The cave tours are bat-solutely amazing!! While we did not actually see any, it was cool…read morenonetheless. I also really appreciate the park's dedication to the bat's safety with having special protocols for everyone before entering the caves to ensure their safety! We had Ranger Casey as our tour guide and he was fabulous!!! He gave a spectacular tour and answered all questions, easily! He truly made for everyone to have a safe, fun, educational time! The caves are just gorgeous. Don't forget to layer up! It's cold down there at all times. Also, if you're claustrophobic, I would recommend some meditation before going in lol. Overall, great time!

As part of our quest to visit all 63 U.S. national parks, we set off on a six week road trip. I…read morehave a personal rule: I only count a national park as "visited" if I actually spend time there, hike or walk through it, and truly experience it. On this trip, we thought we had visited 13 national parks, but Great Basin National Park became the surprise number 14 and one of the most memorable adventures of the entire journey. Sometimes the best experiences are the ones that almost do not happen. While we were in Canyonlands, my husband suddenly asked, "Wait a minute, did we actually visit Great Basin National Park in Nevada?" I looked at my list and saw that it was marked down, but when he asked the important question, "Do we have pictures? Do we have proof?" I had to admit we did not. And when we thought about it, we realized we had never really explored Nevada beyond Las Vegas. Then came the realization: we were only about four and a half hours away. Considering we had driven all the way from the Chicago area across the country, that suddenly felt like a small detour. My first thought was, "Well, we have to go!" The idea was not immediately accepted, but by the next morning the decision had changed. We packed our things and headed out for what became an unexpected and wonderful addition to our journey. The drive itself was an adventure. The landscape between Canyonlands and Great Basin was incredible, constantly changing from one world to another. My husband kept commenting that it felt like we were traveling through different planets. Desert landscapes transformed into mountains, open valleys, and forests, each one completely different from the last. Then we found ourselves on Highway 50, known as "The Loneliest Road in America." The name suddenly made perfect sense. We drove for more than 100 miles seeing almost no other cars. It was both strange and beautiful, a feeling of being completely surrounded by the vastness of the West. Great Basin National Park was a wonderful surprise. It is a smaller park, but it has so much to offer. The contrast between the desert surroundings and the alpine environment is remarkable. The park rises dramatically into the mountains, with beautiful forests of ancient bristlecone pines, high mountain peaks, and peaceful alpine lakes. The hiking was absolutely beautiful. Walking through the pine forests with mountain views all around felt refreshing after so many desert landscapes. The alpine lakes were stunning, and the scenery had a peacefulness that was different from the larger, more famous parks. We also explored the Lehman Caves, which added another unique dimension to the experience. Seeing the formations inside the caves was fascinating and reminded us once again how much variety exists within our national parks. Great Basin may not have the fame of Yellowstone, Yosemite, or Zion, but that is part of its charm. It feels quieter, more personal, and like a place where you can truly connect with nature. What started as a question from my husband turned into one of the best decisions of our trip. Because of Great Basin, our six week adventure became a journey to 14 national parks instead of 13, and we ended our incredible road trip with one more unexpected gift from nature. Sometimes the forgotten places become the ones you remember the most.

We had the opportunity to visit this hidden gem in 2020…read more We aren't fishermen/women but we do like to camp, hike and explore. We arrived later in the day and found a trail map. We chose the hardest trail both grade and altitude wise and off we went. We were there in early October and the leaves were changing so that was a plus. Our hike was a great challenge and we got in a terrific workout. The lake itself is currently being drained to fix the dam. This will take some serious time so I would not advise heading here to fish until this work is completed. I can only imagine how beautiful the lake is when full. I still found it lovely to visit and hike the surrounding mountains. Plenty of quality campsites and not crowded at all. In Nevada, we still have many wide open spaces to explore. So grateful for that fact! I will definitely return once the lake is full again so I can really enjoy the area even more.

We came, unfortunately, when the lake was drained for dam reconstruction. However, that didn't stop…read moreus from taking in a beautiful part of Nevada!!! The aspens in early October are absolutely beautiful and so fun for a hike up the hill and to play in. Cave Lake isn't far from Ely, and Ward Charcoal Ovens is also nearby. I feel like that's important to mention because of how far out Cave Lake already is. It's good to know you can see some other sites!! Our whole family wants to go back to really explore some of the trails - one day!

We loved our stay at Whispering Elms! They fulfilled our two main requirements- full RV hookups and…read moresuper friendly staff! It's only a few minutes drive from the Great Basin entrance. We would definitely stay here again. Not to mention the burger restaurant on property that's open on weekends is BOMB. I'm not sure where any negative reviews are coming from, maybe those people are use to staying at luxury rv resorts. For us, Whispering Elms was perfect!

This place is like a horror movie but in real life. It's a bait and switch the pictures on the…read morewebsite DO NOT represent what it's really like. The place is run down the whispering elms don't whisper cause they are mostly dead. The buildings on site are broken down and unkept. The owner or manager looks like an escapee from a homeless camp, at night he runs around screaming at the campers. The view from our campsite was of the broken down buildings and old run down motor homes.

This campground is located 37 miles west of Ely in the middle of nowhere. It has the potential to…read morebe a peaceful and picturesque location if it weren't for all the horrendous RVs. If you love the gentle hum of an RV generator, this is your place! We're tent campers, and the place just isn't as welcoming to our kind. While all of the RV folks were in the larger campsites, we were able to score a really lovely private spot overlooking the reservoir. The ground was extremely hard and it took quite a bit of arm strength to get the stakes in. Plus it was very windy! But once we were finished we had a nice, relaxing evening, minus the annoying aforementioned hum that continued all night long. It's unfortunate that the place isn't better maintained. Our fire pit had a ton of burned beer and soda cans and other miscellaneous garbage left by rednecks which we had to clear before starting a fire. The outhouse by the reservoir was a war zone. I couldn't muster the courage to step inside with the horrible smells it emitted and the swarm of flying insects buzzing by the entrance. At that point I was thankful that our campsite was private, if you know what I mean. The Bureau of Land Management should really keep a closer eye on this campground. If they had more of a presence then people would be less likely to litter and disrespect nature. Oh, and making the two-mile gravel road from the highway to the campground impassable for RVs wouldn't hurt either.

This was a wonderful, clean campground with tables, toilets and garbage collection. And it is all…read more"free". We were there in June and knocked the fishing out of the park with the #16 light yellow mayfly imitation on a fly rod. Good swimming also. The road getting into the area was excellent and is capable of accommodating any RV. We did not experience one patron running their generators in the evening. We had a great time and would recommend this location to anyone and everyone. Go visit the Hamilton ghost town really interesting.

The tour was 90 minutes long and the ranger did an amazing job educating people about the basics of…read morethis cave! The I side temperature is around 45-50's so it's a little chilly so just a long sleeve is good cos you'll be walking. Oh and a lot of ducking your head if you're taller than 5ft. The cave is well light because they just got new lights installed. It's very breathable place but If you're claustrophobic then I don't recommend going. Many area have tight spaces.

These caves are located in The Great Basin National Park. You need to go to the Lehman Caves…read moreVisitor Center. This is a different location from The Great Basin Visitor Center. In order to visit the caves, you need to purchase a ticket (which is also your reservation) and a National Park Entry Pass of some sort. I purchased my tickets for the Parachute Shield Tour online at the recreation.gov website. I got a Senior ticket ($6) & a regular ticket ($12). There is no additional fee. When I went to check-in, I presented my ticket confirmation email and my National Park Pass. The tour is about an our long. It is said that Absalom S. Lehman discovered the caves when riding his horse. The horse broke through a crust covering the cave's natural entrance. No one really knows for sure who discovered the cave or how. Lehman Caves was designated Lehman Caves National Monument before it became part of The Great Basin National Park. We gathered at a door that looked like the right door. It was the right place to be at, but not the one we used. The Ranger met us here and instructed us to use the shoe washing station. After we all washed the soles of our shoes, we all walked up the hill to a different door to begin our descent into the cave. It's the same door we exited from at the end of the tour. The first room we arrived at was the Lodge Room. Then we walked through a man-made walkway called "The Panama Canal" which led us to the next room, The Inscription Room. Here, you can see where the explorers belly crawled through "Fat Man's Misery" (natural entrance) to get here. When they made it to the Inscription Room, they used the soot from their flame to inscribe their name on the ceiling. To get to the Grand Palace, we walked on the path called "The Rocky Road" which took us past the Lake Room & Cypress Swamp. Our tour ended at the Sunken Garden. To exit, we retraced our paths back to where we entered. We toured these rooms: Lodge Room Inscription Room - has names & dates on the ceiling Cypress Swamp - many stalactites suspended from the low ceiling resemble a swamp full of Cypress Trees Lake Room - named for the small, year-round pool to the side Grand Palace - the largest room on the tour and absolutely wondrous Sunken Garden - deepest part of the cave at about 235 ft below the surface. There's a viewing platform here. The Grand Palace is where you'll see the cave bacon, stalactites and stalagmites that almost touch, this tour's namesake, the Parachute Shield, and other points of interest. Lehman Caves boasts of shield formations, most iconic is the Parachute Shield which is pictured on souvenirs. While most other caves have a couple shield formations, Lehman Caves amazingly has more than 500. Just before the end of our tour, the ranger asked if our group wanted to experience the cave pitch black. We all agreed and the lights were turned off for a minute or two. It was pretty eery, the silence and darkness. Once the lights were back on, we walked out of the cave. This was a very fascinating tour. They say that each time you enter the cave, the experience will be different. If we ever come back here, I'd be willing to take the tour again!

This was a great place to stay! There are RV and camper spots and tent spots. We parked our RV in…read morethe biggest row, farthest from the reservoir but just a short walk away. Our site was huge with electric and water hookups, garbage can, and a shelter with lighting and a picnic table. The bathrooms were very clean and the lawn was nice- people were playing horseshoes but everything quieted down a lot once it got dark. Dump station on the way out of the camp and there was no wait for it. We were just passing through as we are moving across country and I'm glad we picked this spot just a few miles outside of Beaver. It was peaceful and beautiful and probably a lot of fun for longer stays for fishing and boating. Camp host was nice and helpful.

Great place to visit. Love to fish or camp great day. Can…read morehave a nice picnic, rent kayaks beautiful place

Wheeler Peak is Nevada's most majestic summit, a veritable tree of life-…read morehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5D-NeXE8ADA From its peak, you can behold Nevada, California, and Utah. As a drive or a hike, it is breathtaking. One can behold the stunning landscape of the Basin&Range. There's desert, alpine scenery, ancient pine trees, glaciers. As a hike, it takes plenty of preparation. The road towards the top (tho not at the summit itself) is open seasonally. Far from the madding crowds of Las Vegas, Reno&Burning Man/Black Rock City, Wheeler Peak is spectacular, desolate wilderness. And on a clear day, one can really see forever.

Road to top is open seasonally. Typically opens in early June. Early May typically has 3 miles…read moreopen. In late May, only 5 of 13 miles open. You need to get to the top to see the alpine gardens and lakes, the glacier, and the bristlecone pine forest. Or at least access to these attractions without a 6 mile snow shoe hike. Wheeler Peak is the highest freestanding Peak in Nevada (though not the highest point in Nevada). The sky is the darkest sky in the USA. One of the absolute best places for star gazing.

Good end spot with a bbq, firepit and patch of grass for the dogs and the dog park across the way…read more Nice clean showers. Very quiet.

Hundred percent the nicest, best-maintained KOA park we've ever been to. We got a fully-furnished…read morecabin, so it came complete with a bathroom and kitchenette. The cabin was clean and delightfully decorated, and the bed was comfortable. The grounds are beautiful and the environment so peaceful. Even the common-use restroom is spotlessly-clean and smells reassuringly of disinfectant. There's a small convenience store on site, managed by friendly people who are very knowledgable about the local area. Would love to come back in the summer and sit outside in the evening to enjoy the view.

I loved staying at Hidden Canyon Retreat l! It was so amazing and peaceful, and our room was large…read moreand cozy! The only downside was that the hot tub wasn't super clean. Aside from that, everything else made for a really enjoyable stay. Even the drive to it feels like you are alone! Super cool spot!

This is a great spot to stay if you're visiting Great Basin National Park. The staff was incredibly…read moreaccomodating. Thank you for letting us check in an hour early! The suite was very, very clean. The grounds were well maintained with a family of deer and turkey! The gravel road to get into the canyon would be easier to travel with a high clearance vehicle. Don't count on cell phone service while you're there, but you won't need it. Plenty of space to lounge, swim, or walk the grounds. The scenery is beautiful. Loved watching the sunrise and sunset here. They also have a great selection of food, drinks, and other items at their market. Loved staying here!