Great Basin National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

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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.

What's New at Great Basin National Park

Follow the links to learn more about current events in the Great Basin.

Great Basin Astronomy Programs
Great Basin In The News
Darwin Lambert Artist/Writer In Residence Program
Current Happenings in Resource Management
New Firearms Policy Effective Feb. 22, 2010

		What Is The Great Basin? Shrouded in myth and mystery by Europeans over 150 years ago, the Great Basin is still misunderstood today. Called dead, barren, and desolate, visitors are surprised to find it's 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. more...

The Milky Way as seen from Great Basin NP

Astronomy Programs

Because of its remote location, Great Basin National Park provides exceptional visibility of the night sky. In fact, Great Basin is one of the darkest places in the country. Ranger led astronomy programs are conducted all year long. For information and schedule please see our Astronomy Program page.

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Great Basin Social Media

Great Basin National Park uses many ways to bring the park experience to visitors. We are currently using Twitter, Facebook, Ranger Blogs, Flickr, our newspaper The Bristlecone, and videos on YouTube. This is to help you connect with Great Basin National Park and to meet you "where you are at", and "where you expect us to be."

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NPS PHOTO

Changes To Superintendent's Compendium

The Superintendent's Compendium for Great Basin was updated February 2011 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.

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

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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