📍Great Basin NP – Not What I Expected: No Basin, No Desert 🏔️🌲

After leaving Capitol Reef yesterday, I drove through the night from Richfield to Beaver 🚗💨, finally ending three days without a Supercharger. After connecting Zion – Bryce – Capitol Reef, I made a detour to the lesser-known Great Basin National Park 🗺️. I had zero expectations beforehand. Nevada is a giant desert, and the “Great Basin” within it— what could possibly be worth seeing? It’s so underrated—even though it’s close to California, no one ever talks about it. I figured it couldn’t be much better than Pinnacles NP. But when I arrived, I found no “basin” in sight— instead, there were mountains and trees 🌲⛰️, nothing like a desert at all. I got there around 11 AM 🕚. Lehman Cave was already sold out 🕳️❌. A bit surprising— even on a Monday, it’s still busy! Guess this park isn’t as quiet as I thought. But it wasn’t a huge loss. I’ve seen many caves before, and this one isn’t famous enough that I’d heard of it beforehand, so probably not a “must-see.” After getting my passport stamp and map 🧾🗺️, I quickly settled on two goals: Wheeler Peak – Nevada’s second-highest summit 🏔️, and the Bristlecone Pine Forest / Bristlecone Trail 🌲🥾. First, I stopped at a nearby restaurant for a hotdog with avocado 🥑🌭 to refuel while planning my route. Tackle the hard part first. The park info warned about Wheeler Peak: “Start early due to risk of afternoon thunderstorms.” ⚡🌩️ But here I was starting at noon… hope I don’t get struck by lightning? Hmm… I’ll play it by ear 🧭. Turn back if things look bad. Hope I make it in time. Drove from the visitor center at 6,000 ft up to the Summit Trailhead at 10,000 ft 🚙💨. Only a few cars were around. This mountain’s stats—8.6 mi length, 3,100 ft gain— are almost identical to Guadalupe Peak 🥾📏. Learning from last time (almost too hungry to get down), I brought my hiking backpack 🎒, a few energy bars, and three 500ml water bottles 💧. Started hiking at 12:30 PM. After just a few steps, seeing it was cloudy and shaded by trees ☁️🌳, I left one water bottle behind. About 1 mi in, I spotted someone ahead 👤— felt a bit relieved. Starting this late did feel risky. An older gentleman smiled and greeted me, asking if I was heading to Wheeler Peak. “Yes,” I nodded. His smile faded. He turned and yelled to his partner, “This guy’s climbing Wheeler Peak!” Then he turned back and said, “Wheeler Peak is really tough—we’re just going to the lake ahead.” He pointed up toward the summit, smile returning, “Look, it’s right there—you’re almost there!” I was speechless 😶. Grateful for his kindness, but… seriously? I know I’ve only gone 1 mi—I’m nowhere near “almost there.” #RoadTrip #USNationalParks #Nevada #SoloTravel #HikingAdventures #MountainGoals #NatureExploration #OffTheBeatenPath