Epic Great Basin National Park Camping Guide including front country campgrounds, how to make a reservation, what to expect and more.
Great Basin National Park Camping Guide
***NOTE***
There are numerous construction and rehabilitation projects planned for Great Basin National Park in 2024. Projects include
- Rehabilitate wastewater collection and water distribution systems in areas surrounding Leahman Caves Visitor Center. This will include temporary disruptions to the Leahman Caves Visitor Center Parking, access, and water systems.
- Upgrade and improve the Bristlecone Recreation Area and Trailhead. This can include temporary closures of the Bristlecone Parking Area and Wheeler Peak Trailhead.
- Pavement Preservation Project including chip sealing, micro surfacing and patching all of the parks paved roads. THere can be temporary disruptions along paved roads, particularly Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive. Temporary closures and one way traffic control will occur during this process.
Camping in Great Basin National Park is a great way to enjoy the epic dark skies found in the park. Great Basin NP is a designated International Dark Sky Park!
The campground are nicely spread throughout the park making it easy to pick a campground based on what hiking trails you plan to enjoy or the area of the park you want to explore.
Wheeler Peak Campground is at the highest elevation near the trail head for the Bristlecone Pine Trail and Wheeler Peak Trailhead. This is a great campground for acclimating to the high elevation before heading out on these hikes.
For a fun adventure check out Escape Campervans. These campervans have built-in beds, kitchen areas with refrigerators, and more. You can have them fully set up with kitchen supplies, bedding, and other fun extras. They are painted with epic designs you can't miss!
Escape Campervans has offices in Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Denver, Chicago, New York, and Orlando
The developed campgrounds are located in the main section of the park near Lehman Caves and Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive.
Make sure to check in at the Great Basin Visitor Center for any information on events happening in the park. They have great night sky interpretive programs offered throughout the year.
Lehman Cave tours are offered with reservations which are highly recommended. When we did our cave tour the entire day was booked.
The campgrounds are run by the National Park Service.
The best time to visit Great Basin National Park is summer when most of the campgrounds are open. While the park is open year round the campgrounds are normally open during the summer.
Lower Lehman Creek Campground
Closed 2024 for ongoing Rehabilitation and construction projects
Location: Located along Wheeler Peak Drive
Number of sites: 11
ADA Sites: The campground has one ADA campsite (Site #1) Restroom is ADA accessible.
Cost per night: Campsites are $20 per night per site. $10 for senior/access pass holders. No checks.
Reservations?: May 28th - October 31st is the period during which sites are reservable. Can reserve up to 6 months in advance.
Campground amenities:
Potable Water is available spring through fall, weather permitting.
GPS Coordinates: 39° 0' 59.2452" N 114° 14' 23.0172" W
RVs allowed?: Yes, There are a limited number of pull-through sites for RVs and trailers.
Generator Hours: 8 am and 8 pm
Check out our full article on Lower Lehman Caves Campground
Upper Lehman Creek Campground
Location: Off of Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive
Number of sites: 23
ADA Sites: The campground has two ADA campsites (Site #2 and #18) Restrooms are ADA accessible.
Cost per night: Campsites are $20 per night per site. $10 for senior/access pass holders. No checks.
Reservations? Sites are reservable from May 25th to September 30th. You can reserve up to 30 days in advance.
Campground amenities: Each site offers a picnic table and fire ring, along with potable water and pit toilets nearby
GPS Coordinates: 39° 0' 47.5128" N 114° 14' 55.8600" W
RVs allowed?: RV and Trailers are allowed on Lower Loop. RV and trailer maximum length on Upper Loop is 24 feet.
Generator Hours: 8 am and 8 pm
Check out our full article on Upper Lehman Caves Campground
Wheeler Peak Campground
Wheeler Peak Campground will be closed in 2024 for ongoing rehabilitation and construction projects
Wheeler Peak Campground is at the top of Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive at 9,886 feet in elevation. It is a great campground if you plan to explore the Ancient Bristlecone Pines trail and Wheeler Peak Trail.
You can get acclimated to the elevation before heading out to see the Bristlecone Pine Grove.
Location: Top of Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive
Number of sites: 37
ADA Sites: This campground has some ADA campsites
Cost per night: $20
Reservations?: Yes, Recreation.gov
Campground amenities: Each site has campfire rings and grills, there is no potable water, pit toilets
GPS Coordinates: 39° 0' 39.2760" N 114° 18' 15.8400" W
RVs allowed?: Yes, Maximum length of 24 feet. Neither towing nor towed vehicles exceeding 24 feet in length are accommodated along the Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive or at Wheeler Peak Campground.
Generator Hours: Generators may only be used between the hours of 8am and 8pm.
Check out our full article on Wheeler Peak Campground
Baker Creek Campground
Location: 2.9 miles down a dirt road from the main road in the park.
Baker Creek Campground is open Memorial Day-Labor Day (weather dependant)
Number of sites: 37
ADA Sites: ADA accessible campsite is Site #4, #21, and #28. Restrooms are ADA accessible.
Cost per night: $20
Reservations?: No, all sites are first come first served.
Campground amenities: Water is available spring through fall, weather permitting.
GPS Coordinates: 38° 59' 8.6280" N 114° 14' 35.9160" W
RVs allowed?: RVs and Trailers allowed on Lower Loop. RVs and Trailers over 24 feet are not allowed on Upper Loop.
Generator Hours: 8 am and 8 pm
Check out our full article on Baker Creek Campground
Great Basin National Park Camping is the perfect way to explore the park and wake up to epic scenery.
Grey Cliffs Campground
Location: Near the Lehman Caves visitor center off of a dirt road
Number of sites: 16
ADA Sites: There are 2 ADA Accessible campsites. On Loop C, site C3 is accessible. As well as A8 on Loop A. Both sites are located next to accessible restrooms.
Cost per night: $20
Reservations?: Yes, reservations are available May 25nd - September 30th. You can reserve up to 30 days in advance.
Campground amenities: Each campsite has quite a bit of space along with picnic tables, outhouses, and barbecue brassieres.
GPS Coordinates: 38° 59' 22.8998" N 114° 13' 16.7999" W
RVs allowed?: RVs are not permitted due to space constraints.
Generator Hours: n/a
Check out our full article on Grey Cliffs Campground
Snake Creek Campground
Snake Creek Campground is open May-October (Weather dependant)
Location: Along the Snake Creek River, located on the south-eastern side of the park
Number of sites: 12, Sites to choose from include, Monkey Rock, Squirrel Springs, Pinnacles, Eagle Peak. The Shoshone and Johnson Lake trail sites are a short 0.5 mile hike from the parking lot at the end of the Snake Creek Road.
ADA Sites: Monkey Rock, Squirrel Springs, and Trailhead restrooms are ADA accessible.
Cost per night: There are no camping fees
Reservations?: All sites are First-Come-First-Served.
Campground amenities: Tents must be placed within 30 feet of the site's picnic table and/or fire ring.
GPS Coordinates: 38° 55' 31.3716" N 114° 15' 5.4432" W
RVs allowed?: Due to the nature of the road, RVs, trailers, and other large vehicles over 30 feet are not allowed on Snake Creek Road.
Generator Hours: 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m
Lodging near Great Basin National Park
The majority of lodging for Great Basin NP can be found in Ely, Nevada about an hour from the park.
La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Ely - We stayed in this hotel during our last visit to the park and it was great. Free continental breakfast, a free manager's reception, and a fireplace in the lobby. For some rest and relaxation, visit the hot tub. Stay connected with free in-room Wi-Fi, and guests can find other amenities such as a gym and a 24-hour business center.
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Ely - Free continental breakfast, laundry facilities, and a 24-hour gym are just a few of the amenities provided at Holiday Inn Express & Suites Ely, an IHG Hotel. Treat yourself to some rest and relaxation at Steam Room, the onsite spa. In addition to a 24-hour business center and a steam room, guests can connect to free in-room Wi-Fi.
Hotel Nevada - We stayed in this historic casino hotel during one of our trips to the park. It is definitely a historic hotel.
Additional Great Basin NP Resources
Great Basin Star Train Trip Report - Find out what it was like to ride on the Star Train with Great Basin NP Park Rangers.
Lehman Caves Guide - Coming Soon
Top things to do in Great Basin NP - All of the top attractions you do not want to miss while exploring the park.
Great Basin Hiking Guide - Coming soon
Planning a National Park vacation? America the Beautiful/National Park Pass covers entrance fees for an entire year to all US National Park Sites and over 2,000 Federal Recreation Fee Sites.
The park pass covers everyone in the car for per vehicle sites and for up to 4 adults for per-person sites.
Buy on REI.com and REI will donate 10% of pass proceeds to the National Forest Foundation, National Park Foundation and the U.S. Endowment for Forestry & Communities.
Check out all of the National Parks in Nevada along with neighboring National Parks in Arizona, National Parks in California, Idaho National Parks, Oregon National Parks, and National Parks in Utah
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