Nearby town: Baker, NV
Our first visit to this isolated National Park in northeastern Nevada was a relatively quick stop. It was during the month of March, so the road up to the Wheeler Peak campground was still closed for the season. However, we did the tour of Lehman Cave and had a good time. Here is the link to the post of our first visit to this park: https://paulnationalparks.blogspot.com/2017/08/great-basin-national-park.html
Anyway, as the years went by after our first visit, I never really felt that we gave this park its due justice. And, boy, was I right! We spent an entire weekend here on the second visit, and we were blown away by the beauty, majesty, and isolation of this high alpine Park that towers over the Great Basin Desert.
This time, Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive was open all the way to the top, the Wheeler Peak campground, at an elevation of 10,000 ft. The views along the road were incredible. The centerpiece of this park is Wheeler Peak. At 13,063 ft., Wheeler Peak is the second-highest mountain in the state of Nevada, and the highest peak entirely located inside state boundaries (the highest mountain, Boundary Peak, straddles the border of Nevada and California).
Once you reach the end of the road, there are a number of trails to choose from. You can take the 8+ mile hike to the top of the peak. We opted to take a big loop and combined the Bristlecone Pine Trail, Rock Glacier Trail, and the Alpine Lakes trail. All in all, it was about a 7-8 mile hike. You are at a high elevation here (the trailhead itself is over 10,000 ft above sea level), so be prepared for that. This cirque, an amphitheater-like valley formed by glacial erosion, at the base of Wheeler Peak is a great place to explore.
This was a great hike. The Bristlecone Pine grove was incredible. These trees are some of the longest-lived life forms on Earth. They can live up to 2,000 - 4,000 years old. Their twisted, gnarled trunks are fascinating and look otherworldly. After walking through these trees, we continued up to Rock Glacier, the only glacier in the state of Nevada. And then we headed back down and passed by two pristine, alpine lakes (Teresa Lake and Stella Lake).
Stella Lake
Teresa Lake
I always make my way into a body of water...but I regretted this one. It was really muddy, rocky, and VERY cold. 😀 Thanks Tara for taking this pic. 😉
Bristlecone Pine
Since it was August, the glacier was very small...but still there 😀
Park selfie! 😜
close-up of a Bristlecone Pine
We spent our weekend in the tiny, eccentric town of Baker. Baker (pop. 68) sits at the entrance of the National Park. It's a mini-mecca for desert-rats, stargazing enthusiasts, artists (there's lots of fun junk art strewn about the town), and people who like to live off the beaten path.
We stayed at the lovely Stargazer Inn (it's pretty much the only hotel in town). The owners (husband and wife) were really nice, and they also run the Kerouac Restaurant next door. The pizza was great. The night sky was incredible! You could see the milky way. We loved this remote little town.
our hotel. Modest but comfortable. A nice respite after a long day of hiking.
Museum of the Future! 😀
Great outdoor dining. ... pretty sure it's the only restaurant in town, but the food is great!
someone had converted a train car into their home
"Wheeler" Peak ... get it? 😁
Great Basin is out-of-the-way...but is well worth a visit. We thrououghly enjoyed our time here in this incredible park. It's a lesser-known park, but you'll enjoy the dearth of crowds in this lonely corner of Nevada. More info here: https://www.nps.gov/grba/index.htm
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