Wheeler Peak Overlook - Alpine (Stop 6)

Wheeler Peak Overlook provides some of the best views in the park

NPS/B. Mills

Quick Facts

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Parking - Auto

A small roadside pullout brings you to Wheeler Peak Overlook, featuring viewing scopes that offer the best views in the park of Wheeler Peak! 

Wheeler Peak is the second tallest point in Nevada. Standing 13,063 feet tall, Wheeler Peak and the surrounding area offer the park's best example of an Alpine Life Zone. Windswept and rugged, the alpine zone serves up a harsh existence to the life it supports. Above the tree line, the only plant life to be found are grasses and low perennial herbs and wildflowers. This is the domain of bighorn sheep, rosy-finches, and the American pipit, but even these are rare sights at such altitudes. Covered in snow for large parts of the year, Wheeler Peak stands in stark contrast to the dry, salty areas where the scenic drive began.