Dates we visited: September 26th-29th 2020
Where we stayed: Ely, NV KOA, Sacramento Pass Rec Area (BLM)

After we left Olympic National Park, our original travel plans had us going up to North Cascades National Park, and then heading down the West Coast through Oregon and California. Unfortunately, this year was an especially bad wildfire season in those areas, so we decided to make some changes. Instead, we made our way back to the East through Idaho and then down to Nevada to visit Great Basin National Park.

To paraphrase one of our National Park travel guides, “Great basin is pretty far from everything, and not on the way to anything.” We found this description to be accurate. That said, Great Basin is kind of a hidden gem. It’s remote location means that attendance is much lighter than other parks, and it offers some beautiful and truly unique scenery and experiences.

We were able to find an awesome (and free) BLM campground just a few miles down the road from the main entrance. If you are willing and able to dry camp (no hookups) for a day or two, definitely check out this spot for your visit to Great Basin.

Lehman Caves Visitor Center

Not surprisingly, the cave system was closed due to Covid-19, but there is a nice, short nature trail that circles the visitor center that we completed. The trail offers signage describing some of the plant and animal life, as well as the mountain ranges and deserts in the area. In non-covid times, it would be fun to return here to explore the caves or grab lunch at the cafe in the visitor center.

One unique attribute about Great Basin is that it’s essentially a closed loop water system, meaning none of the precipitation that falls here flows to an ocean. It is all captured in local lakes, evaporates, or is absorbed through the ground into the water table. This contributes to a unique “mountain island” ecosystem where some of the plants and animals here exist only in this region.

Wheeler Peak

The highlight of our visit was the drive up to Wheeler Peak to the Sky Islands Forest Trail and Bristlecone Pine Glacier Trail. We made two trips up the mountain, completing the Sky Islands hike in the evening the first day, and the Bristlecone Pine trail in the morning on the following day. We were pleasantly surprised to catch the Aspen trees in the forest transitioning to bright oranges and yellows for Fall time. Additionally, this scenic drive offers views of the Nevada desert from a unique high elevation vantage point.

Sky Islands Forest Trail

The Sky Islands Trail, is a short loop trail that is mostly boardwalk and flat gravel. It was a perfect trail for a mild evening stroll for our whole family. Owen had no problem completing it and enjoyed being our group’s hiking leader. This trail highlights the alpine ecosystem, complete with glacier fed streams.

Bristlecone Pine Trail

We hiked the Bristlecone Pine Glacier trail the next morning. The trail goes through a Bristlecone Pine grove, and then continues on to the foot of a glacier. We opted to turn around at the Bristlecone Grove as that was about 3.5 miles round trip with a 600-700 foot elevation gain.

This was probably the most challenging hike we have completed with Owen to date, and while he did spend a little time in our kid carrier on my back, he surprised both Kristy and I by hiking about 70% of this on his own.

The trail includes some steep parts, and a few exposed sections that require attention with a toddler, but it was super enjoyable.

The destination of the Bristlecone Pine grove was rewarding as well. As it turns out, Bristlecone pines are one of, if not the oldest living things on Earth. Apparently, the oldest living thing title is contested by the creosote bush, and scientists have not yet come to consensus on who deserves this designation.

Some of the trees here, which you can walk right up to are nearly 4,000 years old. The oldest known Bristlecone tree has been dated to be over 5,000 years old. Standing in front of a 4,000 year old living thing, and thinking about everything that has happened in the span of its lifetime, is a humbling experience.

Perhaps we had low expectations going into Great Basin, but this park ranked as one of our favorites so far. Due to its location you will probably never be in the area by chance, but if you are looking for a destination where you can avoid the crowds and experience some pristine nature with incredible views, consider making the trek to this National Park. If you’re not convinced, here is a time-lapse of some of the more scenic views of the drive up to Wheeler Peak.