Great Basin National Park Itinerary: 1, 2, or 3 days

Great Basin National Park is definitely a destination. There’s not much else around, so most likely you are going to visit the park specifically. That being said, we used Great Basin as a jumping off point for our trip across The Loneliest Road in America, US Hwy 50, all the way to Lake Tahoe.

If you’re looking to do a little more than just the park, this is a wonderful option, although I will say, Great Basin National Park is a hidden beauty that could easily fill 1, 2, or 3 days. This itinerary is created to be easily printed off or screenshotted for reference.

Bristle cone pines in Great Basin National Park

Day 1 in Great Basin National Park – Lehman Caves, Bristlecone Grove + Rock Glacier Itinerary

Great Basin Visitor Center

This is your gateway to the park in Baker, Nevada.

Head to Lehman Cave Visitor Center for your tour

Reservations are required with limited walk-up availability. There are two tour options generally starting at 9:00 AM.

Entrance door to Lehman Cave in Great Basin National Park

Gothic Palace Lantern Tour

30 minutes, 0.3 miles, 0 stairs, easy
Go from the Entrance Tunnel to the Gothic Palace

Parachute Shield Tour

60 minutes, 0.6 miles, 0 stairs, moderate
Explore the Lodge Room, Inscription Room, Cypress Swamp, Grand Palace, and Sunken Garden discovering cave shields, historic graffiti, and bubble trails

Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive

Follow this 12 mile mountain road up from the sagebrush desert to the sub-alpine forest to an altitude of 10,000 feet. There’s a great auto tour on the NPS app that describes the area and gives insights along the way.

Bristlecone Grove + Rock Glacier

Hike up to see the famed Grove of Bristlecone Pines, the oldest trees in the world

Clouds covering Wheeler Peak looking at a bristle cone pine at Great Basin National Park

2.8 miles round trip to the grove with a 600′ gain
Moderate due to elevation and rocky terrain
2.5 hours

Continue on to see Rock Glacier, the last glacier in Nevada

4.4 miles round trip (total, including the grove) with a 1000′ gain
Moderate due to elevation and rocky terrain
3-4 hours

Spend the Night

Camp in the park for a full experience! Wheeler Peak Campground is the highest elevation campground in the United States. Check out Upper Lehman Creek Campground to fall asleep to the sounds of Lehman Creek. We rented a camper van from Outdoorsy, like we did on our Redwoods trip, and stayed at the Upper Lehman Campground which was absolutely wonderful.

Catch an astronomy program at the visitor center.

Total Time with travel: 5 hours

If you’re looking to make this a shorter trip, you could head out right after your hike, but Great Basin really lives up to its night sky designation! Even with a full moon like we had, the stars were gorgeous!

Day 2 in Great Basin National Park – Lehman Creek or Baker Creek Loop

Kids playing at Lehman Creek in Great Basin National Park

Lehman Creek Trail

Start in the sagebrush, moving through the ecosystems up to the montane forest.

3 miles one way (Lower Lehman to Upper Lehman campgrounds) with a 600′ gain
Moderate
1.5 hours one way, 2 – 2.5 hours round trip

Baker Creek Loop

See beautiful meadows and Aspens along the creek.

3.5 mile loop with 935′ gain
Moderate
2 – 3 hours

Total Time with travel: 5 hours

You could easily do both of these hikes if you’re up for it. The Lehman Creek Trail give you an immersive experience of the ecosystems of Great Basin while hiking along a babbling creek. If you have someone to drop you off, you can just do this one way, but going there and back isn’t terrible. Afterwards, grab some lunch before heading to Baker Creek Loop to walk among the Aspens.

Day 3 in Great Basin National Park – Wheeler Peak or Lexington Arch Trail

Wheeler Peak Summit

Up for a challenge? Head to Wheeler Peak summit for breathtaking views. Start early to avoid afternoon thunderstorms.

8.5 miles round trip with 2,900′ gain
Strenuous, begins at 10,000′ elevation
7 – 9 hours

Lexington Arch Trail

See one of the largest limestone arches in the US. A high-clearance vehicle is recommended and make sure to check the road conditions beforehand.

5.4 miles round trip with 820′ gain
Moderate
3 – 4 hours (trailhead is 1 hour from the main park)

Total Time with travel: 9 hours vs 6 hours

This is probably an either/or day. Full disclosure, we did not hike Wheeler Peak, but chatted with a group that did. They said the views were amazing! The first half of the hike wasn’t so bad, but the second half above the tree line was rough. The next day, they were still sore! That being said, if you are more acclimated to the altitude, I think this would be worth it.

If that doesn’t sound like fun to you, check out the area around the Snake Range and hike to Lexington Arch. Starting in the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Park, the final 5 miles of road are rough, requiring high-clearance. After the hike up into Great Basin, walk up to the base of this 6-story limestone arch!

Bottom Line: Great Basin National Park Itinerary: 1, 2, or 3 days

Great Basin National Park is a hidden gem! To get a taste of the park, tour the unique Lehman Cave and lay eyes on the oldest trees in the world on your way to Nevada’s last glacier. With a few more days, explore off the beaten path to experience more of what the park has to offer and remember to wander more together!

So, what will be your Great Basin National Park itinerary?