Enjoyed reading Todd Christopher’s article on his father-son trip to Great Basin NP. My wife and I recently visited the park (June 2019) and while the snows on Wheeler Peak prohibited us from going past the 7500’ line and continuing to the Bristlecone Pine Grove it was a great sight.
The Grand Palace Lehman Cave tour was superbly led by a senior ranger.
Our lodging in Baker was adjacent to a wonderful restaurant surprisingly serving exceptional food.
If you can’t spend the night at the Lehman Caves Visitors Center, taking the “Star Train” out of Ely is the next best thing. The train with three cars and a caboose took us out of town to stop where three park rangers had set up telescopes to scan the black sky. No lights other than red were allowed and the view of Jupiter with four moons was spectacular.
We finished our trip with a drive across US-6 to California and spent the next week driving through the central valley to Kings Canyon, Sequoia, Pinnacles and ending in Joshua Tree before flying home from LAX. This completes our visit to all but two of the National Parks west of the Mississippi.
Maybe on our next trip.
Sincerely,
Great Basin National Park
The diversity of natural beauty at this park makes it a must-see destination for outdoor lovers — the hardest part is knowing where to start. Climb or take a scenic drive up Wheeler Peak, the park’s iconic 13,000-foot mountain, for spectacular views; wander through groves of 3,000-year-old bristlecone pines; take a ranger-led tour through the marble and limestone halls of Lehman Caves; and hike or backpack among pristine alpine lakes. At night, visitors can enjoy exceptionally dark skies and excellent astronomy programs.
State(s): Nevada
Established: 1986
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Greetings from Great Basin National Park
As a Nevadan, I have always held a special place for our state's one and only national park. Coming from Las Vegas, Great Basin National Park is like arriving to another planet. Unlike home, it's rugged mountains, green pastures and tall pines are a delight, especially in summer. So when…
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