We loved our stay at Whispering Elms! They fulfilled our two main requirements- full RV hookups and…read moresuper friendly staff! It's only a few minutes drive from the Great Basin entrance. We would definitely stay here again. Not to mention the burger restaurant on property that's open on weekends is BOMB. I'm not sure where any negative reviews are coming from, maybe those people are use to staying at luxury rv resorts. For us, Whispering Elms was perfect!

The motel has been updated to modern 2026 style. Still basic. At entrance to the Nat. Park. It has…read moreAC unit on wall, cut on and off all night long. Has a bar and a food truck that only serves hamburgers. Good though. There is a border Casino 7 mi away that serves a larger menu. They also have a similar motel(from outside) that is less expensive.

Wheeler Peak is Nevada's most majestic summit, a veritable tree of life-…read morehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5D-NeXE8ADA From its peak, you can behold Nevada, California, and Utah. As a drive or a hike, it is breathtaking. One can behold the stunning landscape of the Basin&Range. There's desert, alpine scenery, ancient pine trees, glaciers. As a hike, it takes plenty of preparation. The road towards the top (tho not at the summit itself) is open seasonally. Far from the madding crowds of Las Vegas, Reno&Burning Man/Black Rock City, Wheeler Peak is spectacular, desolate wilderness. And on a clear day, one can really see forever.

Road to top is open seasonally. Typically opens in early June. Early May typically has 3 miles…read moreopen. In late May, only 5 of 13 miles open. You need to get to the top to see the alpine gardens and lakes, the glacier, and the bristlecone pine forest. Or at least access to these attractions without a 6 mile snow shoe hike. Wheeler Peak is the highest freestanding Peak in Nevada (though not the highest point in Nevada). The sky is the darkest sky in the USA. One of the absolute best places for star gazing.

Came here for a sunrise presentation today by NP Ranger Steve as part of the 2015 Astronomy…read moreFestival. The site itself is a bit underwhelming as they excavations were re-filled and the outlines of the excavated lots "interpretively restored", so all you really see is the outlines of a cluster of mounds a short walk from the covered picnic and parking area. The sunrise, however, was absolutely breathtaking! A fabulous viewpoint to see the dawn break into day with the first crest of the sun over a postcard-worth panorama of mountain along the horizon line!

So if you don't score a Great Basin National Park campsite (which are all first-come-first-served…read morebtw), fret not because a mile up the road there is BLM Land and *plenty* of room right next to Baker Village Archaeological Site. We parked there overnight and had the vast expanse completely to ourselves. Perfectly flat, absolutely silent, and completely fee-free. We visited in mid-September and had stunningly beautiful weather (50's overnight, high 70's during the day), YMMV. I imagine it can be windy and coooold in this area and in that case tent camping would be ambitious (we were in an RV). Picnic tables and a rest room are available. Short walk to the Baker Village, an exhibit that was excavated in the early 90's, occupied by Native Americans in the 1200s, thought to be related to the Anasazi people, now referred to as the Fremont Tribe - though why it's named after a white euro American male is bewildering. Worth a quick stop if you're passing through the area, allow a half hour.

These campsites are not very large and will only accommodate tents or trailers around 15 ft max…read more Other than that this, it is an awesome place to camp. All the loops are short and campsites are conveniently spaced apart. Bathrooms and garbage cans are very centralized to all campsites. The bathrooms are pit toilets but probably the cleanest I've ever seen. Instead of smelling like feces they smell like bleach. This camp ground puts you conveniently near the Wheeler Peak trailhead for early access. This is quite convenient if not all people in your party are hiking. There are no showering facilities at this campground and water was unavailable. Plan accordingly.

Remodeled in 2021, this Campground has now 37 site, previously 8 (I think). Other big difference:…read morethey can all be booked on recreation.gov, no more first come first serve. Don't despair if you don't have a reservation, at Lehman Caves visitor center they sell same day empty site, if any of if there was a cancelation. Try to take a site number larger than 6, these have more traffic.

This visitor center is much like so many of the national park centers around the U.S. There are…read morenice exhibits inside with loads of information about the area. You can also pick up the regular gifts as well to remember your visit. The center is a great jumping off point to head up the mountain for some hiking or just viewing this gorgeous area. If you are on the fence about making the drive, I'd recommend just doing it. It's a gorgeous drive and provides some beautiful views of the basin areas as well as Mt. Wheeler. The rangers that I ran into were also very helpful and friendly.

A very nice National Park in Nevada.Came here in November and snow was already falling. We were…read morestill able to do Lehman Cave tour which needs reservation, Baker Loop Trail, and Lehman Creek trail. Enjoyed all of these and will return in the summer time between June and October before the roads are closed for the season

As part of our quest to visit all 63 U.S. national parks, we set off on a six week road trip. I…read morehave a personal rule: I only count a national park as "visited" if I actually spend time there, hike or walk through it, and truly experience it. On this trip, we thought we had visited 13 national parks, but Great Basin National Park became the surprise number 14 and one of the most memorable adventures of the entire journey. Sometimes the best experiences are the ones that almost do not happen. While we were in Canyonlands, my husband suddenly asked, "Wait a minute, did we actually visit Great Basin National Park in Nevada?" I looked at my list and saw that it was marked down, but when he asked the important question, "Do we have pictures? Do we have proof?" I had to admit we did not. And when we thought about it, we realized we had never really explored Nevada beyond Las Vegas. Then came the realization: we were only about four and a half hours away. Considering we had driven all the way from the Chicago area across the country, that suddenly felt like a small detour. My first thought was, "Well, we have to go!" The idea was not immediately accepted, but by the next morning the decision had changed. We packed our things and headed out for what became an unexpected and wonderful addition to our journey. The drive itself was an adventure. The landscape between Canyonlands and Great Basin was incredible, constantly changing from one world to another. My husband kept commenting that it felt like we were traveling through different planets. Desert landscapes transformed into mountains, open valleys, and forests, each one completely different from the last. Then we found ourselves on Highway 50, known as "The Loneliest Road in America." The name suddenly made perfect sense. We drove for more than 100 miles seeing almost no other cars. It was both strange and beautiful, a feeling of being completely surrounded by the vastness of the West. Great Basin National Park was a wonderful surprise. It is a smaller park, but it has so much to offer. The contrast between the desert surroundings and the alpine environment is remarkable. The park rises dramatically into the mountains, with beautiful forests of ancient bristlecone pines, high mountain peaks, and peaceful alpine lakes. The hiking was absolutely beautiful. Walking through the pine forests with mountain views all around felt refreshing after so many desert landscapes. The alpine lakes were stunning, and the scenery had a peacefulness that was different from the larger, more famous parks. We also explored the Lehman Caves, which added another unique dimension to the experience. Seeing the formations inside the caves was fascinating and reminded us once again how much variety exists within our national parks. Great Basin may not have the fame of Yellowstone, Yosemite, or Zion, but that is part of its charm. It feels quieter, more personal, and like a place where you can truly connect with nature. What started as a question from my husband turned into one of the best decisions of our trip. Because of Great Basin, our six week adventure became a journey to 14 national parks instead of 13, and we ended our incredible road trip with one more unexpected gift from nature. Sometimes the forgotten places become the ones you remember the most.

Came here with my husband and WOW! Great Basin National Park is an incredible park! The scenery is…read moreabsolutely stunning, with beautiful mountain views, 3,000-5,000 year old bristlecone pines, and great hiking trails. It was much less crowded than many other national parks, since it's so remote. If you're looking for breathtaking landscapes and a quiet escape, this park is definitely worth the visit!

The tour was 90 minutes long and the ranger did an amazing job educating people about the basics of…read morethis cave! The I side temperature is around 45-50's so it's a little chilly so just a long sleeve is good cos you'll be walking. Oh and a lot of ducking your head if you're taller than 5ft. The cave is well light because they just got new lights installed. It's very breathable place but If you're claustrophobic then I don't recommend going. Many area have tight spaces.

These caves are located in The Great Basin National Park. You need to go to the Lehman Caves…read moreVisitor Center. This is a different location from The Great Basin Visitor Center. In order to visit the caves, you need to purchase a ticket (which is also your reservation) and a National Park Entry Pass of some sort. I purchased my tickets for the Parachute Shield Tour online at the recreation.gov website. I got a Senior ticket ($6) & a regular ticket ($12). There is no additional fee. When I went to check-in, I presented my ticket confirmation email and my National Park Pass. The tour is about an our long. It is said that Absalom S. Lehman discovered the caves when riding his horse. The horse broke through a crust covering the cave's natural entrance. No one really knows for sure who discovered the cave or how. Lehman Caves was designated Lehman Caves National Monument before it became part of The Great Basin National Park. We gathered at a door that looked like the right door. It was the right place to be at, but not the one we used. The Ranger met us here and instructed us to use the shoe washing station. After we all washed the soles of our shoes, we all walked up the hill to a different door to begin our descent into the cave. It's the same door we exited from at the end of the tour. The first room we arrived at was the Lodge Room. Then we walked through a man-made walkway called "The Panama Canal" which led us to the next room, The Inscription Room. Here, you can see where the explorers belly crawled through "Fat Man's Misery" (natural entrance) to get here. When they made it to the Inscription Room, they used the soot from their flame to inscribe their name on the ceiling. To get to the Grand Palace, we walked on the path called "The Rocky Road" which took us past the Lake Room & Cypress Swamp. Our tour ended at the Sunken Garden. To exit, we retraced our paths back to where we entered. We toured these rooms: Lodge Room Inscription Room - has names & dates on the ceiling Cypress Swamp - many stalactites suspended from the low ceiling resemble a swamp full of Cypress Trees Lake Room - named for the small, year-round pool to the side Grand Palace - the largest room on the tour and absolutely wondrous Sunken Garden - deepest part of the cave at about 235 ft below the surface. There's a viewing platform here. The Grand Palace is where you'll see the cave bacon, stalactites and stalagmites that almost touch, this tour's namesake, the Parachute Shield, and other points of interest. Lehman Caves boasts of shield formations, most iconic is the Parachute Shield which is pictured on souvenirs. While most other caves have a couple shield formations, Lehman Caves amazingly has more than 500. Just before the end of our tour, the ranger asked if our group wanted to experience the cave pitch black. We all agreed and the lights were turned off for a minute or two. It was pretty eery, the silence and darkness. Once the lights were back on, we walked out of the cave. This was a very fascinating tour. They say that each time you enter the cave, the experience will be different. If we ever come back here, I'd be willing to take the tour again!

There are two Visitor Centers in close proximity to each other, about 6 miles apart. The first one…read moreis the Great Basin Visitor Center which has information about the park as a whole. Then, there's this Lehman Caves Visitor Center which focuses mainly on the Lehman Caves. This is the Visitor Center you need to go to in order to visit the Lehman Caves. If you wish to visit the caves, you need to purchase a ticket (which is also your reservation) and a National Park Entry Pass of some sort. I purchased our tickets for the Parachute Shield Tour online at the recreation.gov website prior to our trip here. I enjoyed viewing the displays about the caves, formations in the caves, and the wildlife. There's also a small area with merchandise to purchase. If you need something to eat, there's the Great Basin Cafe here which serves semi-quick food and soft-serve ice cream. This is a nice little place to rest before or after your tour. There is nowhere to eat, so this is would be a satisfactory option... at least for a treat! You should come to this Visitor Center even if you don't take a cave tour. There are things to see inside and outside. Be sure to take a look at the Rhodes Cabin to the right of this place. Out in back of the Visitor Center, there is a walking path which is over the cave system. You'd never know it was below you! When we went, we got to look through a telescope the ranger had set up. It was focused on a solar flare. Pretty neat!

The food is good because when you get to this point you're pretty hungry and there's nothing else…read moregood around to eat. I love their milkshakes seems like everyone who came in got a shake to go. And their milkshakes definitely live up to their hype.