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Welcome to Great Basin National Park
In the shadow of 13,063-foot Wheeler Peak, 5,000 year old bristlecone pine trees grow on rocky glacial moraines. Come to Great Basin National Park to experience the solitude of the desert, the smell of sagebrush after a thunderstorm, the darkest of night skies, and the beauty of Lehman Caves. Far from a wasteland, the Great Basin is a diverse region that awaits your discovery.
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What Is The Great Basin?
Shrouded in myth and mystery since its discovery by Europeans over 150 years ago, the Great Basin is still misunderstood today. Called dead, barren, and desolate, visitors are surprised to find it alive, fruitful, and full of wonders. Great Basin National Park preserves a small representative piece of this larger region, whose boundaries can be defined three different ways.
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Turn Out The Lights
Two-thirds of Americans cannot see the Milky Way from their backyards, and nearly all live in places with measurable light pollution. But because of its remote location, Great Basin National Park provides exceptional visibility of the night sky. In fact, in 2005 the National Park Service Night Sky Team found Great Basin to be one of the darkest places in the country.
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Changes To Superintendent's Compendium
The Superintendent's Compendium for Great Basin was updated in 2008 with changes that will affect some visitor activities, such as generator use hours in campgrounds, backcountry group size restrictions, and vehicle size restrictions on the Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive. These new regulations are effective immediately.
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Fly Geyser Is Not Located in Great Basin N.P.
The National Geographic 2009 National Parks and Monuments Calendar incorrectly places Fly Geyser, shown on the front cover, in Great Basin National Park. Fly Geyser is actually located on private property north of Gerlach, Nevada. Guided tours to the geyser are led by the nonprofit organization Friends of Black Rock. Visit their website at www.blackrockdesert.org for more information.
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Write to
Great Basin National Park
100 Great Basin National Park
Baker, Nevada 89311
E-mail Us
Phone
Park Headquarters
(775) 234-7331
Lehman Caves Advance Ticket Sales
(775) 234-7331 ext. 242
Fax
(775) 234-7269
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Climate
There is almost an 8,000 foot (2,400 m) difference in elevation between Wheeler Peak and the valley floor. Weather conditions in the park vary with elevation. In late spring and early summer, days in the valley may be hot, yet the snowpack may not have melted at high elevations. The Great Basin is a desert, with low relative humidity and sharp drops in temperature at night. In the summer fierce afternoon thunderstorms are common. Weather conditions are highly variable. Please come prepared for all types of weather. It can snow any time of the year at high elevations.
For current weather conditions, click "more."
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Did You Know?
One of the major ecological threats to the sagebrush-dominated Great Basin ecosystem is the introduction and spread of dozens of species of non-native plants. The most important of these, cheatgrass (or downy brome) covers the largest area: 25 million acres, one-third of the area of the Great Basin.
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Last Updated: March 27, 2009 at 18:42 EST |
