Nevada

Great Basin
Field Guide

Ancient bristlecone pines, a marble show cave, and some of the darkest night skies in the country, all beneath a single lonely desert peak.

A complete planning guide to Great Basin National Park. Covers touring Lehman Caves, hiking to the grove of 4,000-plus-year-old bristlecone pines below Wheeler Peak, driving the seasonal Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive, summiting Wheeler Peak itself, the park's status as an International Dark Sky Park and its Astronomy Festival, camping at Wheeler Peak, Upper and Lower Lehman Creek, Baker Creek, and Grey Cliffs, wildlife from mule deer and pronghorn to marmots and pikas, elevation-driven weather swings, and the official NPS park map.

14: pages
PDF: instant download
Aug 2026: last updated

What's inside

1Touring Lehman Caves, a marble show cave with rare shield formations found in only a handful of caves worldwide
2Hiking to a grove of bristlecone pines over 4,000 years old, among the oldest living non-clonal organisms on Earth
3Driving the seasonal Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive up to nearly 10,000 feet, with hikes to alpine lakes and Wheeler Peak's summit
4Why Great Basin's International Dark Sky Park status and Astronomy Festival make it one of the best stargazing spots in the country