We Went Down–Now We go Up–Way Up

Great Basin National Park – High  79  Low 58

The Great Basin has been home to American Indians for thousands of years. More recently, farmers, ranchers, Mormons, and sheepherders all called the Great Basin home. It is also home to Great Basin National Park.

No lines of traffic going into the park.

Great Basin National Park is one of the least visited national parks which is not surprising considering how far away it is from anything. Which is what appealed to me.

The Lehman Caves are a part of the park but we did not go into the caves. They were made a National Monument by President Harding in 1922. In 1986 Great Basin National Park was established and the caves became part of the park.

How about a Whoa sign instead of a stop sign.

Great Basin Park has been described as a sea of Sagebrush between craggy mountain ranges. The highlight of our visit was taking the Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive.

If you do not like heights or winding mountain roads with no guard rails, this would not be the drive for you. The road is 12 miles long (paved) and over 4,000 feet in elevation from the town of Baker.

There are many hiking trails located in the park. Some of them are 9 miles and others 1/4 mile. We aren’t hikers but there were lots of people putting on their sunblock and getting their water ready for hikes.

I was concerned about Jim’s ability to breathe at 10,000 feet but he did very good. We didn’t stay at the top very long but the views are incredible.

     

It seems like you are driving right up to the clouds.

I wish this picture had turned out clearer. It shows the valley waaaay down there.

The road to the top usually isn’t open until after the first of June due to snow.

One last view of this beautiful mountain peak.

This park is definitely out of the way but well worth a visit.