Great Basin National Park Springtime

Having driven “The Loneliest Road in America” (US Route 50) across the width of Nevada in 2010, we could certainly add our validation to the nickname given by Life Magazine in 1986 when the park was officially introduced.

But this “Basin and Range” section of the Great Basin harbors some welcome surprises. While there seem to be endless, long and wide, arid valleys, some of the intervening mountain ranges offer respite from the endless desert heat. Great Basin National Park offers an introduction to these ranges and the park includes a unique cavern called Lehman Caves. For a national park, visitation here is relatively low which means finding a campsite may be a little easier and experiencing some backcountry with few visitors more likely. The park offers five campgrounds at various locations, one being classified as “primitive” while others can accommodate RV’s as well as campers and tents with paved road access.
The large elevation range of the park provides opportunity to visit several life zones from high desert to alpine. Wheeler Peak reaches an elevation of 13,063 feet and enjoys a Class 2 trail to its summit inviting visitors to alpine heights with views of glacial carved cirques, rugged peaks, alpine forests and lakes, mountain wildlife such as bear, deer and elk, and ancient bristlecone pines. Lower down are groves of aspens, other conifers and cottonwoods. A unique aspect of the “Great Basin” is that the waters that drain from the mountains never reach an ocean. They all dissipate amid the various long valleys.
While guided access to Lehman Caves and the campgrounds is seasonally based, our 2021 visit at Memorial Day weekend in May found the lower campgrounds open and the trail to Wheeler Peak navigable with only a little snow to contend with. Be sure and add this geologically and biologically unique park to your vacation list.