Wheeler Peak Area:
The three hikes below can be combined into one large “mega hike,” 16 miles long.
🥾 Alpine Lakes Loop (2.6 miles, 475 feet elev. gain): One of Great Basin’s shorter trails passes Stella Lake and Teresa Lake below Wheeler Peak. It’s a relatively easy hike with great views and a pleasant stroll through the park’s pine forests.
🥾 Wheeler Peak Summit (8.5 miles, 2,906 feet elev. gain): This steep, rocky trail climbs the tallest mountain in the park, Wheeler Peak. From its summit, you are treated to endless views of the surrounding desert and nearby mountain ranges. Attaining the summit requires a scramble up a long scree field, so be prepared with sturdy hiking boots, hiking poles, and – if early in the season – trail crampons.
🥾 Bristlecone Pine Grove & Rock Glacier (4.8 miles, 1,040 feet elev. gain): This out-and-back trail takes you to one of the park’s groves of ancient bristlecone pines. If you continue to the end of the trail, you’ll reach the only glacier in the state of Nevada.

Baker Creek Area:
🥾 Baker Creek Loop (3.9 miles, 941 feet elev. gain): Found near Baker Creek Campground, this short hike stays close to a creek while navigating aspen forests and steep slopes.
🥾 Baker Lake (11.0 miles, 2,627 feet elev. gain): This long trail guides you to a small, quiet lake at the base of the park’s rocky peaks. It’s a great hike to enjoy some peace and solitude.

Lexington Creek Area:
🥾 Lexington Arch (5.2 miles, 1,263 feet elev. gain): Reaching Lexington Arch requires navigation of an unimproved dirt road, which is best done using a high-clearance, AWD vehicle. The trail takes hikers to an impressive limestone arch which is unlike most seen in the western United States.

🦇 Tour Lehman Caves: Lehman Caves National Monument – protecting the longest known cave system in Nevada – was established in 1922 before being absorbed into the national park 64 years later. This beautiful show cave includes features like parachute shields, cave turnips, underground pools, and countless stalactites and stalagmites. The NPS offers tours of these caves year-round.
🔭 Stargazing: Great Basin is home to one of the darkest night skies in the lower 48 states. It’s therefore a fantastic place for stargazing, night sky photography, and deep space observation. The park offers ranger-led night sky programs for visitors throughout the year. Check the park’s calendar for upcoming program times.
⛺ Camping: To fully enjoy Great Basin National Park, camping is almost a necessity. The park contains a number of reservable and first-come, first-serve campgrounds – see the “Where to Stay” section below for details. Outside the park, lands are managed by the Bureau of Land Management, which allows dispersed camping almost anywhere.
🚗 Drive Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive: Winding 12 miles from Lehman Caves to the trailhead below Wheeler Peak, Great Basin’s scenic drive climbs from the park’s lower elevations to the high elevation that houses its bristlecone pines.
🚙 Venture into the Backcountry: If you have a high-clearance vehicle with AWD, the park’s unpaved backcountry roads can become your playground. Strawberry, Snake, and Lexington Arch Roads all take visitors to lesser-traveled trails and campsites, making them a great way to escape even deeper into nature.

🏞️ Bryce Canyon National Park: Utah’s colorful collection of hoodoo rock formations is a 3-hour drive from Great Basin. Bryce Canyon hosts a selection of memorable hikes, a dark night sky, and a scenic drive, and is the perfect national park to spend a day.
🏞️ Zion National Park: Perhaps the mightiest of Utah’s “Mighty Five” national parks is 3.5 hours from Great Basin. Zion offers no shortage of things to do, from iconic hikes like Angels Landing and the Narrows, to scenic drives, to more adventurous activities like rock climbing.
🏞️ Capitol Reef National Park:

📅 When to Visit: Great Basin offers the most to do when the park is warm and free of snow, typically May until late October. Snow doesn’t normally melt in full at higher elevations until July. The absolute best time to visit is late September or early October, when the temperatures are mild and the park’s aspen trees are changing colors.
⌚ How Long to Visit: 2 days is enough time to enjoy Great Basin’s offerings in full. Since it takes so long to drive to the park, you might as well spend more than a day there, right?
🚗 How to Get There: The only way to reach Great Basin is by driving… a lot. The park is 3.5 hours from Salt Lake City and 4.5 hours from Las Vegas, so your best option is to fly into one of these cities and rent a car.
🛏️ Where to Stay: The best way to enjoy Great Basin National Park is to camp. Upper Lehman, Lower Lehman, and Wheeler Peak Campgrounds all offer reservable sites, while Baker Creek, Grey Cliffs, and Snake Creek Campgrounds all offer more primitive, first-come first-serve options. The latter campgrounds can only be reached via packed gravel roads. Baker, NV is a small town outside of Great Basin that has a few options for lodging, and the Border Inn Casino further to the north is another option.
🧳 What to Bring: Due to its remoteness, it’s important to come to Great Basin National Park prepared for anything. Bring lots of food for the days you plan to stay there, and a large water jug for camping. For activities, bring sturdy hiking boots, multiple layers of clothing, sun protection, hiking poles, and a hiking pack. Trail crampons are useful in months where snow hasn’t melted yet. Don’t forget to bring a headlamp with red-light functionality for stargazing.

✅ DO come to the park with plenty of preparedness and food. Due to Great Basin’s isolation, there are few services in or near the park.
✅ DO fill up your car with gasoline on the way to the park. While gas is available near Great Basin, it is much more expensive than at gas stations you might encounter ~2 hours away from the park.
✅ DO take advantage of ranger-led programs to enjoy the park’s night sky while learning about deep space and the nature around you.
❌ DON’T wait last-minute to book accommodations in or near Great Basin, camping or otherwise. If you show up to the park without a reservation and there are no first-come, first-serve campsites available, you may be forced to either camp on BLM land or drive far away from the park to find a hotel.
❌ DON’T underestimate Great Basin’s elevation. Most of the park sits above 8,000 feet, which can take some time to acclimate to. Take it easy if you’re not familiar with high-altitude environments.