake Creek Primitive Campsites are open seasonally, May through October (weather permitting). · 12 first-come | ||
| Dump Station | · | |
| $10 a night · The Dump Station is open seasonally. | ||
Every campground here has its own page on Campsite Atlas, with site counts, hookups, rig limits and booking windows. All of them on one page → How park camping works
Visitor centers
- Lehman Caves Visitor Center ↗Passport stamp
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 ↗Passport stamp
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.
Explore
Things to do
- Lehman Caves Tour30-90 Minutes
Lehman Caves Tours
Opens on the Park Service site - Hike the Baker Creek Loop90-180 Minutes
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.
Opens on the Park Service site - Hike to the Wheeler Peak Bristlecone Grove1-3 Hours
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.
Opens on the Park Service site - Become a Great Basin National Park Junior Ranger30-120 Minutes
Great Basin Junior Ranger
Opens on the Park Service site - Hike to Lexington Arch2-4 Hours
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.
Opens on the Park Service site - Hike the Upper Strawberry Trail2-4 Hours
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.
Opens on the Park Service site
Show all 12Hide
- Hike the Sage Steppe Loop30-90 Minutes
Wildlife, wildflowers, escapes from the heat, and an easy trail to boot. The Sage Steppe Loop is both a wonderful introduction to the park and a great chance to get away from the crowds.
Opens on the Park Service site - Hike the Serviceberry Trail90-150 Minutes
The 3.2 mile Serviceberry Loop is a wonderful loop trail through serviceberry, rabbitbrush, and sagebrush, giving plentiful views of unique Great Basin geology.
Opens on the Park Service site - Hike the Big Wash Trail12-24 Hours
Big Wash is perhaps the most difficult and least travelled trail in the park. be prepared for a long 20.6 mile journey through shrubland and heat in the summer, but one of the most incredible experiences available with the isolation it brings.
Opens on the Park Service site - Hike to Johnson Lake from Snake Creek4-8 Hours
Hike to the backcountry and isolated Johnson Lake. 8.0 miles round trip rewards visitors with a chance for isolation and exercise.
Opens on the Park Service site - Hike to Snake Creek Overlook30-90 Minutes
The Snake Creek Overlook trail is a nice, short trail that will work one's legs with a stretch of elevation gain. This easy, 1.1 mile trip provides sweeping views of the lower valley and is a great start or end of the day
Opens on the Park Service site - Hike the Shoshone ADA Trail10-20 Minutes
The Shoshone ADA trail is a small section of one of Great Basin's longer hiking routes. This 0.1 mile stretch takes visitors to a wooden platform and fishing area right on Snake Creek.
Opens on the Park Service site
Films
National Park Service productions, public domain.
Events
- Accessible Gothic Palace Tour10/1411:00 AM · runs through Oct 29 · registration required
- Grand Palace Tour10/1408:30 AM · runs through Oct 29Check in for your tour with a ranger at the Lehman Caves Visitor Center information desk.
- Lodge Room Tour10/1409:30 AM · runs through Oct 29Check in for your tour with a ranger at the Lehman Caves Visitor Center information desk.
News
- Great Basin National Park marks 40th anniversary ↗2026-09-24
Great Basin National Park will celebrate two major milestones Oct. 23: the park’s 40th anniversary and the completion of major improvements to the Lehman Caves lighting system and tour route.
- Great Basin Astronomy Festival welcomes night sky enthusiasts ↗2026-09-08
Great Basin National Park will celebrate its dark skies with the 17th annual Great Basin Astronomy Festival from Thursday, Sept. 10, through Saturday, Sept. 12.
- Lehman Caves tours resume Memorial Day weekend ↗2026-04-20
Public tours of Great Basin National Park's Lehman Caves will resume on Friday, May 22, just in time for the Memorial Day holiday weekend.
Map
Interactive map by the National Park Service
On the National Register nearby
- Lehman Orchard and AqueductHistoric district · Baker · 4.6 mi
- Rhodes CabinBuilding · Baker · 4.6 mi
- Baker Ranger StationBuilding · Baker · 8.6 mi
Public land nearby
Distances are approximate. Wilderness Atlas publishes a center point and an acreage for each area rather than a boundary, so each area is treated here as a circle of the same size and the figure is the gap to that circle.
Guidebooks for Great Basin National Park and Nevada's national parks
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.
Reference
Wildlife
Full checklist: 213 birds, 55 mammalsHide
Raptors & owlsAmerican Kestrel · Bald Eagle · Cooper's Hawk · Ferruginous Hawk · Flammulated Owl · Golden Eagle · Great Horned Owl · Harlan's Hawk · Long-eared Owl · Merlin · Northern Harrier · Northern Pygmy-owl · Northern Saw-whet Owl · Peregrine Falcon · Prairie Falcon · Red-shouldered Hawk · Red-tailed Hawk · Rough-legged Hawk · Sharp-shinned Hawk · Short-eared Owl · Swainson's Hawk · Turkey Vulture · Western Screech-owl · Zone-tailed Hawk · burrowing owl
Waterfowl & wadersAmerican Coot · American White Pelican · Black-crowned Night-heron · Blue-winged Teal · Canada Goose · Cinnamon Teal · Great Blue Heron · Green-winged Teal · Ring-necked duck · Sandhill Crane · White-faced Ibis
Shorebirds & seabirdsKilldeer · Long-billed Curlew · Spotted Sandpiper · Wilson's Phalarope · common snipe
Gamebirds & dovesBlue Grouse · California Quail · Eurasian Collared-Dove · Greater Sage-grouse · Mourning Dove · Wild Turkey
WoodpeckersAmerican Three-toed Woodpecker · Downy Woodpecker · Hairy Woodpecker · Lewis' Woodpecker · Northern Flicker · Red-naped Sapsucker · Red-shafted Flicker · Three-toed Woodpecker · Williamson's Sapsucker
Hummingbirds & swiftsBlack-chinned Hummingbird · Broad-tailed Hummingbird · Calliope Hummingbird · Rufous Hummingbird · White-throated Swift
Also on the checklistAmerican Crow · American Dipper · American Dipper · American Goldfinch · American Pipit · American Robin · American Robin · Ash-throated Flycatcher · Barn Swallow · Barn Swallow · Belted Kingfisher · Bewick's Wren · Black Rosy Finch · Black-billed Magpie · Black-billed Magpie · Black-capped Chickadee · Black-headed Grosbeak · Black-headed Grosbeak · Black-throated Gray Warbler · Black-throated Sparrow · Blue-gray Gnatcatcher · Brewer's Blackbird · Brewer's Sparrow · Brewer's Sparrow · Brown Creeper · Brown Thrasher · Brown-headed Cowbird · Bullock's Oriole · Bushtit · Bushtit · Cassin's Finch · Cedar Waxwing · Chipping Sparrow · Chipping Sparrow · Chukar · Clark's Nutcracker · Cliff Swallow · Common Nighthawk · Common Nighthawk · Common Poorwill · Common Poorwill · Common Raven · Common Raven · Common Starling · Common Yellowthroat · Cordilleran Flycatcher · Dark-eyed Junco · Dark-eyed Junco (Gray-headed) · Dusky Flycatcher · Evening Grosbeak · Fox Sparrow · Fox Sparrow · Golden-crowned Kinglet · Golden-crowned Kinglet · Golden-winged Warbler · Gray Flycatcher · Gray Partridge · Gray Vireo · Gray-crowned Rosy-finch · Great-tailed Grackle · Green-tailed Towhee · Hammond's flycatcher · Hermit Thrush · Hermit Thrush · Hermit Thrush · Hermit Thrush · Horned Lark · House Finch · House Sparrow · House Wren · House Wren · Indigo Bunting · Juniper Titmouse · Lark Sparrow · Lazuli Bunting · Lesser Goldfinch · Lincoln's Sparrow · Loggerhead Shrike · MacGillivray's Warbler · MacGillivray's Warbler · Mallard · Mountain Bluebird · Mountain Chickadee · Northern Goshawk · Northern Mockingbird · Northern Rough-winged Swallow · Olive-sided Flycatcher · Orange-crowned Warbler · Orange-crowned Warbler · Oregon Junco · Pacific Wren · Pine Siskin · Pine Siskin · Pinyon Jay · Plumbeus Vireo · Pygmy Nuthatch · Pygmy Nuthatch · Red Crossbill · Red Crossbill · Red-breasted Nuthatch · Red-winged Blackbird · Red-winged Blackbird · Rock Wren · Rose-breasted Grosbeak · Ruby-crowned Kinglet · Ruby-crowned Kinglet · Sage Sparrow · Sage Thrasher · Sagebrush Sparrow · Savannah Sparrow · Say's Phoebe · Song Sparrow · Song Sparrow · Song Sparrow · Spotted Towhee · Steller's Jay · Steller's Jay · Swainson's Thrush · Townsend's Solitaire · Townsend's Solitaire · Townsend's Warbler · Tree Swallow · Vesper Sparrow · Vesper Sparrow · Violet-green Swallow · Virginia's Warbler · Warbling Vireo · Warbling Vireo · Western Bluebird · Western Kingbird · Western Meadowlark · Western Scrub-Jay · Western Tanager · Western Wood-Pewee · White-breasted Nuthatch · White-breasted Nuthatch · White-crowned Sparrow · White-crowned Sparrow · Willow Flycatcher · Wilson's Warbler · Wilson's Warbler · Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay · Yellow Warbler · Yellow-breasted Chat · Yellow-rumped Warbler · Yellow-rumped Warbler · canyon wren
Small mammalsBotta Pocket Gopher · Cliff Chipmunk · Great Basin pocket mouse · Inyo dwarf shrew · Merriam's shrew · Montane vole · Nuttall's cottontail · Piute ground squirrel · Unita chipmunk · Vagrant shrew · White-tailed Antelope Squirrel · Yellow-bellied Marmot · beaver · black-tailed jackrabbit · bushy-tailed woodrat · canyon mouse · chisel-toothed kangaroo rat · deer mouse · desert wood rat · golden-mantled ground squirrel · house mouse · least chipmunk · long-tailed vole · northern grasshopper mouse · ord kangaroo rat · pinyon mouse · porcupine · pygmy rabbit · rock squirrel · sagebrush vole · water shrew · western harvest mouse
PredatorsCoyote · Gray Fox · Spotted Skunk · badger · bobcat · ringtail · short-tailed weasel · striped skunk
Hoofed mammalsbighorn sheep · black-tailed deer · elk
BatsCalifornis myotis · Mexican free-tailed bat · Townsend's big-eared bat · big brown bat · hairy-winged myotis · hoary bat · long-eared myotis · pallid bat · silver-haired bat · small-footed myotis
Also on the checklistcougar · long-tailed weasal
Activities
Activity guides for this park Birdwatching in the national parks · Camping in the national parks · Fishing in the national parks · Hiking in the national parks · Horseback riding in the national parks · Skiing in the national parks · Stargazing in the national parks · Wildlife watching in the national parks
Weather & climate
There is almost an 8,000 ft (2,400 m) difference in elevation between Wheeler Peak and the valley floor. Weather conditions in the park vary with elevation. In late spring and early summer, days in the valley may be hot, yet the snow pack may not have melted in the higher elevations. The Great Basin is a desert, with low relative humidity and sharp drops in temperature at night. In the summer, fierce afternoon thunderstorms are common. It can snow any time of the year at high elevations.
Questions people ask
Does Great Basin charge an entrance fee?
No. Great Basin is free to enter.
Source: National Park Service
Is Great Basin open year-round?
Yes. The grounds are open 24 hours a day, year-round.
Source: National Park Service
Can I camp in Great Basin?
Yes. The Park Service lists 7 campgrounds in Great Basin: Lower Lehman Creek, Upper Lehman Creek, Wheeler Peak, Baker Creek, and Grey Cliffs, and more. 6 take reservations through Recreation.gov.
Do any Great Basin campgrounds have hookups or showers?
No. None of the 7 listed campgrounds report showers, electric hookups, or a dump station.
Source: Campgrounds
Is anything closed at Great Basin right now?
4 active alerts as of October 14, 2026: Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive Seasonal Closure; Dump Station Seasonal Closure; and more.
Source: Alerts
How busy is Great Basin?
161,210 recreation visits in 2025, number 186 of 387 units that report visitation.
Source: Most visited parks
Is Great Basin good for stargazing?
Yes. Great Basin is a certified International Dark Sky Park.
Source: Dark sky parks
When was Great Basin established?
1987. It covers about 120 square miles.
Source: Wikipedia
What is the weather like at Great Basin?
There is almost an 8,000 ft (2,400 m) difference in elevation between Wheeler Peak and the valley floor. Weather conditions in the park vary with elevation.
Source: Weather & climate
Follow this park
- Alerts feed (RSS)
- Every active Park Service alert for this unit, one item each, rebuilt with the nightly data refresh.
- Add dates to your calendar (.ics file)
- Fee-free entrance days that apply here and each published hours exception, as all-day events.
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