I have heard someone say that people go to Great Basin National Park only after they visited all the famous national park such as Yellowstone, Yosemite, Glacier, etc. Well, I would say it is their loss and your gain because if you are reading this Great Basin National Park itinerary it means you are interested and I am here to persuade you that Great Basin National Park is better in many ways than the super popular parks.
Why should you consider a Great Basin National Park itinerary for your vacation?
There are lots of reasons, actually:
- It is one of the few parks where the entrance is absolutely FREE.
- It is really beautiful.
- It has WAY less people compared to the popular parks and you don’t have to arrive here before 8 am to get a parking spot.
- It is one of just a handful national parks that is Dark Skies certified (which means it has PHENOMENAL stargazing opportunities) AND it offers FREE evening astronomy programs.
Have I sold you already on this Great Basin National Park itinerary? If so, let’s break it down in sizable chunks. I do recommend at least 2 full days in this Park. One day at lower elevation and one day at higher elevation. It also gives you an opportunity to catch at least 1 astronomy program because they are not conducted every day.
Please, note that this itinerary is geared towards people with kids or those travelers who don’t do strenuous hikes or backpacking journeys. We have not explored more difficult trails in the park so we cannot provide you advice on those.
Great Basin National Park Itinerary Day 1
Visitor Center
Start you exploration of Great Basin National Park with the Visitor Center. It is small but offers a ton of useful information about the Park, free maps and other brochures.
Lehman Cave
After the Visitor Center proceed to lower elevation attractions including its one of the most famous features – Lehman Cave. You can only see Lehman Cave on a guided tour and this is the only paid activity in the Park.
Let me tell you, it is AMAZING. We have been to many caves, we even visited Mammoth Cave National Park. I have to admit that Lehman Cave is our most favorite cave so far. The 1.5 hours tour leads you through many “rooms” and passages, they all have gorgeous stalactite and stalagmite formations but they are all different. Here you cannot say “oh, I have seen one room, I have seen them all”. You really have to see them ALL.
I recommend booking the cave tour in advance on Recreation.gov website because they do sell out from time to time.
Please, note that the cave’s temperature is constant 55F so bring a sweater with you. Also, these beautiful cave formations were created by water and there is some of it in the cave and it can be a little slippery. I don’t recommend sandals. Wear hiking shoes with good traction.
Lehman Creek
Lehman Creek is located just a short drive from Lehman Cave. The most notable trail in the area is Lehman Creek Trail that goes along the water. The full trail is 6.4 miles one way and it is moderate to strenuous as you will be gaining over 2000 ft in elevation.
But you don’t have to hike it all, especially with kids. In the beginning it is nice and flat. It is a good area to see wildflowers in June – July. So you can hike as long as you feel comfortable and then turn around.
Lehman Creek is also famous for trout fishing. So if you have fishing fans in your family it is a good spot to try your luck. Just don’t forget to obtain Nevada fishing license online.
A couple of words about your food options here. You can always take a picnic lunch with you but please, note that there is a great little café at the Lehman Cave visitor center. Typically National Park cafes don’t offer great food options but this café is an exception. They have home-made quality dishes on the menu, so check it out.
Great Basin National Park Itinerary Day 2
On the second day of your Great Basin National Park Itinerary it is easier to check all attractions at the Wheeler Peak.
Scenic drive
Start your day with the scenic drive to the Wheeler Peak. There are a couple of scenic overlook stops that you should not miss: Mather and Wheeler Peak overlooks.
Alpine Lakes Trail
Alpine Lakes Trail is a gorgeous 2.7 miles loop trail that takes you to 2 lakes: Stella and Theresa. You will be passing pine and aspen groves and lots of running creeks in spring in early summer.
Please, note that it is a moderate train at the elevation between 9,000 and 10,000 ft. It keeps ascending part of the way. If you have altitude sickness it will be a difficult trail for you. I have altitude sickness unfortunately and the hike was very hard for me so we didn’t go all the way. If you have to choose to see just 1 lake, I would choose Stella Lake.
In Spring and early summer be prepared to walk through snow and also wet, slippery ground. You must have good hiking boots on and walking/hiking poles will be helpful.
My whole family usually wears Merrell hiking boots and they have been tested by all of us for years offersing great perfromance:
I also like these collapsible poles that you can just put in your backpack when not needed:
Bristlecone Pine Grove Trail
This trails veers off the Alpine Lakes Trail before you reach Theresa Lake. It take you to an ancient Bristlecone Pine grove that is thousands of years old. The twisted trees look whimsical, almost unreal.
Unfortunately, we were not able to hike this trail because this year there was to much snow on the trail with dangerous slippery conditions in early July (!), still! It may be open later in the year when the snow melts.
It is about 2.8 moderate trail ascending all the way, please, see my comments for the Alpine Lakes Trail above regarding gear and potential high altitude sickness.
Sky Island Forest Trail
Sky Island Forest Trail is a 0.4 easy interpretive loop trail that starts right off the parking lot at the Wheeler Peak and it is accessible. It is great for families with young kids and people with limited mobility. There are benches along the trail as well.
Astronomy Programs at Great Basin National Park
An astronomy program can be added to your Great Basin National Park itinerary on any day but it will all depend on when the Park organizes them. As of 2023 they take place 3 times a week. There are 8 different programs so you are not listening to the same stuff all the time. If you are going to stay at Great Basin National Park a couple of days you may be able to catch a couple of different programs and they are all worth it.
The programs start at 8 pm and there is no fee or reservation requirements but the rangers will turn attendees around once there is no space in the parking lot at the Lehman Cave Visitor Center so plan to arrive ahead of time.
There are 2 parts to the program: a presentation on a certain astronomy program by a ranger and telescope viewings. Overall it is a very cool experience.
But if you miss the astronomy program at Great Basin National Park the Park is still a fantastic place for stargazing on your own. When we travel to Dark Sky destinations we take a portable telescope and night sky guide that we find very handy:
Bonus
Here is a little bonus stop to add to your Great Basin National Park Itinerary: Snake Creek Fish Hatchery. Don’t try to find it on Google Maps, it is not there. But here are the coordinates: 38°55’09.0″N 114°06’21.2″W and you can also see a sign to it when you are driving on CR21 near the town of Garrison, UT.
It is a cool place to see how a fishery grows trout. There are thousands if not millions of fish in various long and narrow pools that are set up like clear mountain streams. It is absolutely FREE to come and see how this place operates, just don’t touch or feed the fish. And no fishing is allowed here, of course.
Where to stay near Great Basin National Park
You can camp within or close by the Park, otherwise your lodging options are limited to a couple of motels. We found this wonderful place about 25 minutes drive from the Park – Hidden Canyon Retreat. It offers nice rooms, grills, a pool and a very laid back, nature-forward experience.
Things to keep in mind when visiting Great Basin National Park
Groceries
Whether you are camping or staying at the retreat you may want to buy some food and water. Well, that will be a problem because there are no grocery stores around. None. Nada. You have to bring everything with you.
Hidden Canyon Retreat has a small selection of food available at their office for sale, which, of course, is overpriced. The good thing is that this resort gives you free tokens for breakfast (1 per person per day) so you can get some breakfast items from their store. Otherwise you are on your own.
There is also a small store at the Border Inn Casino about 15 min drive from the Park but it has mostly snack items.
So I strongly suggest taking enough provisions with you when you come to Great Basin National Park. If you plan to grill, bring EVERYTHIGN with you from buns to meats to veggies.
Another problem in the area is to find bottled water sold anywhere so come prepared for that too.
Restaurants
Surprisingly, Baker NV, the gateway town to Great Basin National Park, has a couple of delicious food places (I wonder where THEY buy their groceries from?)
We tried Sandra’s Mexican Food, which is actually just a food truck but it serves really great food, and Sugar, Salt & Malt which is a sit down place with some really nice, delicious and creative items on the menu.
Conclusion
Visiting Great Basin National Park was a fantastic experience. I would happily be back. I would love to attend their Astronomy Festival one day or may be also watch the full solar eclipse (their will a big event around that too). There is more to this Park than immediately meets the eye and it is a true hidden gem worth exploring.
If you found this Great Basin National Park Itinerary useful, please, share it with others as it may help them in their travel plans too.
If you like visiting national parks I have A TON of National Parks Itineraries on this blog from all over the U.S. and Canada too.
Happy travels!
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