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Great Basin National Park offers a variety of opportunities to enjoy the area for those persons with disabilities. Much can be learned about Great Basin National Park from your vehicle and from facilities and programs that are accessible.
There is a wheelchair lift to assist users into the visitor center and access to the first room on the cave tour. Wheelchair accessible sites are also available at the picnic area and in the campgrounds. Should you need a sign language interpreter, let the park know ASAP and they'll do everything they can to accommodate your request. If your group requires any other special accommodations, please let the park know in advance of your arrival.
Great Basin National Park Visitor Center
Parking and Restrooms - Designated parking spaces are available at the Visitor Center with a ramp over the curb. Ride the lift up to the main Visitor Center level, and enjoy the mural depicting the park along the way up. A drinking fountain, pay phone and unisex restroom are also available at this level.
Visitor Center - The Visitor Center is fully accessible. The Lobby, information desk, book sales area, Lehman Caves Cafe and Gift Shop, exhibits, and audiovisual programs are all on one level. Ranger activities held in or near the Visitor Center, such as patio talks, are also on this level. The Great Basin National Park slide show is captioned. A wheelchair is available for use in the Visitor Center and for entry into the first room of Lehman Caves. Ask for availability at the front desk.
Camping and Picnicking
There are three campgrounds within the park that have accessible sites. These sites are generally located next to accessible restrooms; Upper Lehman Creek Campground (site #2), Wheeler Peak Campground (site # 5), and Baker Creek Campground (sites # 11 and #27). Each campsite has a picnic table, fire grate, and tent pad. Check at the Visitor Center on water availability. Camping is on a first-come, first-served basis. When the campgrounds fill, these sites are made available for all campers. Note: Persons using the Upper Lehman Creek Campground restroom access ramp may require assistance, due to its steepness.
The picnic area near the Visitor Center has accessible restrooms and a cut curb provides access to a table and fire grate.
Seeing the Park
Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive - This 12 mile drive is an ideal way to gain an appreciation of the various plant communities and their diverse beauty as you wind your way to an elevation of 10,000 feet. There are several overlooks that have good "windshield" viewing points and interpretive pull-outs. The Wheeler Peak Overlook and Mather Overlook offer breathtaking views of the valley below and Wheeler Peak above. The Osceola Ditch pull-out has an accessible, roadside exhibit that offers a glimpse back to 1889-90, when an 18 mile ditch was constructed to divert water for placer gold mining. The road is closed in the winter. Baker Creek Road - This road has a well-maintained gravel surface with excellent views of Wheeler Peak, the Baker Creek drainage and Snake Valley below. There are no pull-outs or overlooks. The road ends at the Baker/Johnson Lake Trailhead where in the early summer, the wildflowers are plentiful and colorful. The road is closed in the winter. Information about lesser maintained roads can be obtained at the visitor center.
Lehman Caves Tours - Tours through Lehman Caves are offered throughout the year. Visitors in wheelchairs can access the first room of the cave, the Gothic Palace, where one can view many spectacular cave formations. The slope of the trail is steep and assistance is necessary to safely get into and out of the first room. Visitors with poor vision should be aware of the low lighting in the cave. This lighting scheme is designed to accentuate the cave features and aid in resource protection by reducing algae growth in the cave.
Other Ranger-led Activities - The park and visitor center are staffed throughout the year, and the rangers are available to answer questions about park resources and the surrounding area. From Memorial Day to Labor Day, there are a variety of Ranger-guided activities. Evening programs are offered during this time in Upper Lehman Creek and Wheeler Peak campgrounds. Both evening programs are accessible and are a wonderful way to wrap up a day in Great Basin National Park. At the Visitor Center, 15 minute Patio Talks cover a wide variety of subjects about the natural and cultural resources of the Great Basin. Several other programs are accessible with assistance to visitors using wheelchairs. For more information on these programs, their times and locations, inquire at the Visitor Center or consult the park newspaper, The Bristlecone.
Assisted listening devices are available for use with any Ranger-led programs including cave walks, Bristlecone hikes, evening programs, kids programs, and patio talks. Talk to a Ranger at the Visitor Center about using one before the start of the program.
Registration for backcountry is strongly recommended. Backpacking opportunities abound, but there are few maintained trails. Routes generally follow ridge lines or valley bottoms. Plan ahead: bushwhacking through stands of mountain mahogany can be arduous--or impossible. Topographic maps, advice and information on current conditions are available at the visitor center.
See the Hiking Page for details.
Great Basin National Park and the surrounding areas offer a great diversity of recreational and scenic opportunities. Some highlights include the only glacier in the Great Basin Desert, 13,063-foot-tall Wheeler Peak, Lexington Arch, ancient groves of bristlecone pines, and beautiful Lehman Caves.
During snow season allow at least half a day to visit cave and explore visitor center. During summer allow at least a full day to explore the park, more if you enjoy hiking and exploring backcountry roads.
Bicycles are restricted to park roads and parking areas. Bicycles are prohibited on trails and in the backcountry. Mountain bikes are only allowed on designated motor vehicle roadways.
Baker Ridge Loop for bicycles
Drive 1.5 miles from the park entrance to the Baker Creek Road. Turn left on to a dirt road that drops down toward Baker Creek and park along the side of the road. Be careful not to block traffic or damage plant life. Do not park off the road. The loop is 5.3 miles round trip and goes past wildflowers, wetlands and a riparian area. The bicycle loop follows the dirt road.
In Great Basin National Park, there are four campgrounds and a group camping area. Amenities include water (in summer), restrooms, fire rings and picnic tables. There are primitive campgrounds along Strawberry Creek and Snake Creek that have tables and pit toilets, but No Water. Only Lower Lehman Campground is open year round. The other campgrounds and primitive sites open as snow levels permit.
See the Camping Page for details.
Regularly scheduled tours of Lehman Caves are offered year round, more frequently in the summer.
See the Hiking Page for details.
Activity Fee
Cave Tour, 30 minutes - $2.00 One Time
The 30 minute tour visits the Gothic Palace where you can view all of the major types of cave formations found in Lehman Caves, and is wheelchair accessible. This tour is recommended for families with young children and infants. Cave tours are limited to 25 persons. Cave tours often sell out. To ensure space, buy your tickets early in the day or in advance over the phone. 775-234-7331 ext 242.
Cave Tour, 60 minutes - $6.00 One Time
This 0.46 mile walk through the cave visits several highly decorated rooms. The route passes by many shields, helictites, and fabulous draperies. Cave tours are limited to 25 persons. Cave tours often sell out. To ensure space, buy your tickets early in the day or in advance over the phone. 775-234-7331 ext 242.
Cave Tour, 90 minutes - $8.00 One Time
This tour is the longest offered, walking 0.54 miles through the cave, and visiting the spectacular Grand Palace where one can see the "Parachute Shield". Children ages 4 and under are not permitted on the 90 minute tour. The limited attention span of younger children can detract from the enjoyment of other people on the tour. Cave tours are limited to 25 persons. Cave tours often sell out. To ensure space, buy your tickets early in the day or in advance over the phone. 775-234-7331 ext 242
National Parks Pass Special - $50 Annual
Purchase your National Parks Pass at Great Basin National Park, and recieve one free cave tour, a value of up to $8.
Golden Access Passport holders are entitled to receive a 50% discount on camping and cave tour fees. Inquire at the Visitor Center information desk about this lifetime pass that is available at no cost for U.S. Citizens and permanent residents who have been medically determined to be blind or permanently disabled.
Campgrounds $5.00 per night, $2.50 with Golden Age and Access Passports
RV Sanitary Station $1.00.
Lehman Caves Tours Fees
Adults - $4.00
Golden Age and Access Cardholders - $2.00
Youth ages 6 to 15 - $3.00
Children ages 5 and under - free
A Nevada fishing license is required for fishing. See the Fishing Guide for details.
A concessionaire operates a cafe and gift shop from April to October. Restaurants and small grocery store and gas station are available in Baker.
Great Basin National Park is a mountain park. Roads and trails open seasonally as snow conditions permit. Summer months are the best for access to the high country. The road from town of Baker to park visitor center is open year round.
Tours of Lehman Cave takes about 1.5 hours. It is a .75 mile walk on a paved trail with stairways and indirect lighting. Dress warmly, the cave is a constant 50° F all year round. Those under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
See the Hiking Page for details.
Horseback riding is allowed on some trails. Llamas, horses, and mules are allowed in the backcountry as pack animals on some trails. Scatter manure piles at trailheads and at backcountry campsites. Do not tie animals to vegetation. Use a picket or a nightline.
There are four developed campgrounds, and limited backcountry sites. There is limited motel accommodations are available in Baker, Nevada. The nearest cities are Ely, Nevada at 70 miles to the west and Delta, Utah at 100 miles to the east.
See the Lodging Page for details.
Pets must be kept on a leash at all times. Leashes can not be over six feet in length. Pets are not allowed on trails or in the backcountry. There is only one place in the park pets can be tied and left unattended, for details and location consult the ranger on duty at the visitor center
There is a picnic area by the visitor center. Reservations for group picnic area should be made at least three weeks in advance. Fees for picnic area vary with group size.
Regularly scheduled tours of Lehman Caves offered year round. More frequently in the summer. Campfire programs, guided walks, and Junior Ranger programs offered Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Stop at the visitor center and take a tour of the cave. Drive the scenic road to the base of Wheeler Peak. From there, follow easy to moderate trails to alpine lakes and the bristlecone pine forest.
See the Calendar Page for details.
Introductory slide show and exhibits available at visitor center.
The visitor center schedule
8:00 am to 5:30 pm PDT - Daily - Summer
8:30 am to 4:30 am PST - Daily - Winter
Closed: New Years, Thanksgiving and Christmas
Parking area is available for buses and RVs at visitor center. Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive is not recommended for large RVs or buses.
This is a fairly arid region with most precipitation received during winter snows or summer thunderstorms. Winters are generally cool and summers are generally mild; however, weather conditions can change rapidly, especially at the higher elevations. Be prepared for all types of weather. Lehman Caves is 50 degrees F, 90% humidity year round, a jacket and suitable walking shoes are recommended.
See the Weather Page for current conditions, forecasts and other weather data.
Tours of Lehman Caves are given daily throughout the winter, except for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Days. Outdoor activities depend on recent weather conditions. Hiking is usually possible on lower, south-facing slopes. The quarter mile Mountain View Nature Trail is the only developed trail in this zone. Snowfall is usually greater during January, February and March. These are good months to cross country ski or snowshoe in the park. It is possible to climb Wheeler Peak in winter with the proper experience.
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