Outdoors with Don Q: Take a vacation at Great Basin National Park

Here is an annual suggestion, if you would like to take a mid-summer vacation at an out-of-the-way location. 
Do you know that our very own White Pine County is home to one of the Nation's least visited and Nevada's only National Park?

It's the 77,000 acre Great Basin National Park.
 If you've never been there, here is a whole bunch of useful information:

How to get there:

Take U.S. 50 ("The Loneliest Road in America") from Carson City to Ely, a distance of about 320 miles. You’ll travel through Dayton, Silver Springs, Fallon, Austin and Eureka.
Keep an eye peeled for antelope, coyotes, deer and elk. When you reach Ely, take U.S. 6 and U.S. 50 toward Delta, Utah.

This stretch of highway will be your best chance to see some elk. When the highways split, take U.S. 6 east toward Utah. Near the Nevada-Utah Stateline, take Nevada S.R. 487 south for about 10 miles to the tiny town of Baker (the gateway to Great Basin National Park). Great Basin National Park is located about 85 miles southeast of Ely.

Park history: 

Great Basin National Park was created on Oct. 27, 1986. It was first proposed for National Park status in 1922 but the effort failed due to strong opposition from mining and ranching interests. 
Congress created the Lehman Caves National Monument on Jan. 24, 1922, which is now incorporated within the park's boundaries.

Physical features: 

The Park contains a wide variety of physical features that range from hot desert areas to cold arctic zones, topped by Nevada's second highest mountain, Wheeler Peak (elevation of 13,063 feet).
The park also has desert areas, lush meadows, small ice-cold streams, crystal-clear lakes, rugged-looking mountain peaks, groves of pine trees, patches of quaking aspen trees, sagebrush and limestone caves.

Wildlife: 

Within its borders are a wide variety of mammal species including: Pronghorn Antelope, Bats, Bobcat, Unita Chipmunk, Coyote, Mule Deer, Rocky Mountain Elk, Black-Tailed Jackrabbit, Yellow-Bellied Marmot, Mountain Lion and Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep.

Features:
Great Basin National Park has no entrance fee. 
Visitors to the park can enjoy the 12-mile (8% grade) Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive, with its spectacular views.
Vehicles longer than 24 feet are not recommended to travel beyond the Upper Lehman Creek Campground.
The Drive ends at a campground and trailhead at an elevation of about 10,000 feet on the northern flank of Wheeler Peak. Note: From there, you can get some great scenery photos of the countryside.

From the trailhead:
You can hike on different signed trails to destinations such as Teresa and Stella Lakes, the Bristlecone Pine Forest, the permanent glacier at the base of Wheeler Peak and even to the summit of the mountain. 
Bristlecone Pine trees are the oldest living things on earth, with some of the trees in the park being as much as 5,000 years old. 
Wheeler Peak Glacier is the only permanent body of ice between the Wasatch Mountains in Utah and the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California.

Lehman Caves: 

The Lehman Caves were first discovered in 1885 by a local rancher, Absalom S. Lehman. Through the late 1800's - early 1900's, those caves were widely-known for hosting explorers, tours, parties, meetings, weddings, etc.

Lehman Caves Tours:
Ranger-guided tours are offered daily, except for Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day.
Two different regular guided tours of Lehman Caves are offered: The Lodge Room Tour and The Grand Palace Tour.

Light jackets or sweaters are highly recommended, even on the hottest days. The caves temperatures are a surprisingly constant 50 degrees with 90 percent humidity. And, be sure to wear shoes with good traction as the walking trails may be wet and slippery.

Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. 
Camping: 
Lower Lehman Creek (elevation 7,300') has 11 camping sites:
Baker Creek (7,530'): 34 sites.
Upper Lehman Creek (7,752'): 22 sites.
Wheeler Peak (9,950'): 37 sites (RV's and trailers are not recommended).
The camping fee is normally $12 for developed campgrounds per night/per site or $6 for Golden Age/Golden Access card holders.
All park camping is on a first come, first serve basis.
No reservations can be made except for the Grey Cliffs Group Campground.
Don’t forget to take warm clothes and thick blankets for the cool evenings at those high-altitudes. 
There are primitive camping facilities located along Snake Creek and Strawberry Creek. Primitive campgrounds have no fee. 
Food, lodging, camping and supplies: 
You might want to buy your food and gas before leaving Ely for the park.
However, if you don't, you have some alternatives:

Lehman Caves:
A National Park concessionaire operates a small cafe and gift shop at Lehman Caves from April to October.
Baker, Nevada:
In the tiny town of Baker, there are such services as:
Baker Sinclair Gas Station: Where self-serve (credit or debit card only) gas and diesel are available 24 hours.
End of the Trail-er for lodging
Lectrolux cafe, bakery, deli/grocery, ice house, art gallery,
Rock Sage Room for lodging
Silver Jack Inn and Great Basin Sports
T & D’s country store, restaurant and lounge,
The Gateway Cabin for lodging
Whispering Elms Campground and RV Park.

Finally:

If you're looking for a special, out-of-the-way place to spend your summer vacation, visit Nevada’s own Great Basin National Park. 
For information, call the Great Basin National Park Visitors Center at (775) 234-7331 or go to their Internet website here.


Bet Your Favorite Pigeon

Bet your favorite pigeon he can't tell you the name of the very first National Park that was created in the United States. If he grins and says, "Yellowstone National Park was created way back in 1872," you lose this bet.

— Don Quilici is the Outdoor editor for Carson Now. Don's wife, Elaine, is the Outdoor photographer. The couple live in Carson City and can be reached at donquilici@hotmail.com.