Great Basin National Park

Great Basin National Park sits 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. The story of the Great Basin is not just one of geology and landforms, but also of people. This region has been home to American Indians for thousands of years. In more recent times, farmers and ranchers, Mormons and sheepherders, all called the Great Basin home.Within Great Basin National Park, a representive piece of this massive region, stories of people and of places abound. Humans have left their mark here, too; from the Fremont Indians, who lived in Snake Valley, to Absalom Lehman, discoverer of Lehman Caves, to the mining camps that at one time dotted the South Snake Range. Remnants of former times are abundant. They are worthy of preservation as much as any natural feature, as they are invaluable links to the past. The Great Basin Visitor Center is located on Nevada State Route 487 in the town of Baker. The Lehman Caves Visitor Center is located on Nevada State Route 488. It is 5.5 miles (8.9 km) from Baker, Nevada, 0.5 miles (0.80 km) inside the park boundary. Both centers feature exhibits about the park's geology, natural and cultural history, as well as theaters with orientation films