NV, Great Basin National Park-Baker Creek Campground

July 7-9, 2019

Great Basin National Park is not well known and one of the least visited National Parks but it is certainly beautiful. I wish I could have captured the view driving into this place. We entered a very flat land area that went on forever to the right and left but ahead you could see the beautiful mountains stretching up to the sky.  I don't think I have ever experienced anything quite like it.

There is not much around the park. I thought it would be the perfect place for bears so I was surprised to learn that there aren't any and weren't ever any that we know of. Well, the ranger said IF there ever were any they would have been a prehistoric short faced bear. But in any case, the kids breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing there would be no bear encounters.

We camped at Baker Creek Campground which is dry camping. Only a couple of the campgrounds are suitable for RVs our size and even at that, it was a SUPER tight squeeze. In some areas the brush extended out so far that our truck barely fit through. So our RV definitely rubbed it.  And all along the campground road Greg was dodging tree limbs. We were keeping our fingers crossed that we would not meet another RV heading in the opposite direction!

Then was the attempt to park the RV. We tried 3 different spots a total of 4 times. They call them pull thru sites but they are curved and lined by boulders which made it so difficult to maneuver our 37 feet into. We tried driving through them and backing into them to no avail. The last spot we tried was actually THE last spot available in that campground. We lucked out on that one.

(There we are on the right!)

We only had one full day in the park. We started the morning with a drive up to the Wheeler Peak area to do a hike. The drive itself was pretty and had a couple of areas to pull off and take in the view.

The hike to Wheeler Peak was closed due to dangerous trail conditions so we opted to do the loop hike to Stella and Teresa lakes. Even though it was July, there was still so much snow and mud on the trail. We were able to avoid most of it on the way up and past the lakes but on the way back down, there was no way but directly through it. Not the best when you don't have waterproof shoes, but no one complained of cold feet. And surprisingly, we all did very well considering the hike began at 9,800 feet elevation!

(The meadow areas were so pretty)

(Stella Lake)

(There's no place better for a snack break!)

(Teresa Lake)

In the afternoon, we took a tour of Lehman Caves. I was a little hesitant since we have done several cave tours and I doubted anything could be as good as Karchner in AZ but it was a very pretty cave! It was VERY decorated and even included shields and helictites, which are not very common!

(a shield)

We later tried to check out Pole Canyon but dusk was too near and so we turned back.  Our short stay was over...