Great Basin National Park's grounds are open 24 hours a day, year round to hiking, stargazing, and camping.
Visitor Centers
Lehman Caves Visitor Center
Phone: (775) 234-7510
Lehman Caves Visitor Center is located 5.5 miles up from the town of Baker, NV. At this visitor center visitors can plan their visit, purchase cave tour tickets, watch the park movie, and explore exhibits about the caves and the darkness of Great Basin National Park.
From Baker, NV take 488 5.5 miles to the end of the road.
Current Hours (Spring Hours)
April 13–May 23
Every Day:8:00 AM–4:00 PM
Standard Hours
Every Day:8:00 AM–5:00 PM
In the summer, Lehman Caves Visitor Center is open extended hours.
Explore the Lehman Caves visitor center and the darkness of Great Basin NPS Photo
Lehman caves Visitor Center is filled with fun interactive exhibits. NPS Photo
Journey through a model cave in the exhibit hall. NPS Photo
Explore the different life forms that live in the darkness. NPS Photo
Learn about the people of the Great Basin and Lehman Caves NPS Photo
Caves are not he only dark place at Great Basin National Park. NPS Photo
Great Basin Visitor Center
Phone: (775) 234-7520
Located just north of the town of Baker on the west side of NV Highway 487. The Visitor Center contains an information desk staffed by park rangers, exhibits about the ecology and history of the park, a theater with the park film, and brochures.
From Baker, NV take 487 .5 miles north. The Great Basin Visitor Center is on the right.
Closed today
Current Hours (Winter Closure)
October 6–May 18
Every Day:Closed
Standard Hours
Every Day:8:00 AM–5:00 PM
In summer, the Great Basin Visitor Center is open daily.
At the Great Basin Visitor Center visitors can view exhibits, buy souvenirs, talk to a ranger, and view the park from the outdoor patio. NPS Photo
As you gain elevation in the Great Basin habitats start to change. NPS Photo
The Great Basin has a rich cultural history. Visit the Great Basin Visitor Center to learn more. NPS Photo
This piece of Prometheus shows the age rings on the oldest studied tree in the world. NPS Photo
Seasons
A hiker stands under six-story tall Lexington Arch and enjoys the view.
NPS Photo/Kathy Billings
Summer
So arrives the season full of activity. Temperatures are comfortable with highs around 85 F and lows 55 F at 6,825 ft above sea level. Even the yellow-bellied rock marmots who hibernate nine months out of the year reveal themselves to sunbathe on rocky outcrops. Fishermen practice their angler skills in creeks. Hikers enjoy moderate to strenuous hikes early in the day to avoid common afternoon thunderstorms. As darkness falls, anticipation arises for another activity: connecting with the night sky. Stargazers enjoy the best visibility of the Milky Way in the Continental United States.
A grove of colorful Aspen trees in fall line the Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive.
NPS Photo
Fall
When autumn arrives, Great Basin National Park shows its colors with groves of aspen trees dotting the mountains in hues of yellow, red, and gold. The air is cool and crisp, uncrowded trails beg to be explored, and pine nuts are ready for picking. Great Basin National Park takes some effort to get to, but those who make the journey reap the rewards of spacious campsites, friendly and available staff, and the company of the oldest trees on Earth. Fall colors typically start developing around the second or third week of September, just as we approach the official start of fall.
Endless opportunities for fun await skiers and snowshoers on Great Basin's snowy slopes.
NPS Photo
Winter
When winter arrives in Great Basin National Park you experience the true meaning of solitude and silence. Frost delicately ornaments blades of grass along stream beds as water gently runs under sheets of ice. As snow accumulates on mountain peaks, mule deer begin their seasonal migration patterns, moving down to lower elevations. With the arrival of fresh powder brings the anticipation of winter recreation. Trails and roads are explored by a few adventurous visitors on skis and snowshoes. Just when you think you are alone, a series of paw prints in the snow provide alluring signs of an animal that was recently in that same place. With practice, using a guide book, you will be able to identify a wide range of tracks and patterns. If you are still puzzled, ask for help from a friendly ranger at a visitor center.
Birds signal the emergence of spring.
NPS Photo/Peter Super
Spring
With the arrival of the spring season comes a new beginning. The gradually warming temperatures awaken rock squirrels, and other critters, from their long sleep reminding them to forage. Even though days in the valley may be hot, there is generally snow pack in the high elevations. With the gradual melting of snow, streams dance down the mountain. Diversity explodes. Bouquets of prickly-pear cacti, Indian paintbrush, and globe mallow begin to dot the desert with shades of yellow, pink, red, and orange.
Last updated: October 7, 2023
Park footer
Contact Info
Mailing Address:
100 Great Basin National Park
Baker,
NV
89311
Phone:
775-234-7331
Available 8:00 am - 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday.
Closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Day
