Great Basin National Park in Nevada may be remote and not as large as some of the other more-visited national park units, nor have as much infrastructure, either. But a visit there wouldn’t be complete without doing and seeing some of the things this Traveler’s Checklist suggests.

A view of Wheeler Peak beyond the aspen trees along the trail to Stella Lake, Great Basin National Park / Rebecca Latson

If you are not certain where to start, here are two Traveler’s checklists for you, one of which was published in 2021 and is more of a planning and preparing checklist. This list here, is along the lines of what you should do and see after you’ve planned and prepared.

Travel the Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive. It’s only 12 miles (19 km), all on paved road, and will take you up an elevation gain of over 4,000 feet (1,219 m) through several life zones, from sagebrush to pine to aspens at 10,000 feet (3,048 m) above sea level. Along this twisting road are a few pull outs and view areas from which to admire the vast Nevada (and Utah) landscape beyond the park.

A view of Nevada beyond the park from one of the few pullouts along the twisting Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive, Great Basin National Park / Rebecca Latson

Take a hike. There are three must-hike trails from which to choose (or hike all three, if you’ve got the stamina and time).

• For the best views in Nevada, there’s the Wheeler Peak Summit Trail, an 8.6-mile (14 km) roundtrip hike with an elevation gain of 3,100 feet (945 m). The elevation gain, along with both the already-high start elevation and even higher end elevation, plus the high winds and rocky nature of the trail, make this one of the hardest hikes in the park.
  
  
  

  Pay your respects to your elders as you wander through a grove of ancient Great Basin Bristlecone pines, Great Basin National Park / Rebecca Latson

• If you’d rather wander through an ancient Great Basin Bristlecone pine grove, why not hike the Wheeler Bristlecone Grove Trail. At 2.8 miles (4.5 km) and an elevation gain of 600 feet (183 m), this trail is considered a moderate hike and takes you to and through a bristlecone grove with interpretive signs. If you feel like hiking a little further, you can continue along the trail for a little under a mile (1.6 km) one-way to the foot of the Wheeler Cirque Rock Glacier.
  
  
• For a much easier hike, try the Stella Lake Hike. Stella Lake is located along the Alpine Lakes Loop Trail. There are three trail heads you can access to get to this particular lake. Probably the easiest one is located at the Wheeler Peak Summit parking lot and is 2.6 miles (4.2 km) roundtrip there and back. It’s a hike perfect for visitors with only a short time to hike. The trail guides you between curvy-trunked aspen trees interspersed with views of Wheeler Peak. Depending upon when you hike this trail, Stella Lake might have dried up and become Stella “Pond.” But the scenery is gorgeous, no matter when you take to the trail.

Reserve a tour for Lehman Caves. Offered year-round, these ranger-guided tours will lead you through passages decorated with all manner of speleothems (cave formations), from stalactites and stalagmites, to cave “turnips”, to cave shields (aka cave parachutes), to other whimsical formations created by the steady dripping of calcium carbonate-laden water. You’ll learn the history of the caves as well as other trivia pertaining to its discovery and use (it once was a venue for weddings).

You'll peer into rooms filled with speleothems (cave formations) during a guided tour through Lehman Caves, Great Basin National Park / Rebecca Latson

Stay up past your regular bedtime to do a little stargazing in this certified International Dark Sky Park. Light pollution at Great Basin is practically zero, so the stars will glitter brightly and the Milky Way will appear etched in the sky. Anywhere is a good place for night sky viewing, but it’s especially so at Mather Overlook.

The stars and Milky Way pop out on a clear night in Great Basin National Park / Rebecca Latson