Great Basin National Park
Saturday 11 September-Monday 13 September, 2021
Aspens in their fall glamour.
Great Basin National Park is not part of the Colorado Plateau, but part of the Basin and Range province. As the Rocky Mountains to the east and the Sierra Nevada to the west continue to rise, the area between them is being stretched--Nevada is widening. The area is heavily faulted and characterized by successive ridges of mountains, with troughs between, hence, Basin and Range. The largest basin, Great Basin, is in eastern Nevada and western Utah and includes the Great Salt Lake, as well as Great Basin National Park.
Great Basin is a national park with relatively low visitation, and a variety of exciting attractions. From cave depths to alpine-style peaks, to exotic and rare Bristlecone Pines, this isolated park features world-class hiking opportunities and a wealth of scenic beauty.
Great Basin National Park is an International Dark Sky Reserve, a special place with great views of the night sky. As we were arriving in the area in the evening, we headed up into the park's ridges for some astrophotography.
We had some clouds, but still enjoyed the views of the sky. Photo taken from Mather Overlook, named, as our Subaru, for Stephen Mather, first director of the US National Park Service.
It was Sunday before we got to see the park in the light, and photograph the entrance sign.
Warning sign on the road.
An unusual desert plant by the roadside.
We did two amazing hikes in the park, the second the massive hike up Wheeler Peak, for which we had trained all summer. We made it, but not at all easily.
- Alpine Lakes Trail, beautiful aspens and lakes
- Gruelling Wheeler Peak Trail, where we tested our mettle
We had a lovely room with great amenities at the Whispering Elms Motel and RV Park in nearby Baker, NV. The bar seemed very friendly, but I did not dare go in.
The heights of Great Basin left us feeling triumphant but tired, eager to see the fantastic scenery of the Colorado Plateau with somewhat less effort.
View of Wheeler Peak from the road.
Distance hiked: 20 km/12.5 mi
Distance driven: 1,101 km/684 mi
Caches found: 1
On to Escalante Petrified Forest State Park.