Shayla B.

Although it isn't as extravagant as some of the other caves that I've been to, the Lehman Caves definitely holds their own when it comes to cave beauty. The Lehman Caves are one of the most popular attractions within Great Basin National Park. Entrance into the cave is done by tour only. Tours can be booked up to 30 days in advance (the earlier you book, the better) and cost $8-$15 depending on the tour (half price with a National Park pass). Tours are done in relatively large groups, but you can also book private tours for your party. Check-in is 15-30 minutes before your scheduled tour time at the Lehman Caves Visitor Center. There are a few different tours to choose from, but the Grand Palace Tour will get you the most access through the cave. This tour is about 1.5 hours long and is narrated by a tour guide. You'll learn about the history of the cave as well as the different formations inside. We had a super engaging and informative tour guide which made the tour even that much more exciting. The formations are so unique and beautiful. There are tons of stalagmites, stalactites, and mini hoodoos inside. There's a beautiful area of the cave called Golden Paradise which is true to its' name. You really feel like you're walking through a golden paradise! There are a few narrow parts of the cave where you have to duck and dive, but nothing too crazy. There was a part of the tour where our tour guide turned the lights off and it was pitch black! Couldn't believe how dark it got in there. You don't need a flashlight as most of the cave is pretty well light, but you can bring one if you'd like to. Also, it gets pretty cold in the cave, so I'd recommend bringing a sweater or a jacket if you get cold easily. All in all, this was such a fun experience. If you're planning on visiting Great Basin National Park, a visit to Lehman Caves should be at the top of your list.

Wesley T.

If you're in the park and camping nearby, this is a great place to visit for the afternoon. They have a few separate tours but we took the 60 minute tour. Pretty chilly (50F) in the caves and a lot of ducking but very interesting! What definitely made it better was our enthusiastic and funny tour guide! Cute little coffee and gift shops too, there's also a short trial that leads to the natural opening of the cave. This place is a must if you're in the area, remember to reserve weeks in advance as they fill up quick.

Craig S.

Great activity to hit while at Great Basin Natl Park. The cave is a live cave. Very humid and chilly. Really good turnip formations and shield stalactites. The tour was very interesting and informative. I won't spoil it here but the cave does have quite a bit of history attached to it. Really cool photo opportunities on the hour tour. They will help you clean your shoes if you've been in other caves recently.

Norm K.

I have been to a few caves in my life but none compares with Lehman Caves in the Great Basin National Park. I bought my ticket on recreation.gov and was there in time to hang out and enjoy the surroundings in the cool morning air. Our guide gave us the rules: no backpacks, no candy/gum, no smoking, no food nor water, no purses, selfie sticks, pets or strollers. You can bring a camera, a flashlight, something to keep you warm such as a light jacket or sweater, and your cell phone. I took the Grand Palace tour which is 1.5 hours and takes you to two extra rooms that you wouldn't see on the shorter hour tour. I would strongly urge people to plan ahead and buy their tickets online. I heard several people being turned away as the tour they oped to be on was full. They were making a waiting list for some of the next day tours. Wear comfortable shoes. I had my hiking boots on and I was glad I did. There's one spot where it's quite wet on the concrete and you need good tread and the railing to keep from falling. This is an enjoyable tour--cheap by any standard--and if you're going to be in the Great Basin area, don't miss it.

Melanie A.

These caves are a must-see! Absolutely amazing and you can bring the whole family. We brought our 3 year old and 3 month. You can't have strollers or backpacks, so our toddler walked part of the time and was carried part of the time. I carried the 3 month old in a front baby carrier. There are some areas that are a tight squeeze, so I don't recommend for anyone that is claustrophobic or has issues walking/balancing.

Youri Y.

If you love caves, you'll love this place! :D My photos are from the summer of 2010 when I visited with my geology classmates. Hopefully not much has changed but it's a really cool spot to check out in a tour with a park ranger. Don't forget to bring layers and a camera for all the neat rock formations :)

Lee D.

Great tour of this active cave! Two tours are offered with alternating times - one is 60 minutes and one is 90. We did the 90 minute Grand Palace tour and the time flew by (in fact, it ended up being close to two hours). Since this is an active cave, precautions are taken to clean your boots beforehand to prevent white nose disease for the bats. Safety is also stressed and participants are told repeatedly that if they are not comfortable, they can exit the cave. Our ranger guide, Mark, was great. Informative without giving us too much information. Again, because it is an active cave, formations continue to grow. We saw stalagmites and stalactites, along with helictites, drapes, bacon, soda straws, and shields (the best known one is the five and a half foot Parachute shield). Book ahead (www.recreation.gov) as tours will fill up, even on a Monday at the end of April

Terri C.

Stalactite, stalagmites, and lots of other words that end in -ites are just some of the things in store for you if you visit Lehman Caves. We made the trek to Great Basin National Park this past Saturday, leaving Vegas at 6:30am and arriving at the Lehman Caves Visitor Center just about 4.5 hours later (including one pit stop). We took the 1pm Grand Palace Tour which I had booked online at www.recreation.gov a few weeks before. The cost is $11 per adult for the 90-minute guided tour with a park ranger. Peggy ("from the East Coast") was our tour guide and she did an excellent job of leading us through all the rooms and shared many geology facts and history about this fascinating place. With a maximum capacity of 20 per tour group, there were only 10 of us so it was a nice and intimate experience probably due to the fact that it's still winter and the busier times are the spring and summer here. However, it was colder outside than it was in the caves which maintain a temp of 50 degrees year round. The disadvantage of coming to the park in the winter, though, is that many areas were closed due to a recent heavy snowfall. TIPS: -purchase your tour tickets in advance online at www.recreation.gov. They do take walk-ins, but I wouldn't want to travel this far and risk not being accommodated. -bring your own food and drink in a cooler in your car. There are not many options to eat in this area, especially during the winter; several of the places that we passed in Baker looked closed. The closest place to dine (according to the visitor center staff) was a gas station/cafe about 15 minutes away. There is a cafe on site at the visitor center, but it's only open in the summer. -when you're on the tour, you cannot bring any food or drink (including water) into the cave, nor can you bring backpacks, purses, camera cases, gum, strollers, pets, or selfie sticks. You can bring a flashlight, camera, cell phone, and jacket. Highly recommended to explore this part of our state and especially this natural wonder.

Leila R.

Did the Grand Palace 90 min tour at 9am this morning and it was a steal for the $10 cost! The tours for the day were sold out because of the Astronomy Festival, so I would definitely recommend calling ahead and securing your tour with a res. The cave itself is just gorgeous with some spectacular column formations and shields! This tour takes your through several portions of the cave, my fav being the inscription room where you can see smoke markings from early visitors, there was a penciled signature from 1906 and one heading out from 1902! The formations are just incredible in this cave and you are able to stop and take pictures and inspect the formations (just remember not to touch them as this cave is stil active and growing). You can bring in a camera and a flashlight, but not anything else. Our ranger guide was highly informative and I had fun assisting her by being the "caboose" in our large group to make sure everyone stayed together and we kept the group moving to stay on time. Highly recommend as this is a must see cave!

Paul L.

Lehman Caves is small, especially compared to the likes of Carlsbad Caverns, but the wild details throughout this cave system are well worth the visit. At times, walking through the caves can feel like standing at the bottom of the ocean. Some formations look like steam vents and others like fossilized specimens. A few formations reminded me of the inside of a butcher shop. Children will see formations that make them feel like they are in the land of Dr. Seuss. This is a place to let your imagination run wild. Take the 90-minute tour, offered a few times a day, to see as much as possible. You aren't permitted to bring a tripod so steady your hand then take as many photos as you can and hope for the best. The pace is slow so enjoy the ride.

Greg B.

When you yelp a show cave, what exactly are you yelping? The physical cave itself, the tour, or both? Boring caves can be enlivened by imaginative guides, and vice versa. Both cave and guide were good at Lehman's. Drove the Great Basin Hwy from Las Vegas for several hours to get there and took the Grand Palace tour. I've toured a great number of show caves in the US and abroad over the years and the specialty of this cave seems to be the jellyfish or parachute shields, and angels wings. Lehman seems to abound in such "anti-gravity" speleothems but they are also prominent at Luray Caverns in Virginia. Luray also has the stone xylophone phenomenon they describe here. The cave guide very bubbly and I only noticed a few discrepancies with actual observations, as when we got to the reddish Martian passages. The cave has some remarkable biological aspects which were not addressed on the tour. But the guide did a good job of conveying the ambiguity associated with the historicity of old graffiti, and the several past (some bungled) attempts to erase it. Be aware that the town of Baker is DEAD in winter and the cafe at the cave is closed for the season, so pack your own food at that time of year. If it snows, the highways apparently require tire-chains in the mountain passes.

Cheryl B.

We went on the 1.5 hour tour - very interesting and beautiful. Lucinda was a informative and entertaining tour guide. Absolutely worthwhile! Book early. A light jacket is a good idea. A light, even a phone light, is a better idea - it lets you see even more. It's paved but there are some steps. Overall a very easy walk. Wear good shoes, we had a lot of water so it was a little slippery in places.