Great Basin National Park | The Big 2025 Parks Tour, Part 5
Hey friends, I'm starting to include some short videos on these blogs thanks to my new PeerTube installation, so don't miss 'em!
Original Adventure Dates: October 5-7, 2025
But first: a short Vlog about my first night camping in the Kia Soul (via PeerTube)
Greetings from Great Basin National Park in the rugged and alluring high desert of Nevada. I’m writing this from camp at Baker Creek, about to start a roaring fire and cook some grilled cheese and salami sandwiches with one of those cool cast-iron camp cookers. Basic, but so tasty! Besides, doesn't everything taste better when it's cooked over a fire?
I arrived here on a Sunday afternoon, and it was surreal to be the only person at a National Park visitor center during a weekend. Granted, the visitor center was closed because of the government shutdown, but it still felt strange. The bathrooms were open, though, and immaculate, so I washed up, refilled my water at the refill station, and got some intel from the park maps and activity suggestions posted outside.
That first night was COLD. The kind of chill that injects itself right into your bones and sticks with you. Despite this, I decided to sleep in my tent the first night, assuming I would be a little chillier than in the car. It felt like the right thing to do in such a serene outdoor environment. Plus, the “learn by doing” part of my personality had to get a good comparison...
When I woke up in the morning, everything was frosty and the air was biting right into my throat when I took a breath. And yet, it was invigorating! Still, it was the kind of cold that demanded I sit in my car and blast the heater for a few minutes. Overnight, it got down to about 30F with a "real feel" of 26F! Thankfully, the wind was mild, but it took a fair bit of time to thaw out.
There’s nothing like a clean, crisp desert morning.
What’s weird is that even though it was cold initially, I felt considerably warmer overnight in my tent than in my car. That logic seems flawed, doesn't it? Well, it turns out a tent can actually be warmer than sleeping in your car. I had to research it for a sanity check.
A small and light backpacking tent like mine (a Nemo Hornet Osmo) has some pretty advanced engineering to it, and uses materials that create a kind of cozy “microclimate,” so my body heat warms it up much faster. Even breathing inside there can raise the temperature a few degrees.
Cars, on the other hand, have a lot more air and space to heat, plus thin metal that sucks warmth out and leaks cold air through vents and doors. Clearly I would need to put more thought into my car if I ever plan on sleeping in it during the winter.
Inside the park, I decided to take the Wheeler Peak scenic drive, which is about a 15 mile out-and-back mountain road that climbs from 7000 feet to 10,500 feet! Honestly, I was pretty timid going up that road, taking it nice and slow. Fortunately there were smartly placed lookouts and turnouts to admire the views — because if you admire them too much while you’re driving that thing, you’ll end up going right off a cliff.
This is what the majority of the drive looked like. Enjoy the gallery:
Majestic peaks piercing through the clouds, and a stunning range of fall colors all around.
At about 10.300 feet I came to the trailhead parking lot for Wheeler Peak, and I was sure tempted by the hike. To reach the summit from there, though, I'd still have to hike 4.2 miles and climb 3000 more feet! It’s a monster, and I wasn’t up for it.
About 1/2 a mile beyond that, the road dead ends to another trailhead parking lot. This trail was apparently a much gentler and shorter 3.2 miles to an ancient Bristlecone grove. Impulsively I parked, made a quick lunch, gathered up some some water and snacks, and excitedly hit the trail.
No regrets about the hike I chose!
A think coating of snow outlined a good chunk of the path, and I was constantly taking photos. It turned out to be one of those “around every corner a new and fascinating view” kind of trail. Which are my favorite, as long as I'm not pressed for time...
Eventually it curved around to a grove of ancient Bristlecone pines — some of them still alive. These are apparently the world’s oldest living organisms. You’ve maybe heard of the Giant Sequoias? They’re older than them, living up to 5200 years!
Try wrapping your head around that for even 30 seconds. Imagine what they have seen. Imagine what they have endured!
Later down the trail, I met Shirley and Frank, and their boisterous, ridiculously energetic beagle Mocha. They live in South Lake Tahoe, and were staying in an Airstream at the same campground. I believe Shirley used to fly for United Airlines, and she’s also writing a book about her life experiences.
That dog is an amazing creature. I watched her bounce up a nearly vertical cliff littered with talus and boulders like it was trivial.
The hike back to the trailhead gave me a new view, one that I could soak in this time, as opposed to the drive up. Just vast expanses of desert, mountains, green rolling foothills. Such a diverse mix of terrain.
High desert hiking is riveting!
One more thing I have to share before signing off: the first “Marmot Crossing” sign I’ve ever seen :)
Great Basin National Park left me wanting more, which is kind of how I like to leave things out in nature. Still, I sent a little bookmark up to my subconscious to come back here sometime and enjoy more of these trails, and soak in more of the appealing high desert of Nevada.
For now, it was time to break camp and make my way to Utah.
PREVIOUSLY ON THE 2025 PARKS ROAD TRIP:
Jason Evangelho
Jason Evangelho
Jason Evangelho
Jason Evangelho
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