Great Basin National Park

Great Basin National Park

Great Basin National Park

Location: Nevada, Utah, Oregon
Difficulty: Difficult
Features: birdwatching, fishing, limestone cave, summit peak

The Great Basin is partly in Nevada, Utah (western side), and Oregon (southern). It is most commonly accessed thru Nevada State Route 488. Traveling 290 miles north from Las Vegas, you will this park named after the dry and mountainous region located between the Sierra Nevada and the Wasatch Mountain. It is a total of 77,180 acres. Most visitors that come here go for Lehman Caves, the Lexington Arch, and the Wheeler Peak Glacier. Lehman Caves are made of limestone that dates back to 550 to 600 million years making it a historic an important geologic site. The Wheeler Peak Glacier is an alpine glacier within a 2 acre area and with it’s peak at a majestic height of 11,500 feet. While the Lexington Arch is one of the largest natural limestone arches in the American Southwest sitting atop near the park’s portion in Utah. In the park are 12 trails that go from 0.3 to 13.1 miles. Some trails are the Mountain View Nature Trail and the wheeler Summit Trail. The latter is one of the most popular and strenuous and advised to be climbed by experienced hikers. Like most parks, it has an incredible variety of mammals, reptiles, and birds. You can see elks, mountain sheep, mountain lions and cougars in the park.

Top 3 Adventure Hacks

1) Fishing license

A fishing license is required to go fishing within the park

2) Cave tour

Follow the trail and guide when touring the caves to avoid accidents

3) Road closure

Some driving and hiking routes like the Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive maybe closed depending on the weather especially during winter. Always check before visiting.