Activity Ideas

Activities abound in Great Basin National Park.

Left: NPS / J. Reynolds
Middle: NPS / Tim Russon
Right: NPS / Michael Kelzenberg

 

Whether visiting for a day, or week, endless opportunities abound for recreation and relaxation in Great Basin National Park! Be sure to check the following pages for important information before your visit: Pets, Goods & Services, and Current Conditions.

Stop at a visitor center and ask a ranger for recommendations on activities to fit your schedule and your group. Though your plans may change with the weather and the seasons, below are a few ideas to get you started.

 

How long is your trip?

Half a Day

1. Explore the exhibits within the Lehman Caves Visitor Center (open year round) or the Great Basin Visitor Center (summers only). Lehman Caves Visitor Center exhibits focus on the history, ecology, and geology of Lehman Caves and our night skies, while the Great Basin Visitor Center showcases a width swath of the Great Basin's human and cultural history, plant and animal life, and our bristlecone pines.
2. Drive the Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive and listen to the self-guided "Great Basin Life Zones" tour though the National Park Service app.
3. Join a ranger led tour of Lehman Caves. Tours explore a cave system that has been open to the public since 1885 and is full of unique cave formations, history, and nature. Typically, reserve your ticket through recreation.gov and know that tickets are rarely available in person. 
4. Hike along the short Mountain View Nature Trail near the Lehman Caves Visitor Center, or take a brief walk along the Sky Island Forest Trail at the end of the Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive. The Mountain View Nature Trail has an accompanying self-guided tour, available via a booklet from the front desk of the visitor center or the NPS app. The Sky Island Forest Trail is an introduction to Great Basin’s irreplaceable riparian ecosystem – and a great way to beat the summer heat. You'll find it is also fully accessible and can be reached during the summer months.

One Day

1. Sign up and complete a Junior Ranger book – learn about the Great Basin and complete enough activities to earn your Junior Ranger badge! Badges are available at both visitor centers during the summer months. Stay up a bit later to complete the Junior Ranger Night Explorer book and earn a Great Basin specific patch.
2. From the end of the Scenic Drive, hike the Bristlecone Pine Trail to see the oldest living organisms in the world (2.8 miles round trip). Continue further up the trail to see Nevada's only remaining glacier at the base of Wheeler Peak.
3. Attend a variety of ranger programs offered at visitor centers and/or along one of the park’s scenic trails. Call or check in with a ranger at the Lehman Caves Visitor Center for a daily schedule.
4. Enjoy lunch with the whole family at one of our many picnic areas, such as secluded Pole Canyon off the Baker Creek Road, or the Mather Overlook with incredible views of Doso Doyabi and Wheeler Peak.
5. Find a comfortable spot after sunset for some personal stargazing like at Mather Overlook or the Baker Archaeological Site. Here on a summer weekend? Catch a ranger-led astronomy program under one of the darkest night skies in the country.

Two or More Days

1. For an even more quiet adventure, hike into the backcountry via the Baker/Johnson Lake Loop Trail. Backcountry camping in these areas requires a permit, so check in first with a ranger at the visitor center to fill one out and learn current conditions. This is a great beginning backpacking loop with ample scenery, camping locations, and fresh water.
2. Explore down Snake Creek Road and camp at one of the primitive campsites without a reservation or fee. Explore the mountains and trails around the Snake Creek Trailhead at the end of the road for seclusion and beauty away from the crowds of the Alpine Lakes or Bristlecones.
3. Explore the many creeks of the Snake Range for fishing opportunities, or go beyond the park boundary towards Utah's Pruess Lake or Cummin's Lake by Ely, NV. Learn about fishing regulations to ensure continued access to fishing for all.
4. Hike to Lexington Arch, one of the world's largest limestone arches, on the south end of the park. This is the park's only trail that allows pets, so take your furry friend to enjoy the warmth of this sunny trail.
5. Visit the burn scar of the 2016 Strawberry Fire up in the park's north end. Strawberry Creek Road offers opportunities for exploring along the creek, finding elk, changing aspens, and a mixture of easy to strenuous trails.
6. Summit Wheeler Peak (13,063ft), Nevada's tallest peak entirely within the state. Be prepared for the trail to be 20-30 degrees F colder than at the Lehman Caves Visitor Center and for summer's afternoon thunderstorms.
7. Visit the Baker Archeological Site to see the site of an excavated Fremont Indian Village. Visit on the summer solstice for a spectacular line up of the geometry of the site and the rising sun.

 

Visiting at different times of year

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  Emerging from Winter's Slumber

  Visiting Great Basin in Spring

  Spring is a transitional time leaving an uncertainty to current conditions. Come ready for cold and snow or the start of a warm summer.

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  Open and Exciting

  Visiting Great Basin in Summer

  Summer at Great Basin is a wonderful season to visit with reliably comfortable conditions.

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  Colorful and Serene

  Visiting Great Basin in Fall

  Fall usually means great access to the park but without the crowds of summer. Fall colors abound & find night skies stretched above

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  Calm and quiet

  Visiting Great Basin in Winter

  Winter is the quietest season of the year and offers unique experiences in the park not seen during the summer.

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  Operating Hours & Seasons

  Check here for visitor center hours and seasonal recommendations for activities on the park.

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  Weather

  Know before you go by checking weather for your visit.