Great Basin National Park77,180 acres, 13,063-foot Wheeler Peak, 5,000-year-old bristlecones, Lehman Caves, and Nevada's only glacier
Seventy-seven thousand acres of high desert, alpine forest, and limestone caverns straddling the Snake Range in eastern Nevada. Established October 27, 1986 — the youngest national park in the lower 48 outside Pinnacles. Wheeler Peak (13,063 ft) is Nevada's second-highest summit and shelters the only glacier in the state inside its eastern cirque. Ancient bristlecone pines roughly 5,000 years old grow on the rocky slopes below the summit. Lehman Caves, a marble-and-limestone cavern system discovered by rancher Absalom Lehman in 1885, has 90-minute ranger-led tours daily.
- 77,180Acres
- 13,063 ftWheeler Peak
- 1986Established
- ~5,000 yrBristlecone age
Welcome to Great Basin National ParkNevada's only national park, established 1986.
Great Basin National Park sits in the South Snake Range of eastern Nevada, about 290 miles north of Las Vegas, 230 miles west of Salt Lake City, and 65 miles east of the nearest stoplight in Ely. The park was set aside on October 27, 1986 — the United States' 49th national park, signed into law by President Reagan — combining what had been Lehman Caves National Monument (since 1922) with the surrounding Humboldt National Forest land. The 77,180-acre park protects a near-complete cross-section of the Great Basin's biology and geology, from sagebrush flats at 6,200 feet to alpine cirque tundra at 13,000.
The headline objective is Wheeler Peak, the 13,063-foot quartzite summit that is Nevada's second-highest. The 8.6-mile round-trip summit trail (2,900 feet of gain) starts at the Wheeler Peak Campground at 10,000 feet and crests above timberline by mile 2.5; the cirque on the mountain's east side cradles the Wheeler Peak Glacier, the only glacier in Nevada. The Bristlecone Pine Grove sits at 10,700 feet on the same ridge — gnarled, twisted Pinus longaeva trees that average 3,000 years old; a tree felled here in 1964 named "Prometheus" turned out to be 4,862 years old, the oldest non-clonal organism then known. Below the surface, the Lehman Caves system runs through 350 million-year-old marble — discovered by rancher Absalom Lehman in 1885, designated a national monument in 1922, and now toured on 60- and 90-minute ranger walks past 300+ rare cave shields.
Plan two to three days. Drive Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive (12 miles, summer only) to 10,000 feet for the trailhead, then choose between the Bristlecone Pine + Glacier Trail (4.6 mi RT) for the easy big payoff or the Wheeler Peak Summit (8.6 mi RT) for the full mountain. Reserve a Lehman Caves tour 60 days ahead — they fill in summer. Camp inside the park if you can — Wheeler Peak Campground at 10,000 feet is one of the highest in the lower 48 and the night sky is unbelievable. Great Basin was designated an International Dark Sky Park in 2016, and the annual Astronomy Festival (third weekend of September) runs three nights of public telescope viewings.
What you'll seehighlights of Great Basin National Park.
A short loop through the exhibits, encounters, and shows that make this stop worth a half-day on its own.
Lehman Caves
A marble-and-limestone cave system discovered by rancher Absalom Lehman in 1885, with more than 300 rare "cave shields" — disk-shaped formations found in only a handful of caves on Earth. Two ranger-led tours daily: the 60-minute Lodge Room Tour ($12 adult) and the 90-minute Grand Palace Tour ($15) which reaches the Parachute Shield, the cave's most photographed formation. Year-round; reserve via recreation.gov.
Wheeler Peak summit
Nevada's second-highest mountain at 13,063 feet, climbed via an 8.6-mile round-trip trail from the Wheeler Peak Campground at 10,000 feet. The first 2.5 miles climb through bristlecone forest to a saddle; the final 1.8 miles are an exposed ridge scramble across loose quartzite. 2,900 feet of gain; allow 6–8 hours and start by 6 AM in summer to beat afternoon thunderstorms.
Bristlecone Pine Grove
A 2.8-mile round-trip trail from the Wheeler Peak Campground to a stand of 3,000–5,000-year-old Great Basin bristlecone pines (Pinus longaeva) at 10,700 feet — the oldest non-clonal living organisms on Earth. The Prometheus Tree, cut down here in 1964 for a research core, was 4,862 years old. The grove is rocky, exposed, and stunted by 100-mph winter winds; do not touch the dead wood.
Wheeler Peak Glacier
The only glacier in Nevada, tucked into the cirque on Wheeler Peak's northeast face below the summit. Reached via the 4.6-mile round-trip Glacier Trail from Wheeler Peak Campground (a continuation of the Bristlecone Pine Grove trail). Roughly 2 acres and shrinking — at this elevation (~11,500 ft) it survives only because the cirque walls shade it from direct summer sun.
Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive
A 12-mile paved road climbing from 6,825 feet at the visitor center to 10,000 feet at the Wheeler Peak Campground trailhead — one of the highest paved roads in Nevada. Six developed pullouts with interpretive panels, including the Mather Overlook at 9,000 ft (named for Stephen Mather, first NPS director). Closed November through late May for snow; trailers over 24 feet prohibited above the Upper Lehman Creek campground.
International Dark Sky Park
Designated an IDA Dark Sky Park in 2016 — Great Basin has Bortle Class 1 night skies (the darkest measurable class), no major city within 100 miles, and an in-park observatory at the Lehman Caves Visitor Center hosting free public ranger-led astronomy programs from May through October. The annual Astronomy Festival runs the third weekend of September with telescope vendors, dark-sky lectures, and 20+ public scopes.
Stella & Teresa Lakes
Two glacial alpine lakes connected by the 2.7-mile Alpine Lakes Loop trail from the Bristlecone trailhead — Stella Lake at 10,200 feet and Teresa Lake at 10,300, both fishable for cutthroat trout (Nevada license required, $20 day pass). The loop is the easiest big-view hike in the park; allow 2 hours, expect snow patches into early July.
Lexington Arch
A six-story limestone arch (most natural arches are sandstone — Lexington is one of fewer than ten major limestone arches in the United States). Reached by a 3.4-mile round-trip trail in the park's remote southeast corner, accessed via a high-clearance dirt road from US-6/50 — allow 90 minutes from the Lehman Caves Visitor Center just to reach the trailhead. 700 feet of gain; payoff is the only arch most visitors will ever see in this park.
Hours & tickets
Open hours
Park grounds are open 24/7 year-round. Lehman Caves Visitor Center: 8:00 AM–4:30 PM daily. Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive (12 miles to 10,000 ft) closes November through May for snow — winter access only via the Lower Lehman Creek Campground gate. Lehman Caves tours run year-round but tickets must be reserved in advance via recreation.gov in summer.
- MondayOpen 24 hrs
- TuesdayOpen 24 hrs
- WednesdayOpen 24 hrs
- ThursdayTodayOpen 24 hrs
- FridayOpen 24 hrs
- SaturdayOpen 24 hrs
- SundayOpen 24 hrs
Note · Last Lehman Caves tour of the day departs 3:30 PM. Wheeler Peak summit hike is a 8.6-mile round trip with 2,900 feet of gain — start by 6 AM in summer to clear the ridge before afternoon thunderstorms (typical July–August).
Ticket pricing
Per-person admission. Buy in advance to skip the gate line.
- Park entryFreeFree — Great Basin charges no entrance fee, ever
- Lehman Caves — Grand Palace Tour$1590 minutes, ages 5+; the deepest and longest of the cave tours
- Lehman Caves — Lodge Room Tour$1260 minutes, ages 5+; shorter and accessible to most visitors
- Lehman Caves — child (5–15)$7Either tour; children under 5 not permitted in the caves
- Astronomy Festival (September)FreeFree three-day Dark Sky festival with telescope viewings, ranger talks
- Backcountry permitFreeFree; required for overnight wilderness camping
Great Basin is one of only a handful of US national parks with no entrance fee — drive in and out anytime. Lehman Caves tours sell out 60–90 days ahead in summer (recreation.gov, $1 booking fee). Five developed campgrounds inside the park: Lower Lehman Creek (year-round, $20), Upper Lehman Creek, Wheeler Peak (10,000 ft, summer only, no reservations), Baker Creek, and Grey Cliffs. Cell service is nonexistent inside the park; download offline maps before arriving.
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