Located beneath the 13,063-foot Wheeler Peak, Great Basin National Park in Nevada is, surprisingly, one of the least-visited National Parks in the U.S. Not far from the Loneliest Road in the America (Highway 50), this remote paradise offers solitude for those who want to camp, hike, or simply enjoy the beautiful backcountry in peace and quiet. At this 77,180-acre park, you will find geological oddities, mountain streams, alpine lakes, and these hidden gems:

1. Lehman Caves
TripAdvisor/management
TripAdvisor / Michelle H.
Stalactites, stalagmites and helictites, oh my! Lehman Caves was discovered in the late 1800s by Absalom Lehman. Due to its delicate ecosystem, this system of beautiful marble caves can only be viewed on a guided tour. Check out this article to learn more about the tours!
2. The Forgotten Winchester Rifle
Facebook / Great Basin National Park
In 2014, a state park employee discovered an amazing artifact at Great Basin National Park. It was a 132 year-old rifle casually leaning against a juniper tree. The wood on the gun was weathered and cracked from sitting out for presumably more than a century. It remains a mystery who left it there. The rifle is available to view at the Lehman Caves Visitor Center. Cool!
3. Bristlecone Pines
Facebook / Great Basin National Park
Facebook / Great Basin National Park
The oldest trees in the world, Bristlecone Pines thrive and regenerate in the harshest of conditions. The park contains three groves of these remarkable trees.
4. Lehman Orchard
Facebook / Great Basin National Park
Absalom Lehman’s legacy lives on with his orchard of fruit trees, located just below the lower parking lot at the Lehman Caves Visitor Center. Pick and enjoy fruit from trees that are more than 100 years old (just don’t remove the fruit from the park). The historic orchard at one time contained about 40 apricot, pear, crabapple, peach, plum, and apple trees. Today, there are seven apricot trees and one peach tree remaining. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
5. Lehman Aquaduct
Wikimedia / National Park Service
Absalom Lehman (of cave and orchard fame) was responsible for this two-mile irrigation ditch near Lehman Creek. He built it to provide irrigation to his orchard. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, a portion has been reconstructed, and is visible on the Mountain View Nature Trail near the Lehman Caves Visitor Center.

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6. Roadside art
Flickr / Jason Corneveaux
TripAdvisor / Nancy W.
Some might take issue with calling these bizarre sites "art", but they definitely make a statement. The top photo shows an old rusted car with a horse skeleton behind the wheel, and it's found along the road that links Baker to the park. The bottom photo is a bed frame filled with flowers. There are also other roadside art pieces randomly dotting the park and adding an eclectic feel to your visit. You're not in Kansas anymore.
7. Stars as far as the eye can see
Flickr / NPCA Photos
Look up in the sky at Great Basin National Park. It's not a bird or a plane. It's not even Super Grover. It's gorgeous shimmering stars as far as the eye can see. If you are an astronomy buff, you will definitely want to bring a telescope on your visit to this national park.
8. Seasons
Facebook / Great Basin National Park
Flickr / Rachel Zurer
There are many places in Nevada where the seasons are heat, heat and more heat followed by excessive heat. Not so at Great Basin National Park. Snow in the winter. Colorful leaves in the fall. This is a beautiful place in Nevada to enjoy the changing seasons.
9. Rhodes Cabin
Flickr / J. Stephen Conn
The historic Rhodes Cabin was built in the 1920s by Clarence and Bea Rhodes, custodians of Lehman Caves at the time. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it has been moved from its original location and restored. You can explore the cabin as well as the interpretive exhibits housed inside it.
10. Pictograph Cave
Flickr / Ken Lund
Flickr / Ken Lund
Upper Pictograph Cave is painted with pictographs of people, animals and abstract images. The relics of the past are believed to have been painted by the Fremont Indians and date back to between 1000 and 1300 A.D. You will not be able to enter the cave, but you can see this ancient art gallery from outside.

Cultural relics, nature, art … Great Basin National Park is full of hidden gems! So, when are you going to visit? Tell us your plans in the comments!

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More to Explore

National Park to Visit in Nevada

Tori Jane | February 12, 2022

What are the best state parks in Nevada?  

Nevada is home to a spectacular 27 state parks and recreation areas. Each one is absolutely wonderful in its own right; of course, there are some that see more visitors every year than others (though we do love the underrated underdogs). The most popular state parks in Nevada (which one might logically argue are the “best” as agreed upon by millions of people) include Great Basin National Park, which, okay, is a National Park, but still. Then, there’s the Van Sickle Bi-State Park, which is in the woods around beautiful Lake Tahoe. It’s an amazing testament to the beauty of Nevada’s landscape, and it’s easy to see why this park is so loved by locals and visitors alike. Cathedral Gorge State Park is another beloved, jaw-dropping state park in Nevada that everyone should visit at least once in their lives. Thanks to the volcanic activity taking place millions of years ago, Cathedral Gorge State Park is a fascinating geological wonderland featuring odd valleys, canyons, and other formations sure to baffle and amaze you. Other popular parks include Washoe Lake State Park (who knew Nevada has so many lakes?), Cave Lake State Park, Kershaw-Ryan State Park, and many others. For more Nevada state park goodness, check this article out.  

What are the most popular hiking trails in Nevada? 

Would you believe it if we told you that Nevada is home to more than 900 amazing hiking, biking, walking, and biking trails, all of which are awesome and definitely need to be explored ASAP? Well, it’s true – and though they’re all wonderful, there are still some that tend to get more hype than others. According to our friends at AllTrails.com, the most popular hike in Nevada is the amazing Calico Tanks Trail, which you can find nestled within the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. This trail is rated as moderately challenging and is 2.2 miles long. The sandstone formations along the way are to die for! Then, there’s the Mary Jane Falls Trail, within the Mount Charleston Wilderness. This trail is a little longer, at 3.9 miles long, and is open from April to December. Finally, the third most popular hiking trail in Nevada is the Monkey Rock Trail, located inside the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. It’s 2.6 miles of amazing views, including a rock that looks like, well, a monkey.  

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