Great Basin N.P., Nevada - A Worthwhile Stop?

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

A week from tomorrow we we’re goin’ on vacation! Yippee! Me, wifey, 15 year old son #1, 6 year old #2, 21 month old #3, and either our nephew or a friend of #1 (another teenager), will pack it up and head out to Mammoth Lakes, CA (Yosemite NP, Mono Lake, Bodie ghost town, Devil’s Postpile, etc. - My true vacation stomping grounds) for 3-4 days. Wifey does want to go to Utah also – Zion NP, Bryce NP, Cedar Breaks NM, etc. also…therefore we must drive through central Nevada or back-track towards Vegas to get there. For me, Vegas can wait for the trip home, so I’m going to take the 400-500 mile trek from Mammoth to Brianhead in one day going on US-6 and then on Nev SR 375 (aka Extraterrestial Highway), then US-93 to the Nev SR 319 to the Utah SR 56 to Cedar City. About 415 miles - no problem.

But that adventurous part of me says, “Hey, what about Great Basin NP? You’ve never been there, you’ve never done it. It will add another 100 miles to trip, but so what? You’re a freakin’ Road Warrior!”

Ok, this place is pretty remote, near the Nevada-Utah border, 70 miles from that bustling metropolis called Ely, Nevada. Lehman Caves would definitely be the first thing I would do – 50 degrees inside when it’s a 100+ outside. A natural refridgerator. But is that it? Is there anything else there that might be even half as spectacular as Yosemite, Zion and Bryce? Will I be the first person ever to visit this park, or are there Dopers out there that can give me a personal account (positive or negative) about this park? Any Doper out there from Ely, Nevada? Anything interesting about that town? We will probably have lunch there; Any great restaurants that you would refer a family of 6 to?

Hey Utah Dopers…Aside from Zion, Bryce and Cedar Breaks, any other points of interest near or about Cedar City/St. George/Hurricane/Springdale areas? We’ll spend one night in Brianhead and another night in Springdale and then head to Vegas to tithe the state of Nevada.

Thanks ahead to all respondents…

2

Hey Mod,
Maybe I should have posted this over at IMHO board…

3

I’ve been to some of the places you mention, so maybe I can give some suggestions.

I haven’t been to Great Basin, but I’ve been meaning to go one of these days. I hear Lehman Caves is one of the most beautiful caves in the world, literally packed with formations (the first explorers took sledgehammers to break through the formations). I know another attraction there is a scenic drive up Wheeler’s Peak, the second highest point in Nevada. Up there you’ll find bristlecone pines, which are among the oldest living things in the world (some as old as 5000 years). There’s a glacier there, too, one of the southernmost in the country. That’s about the extent of my knowledge on the park, though.

In general, my favorite reference to the national parks (and the one where I learned the above information from) is National Geographic’s Guide to the National Parks of the United States; You can pick it up for about $25. On the other hand, if you just want to learn more about Great Basin, just find the book at your local bookstore and browse through that section while you’re there.

A little southeast of Zion NP is Coral Pink Sand Dunes SP. I stopped there about a month ago when I was in the area, though I didn’t have time to do much more than look around. To me, the sand wasn’t pink, more of a bright red-orange; I kind of imagined it looking much like what I would expect parts of Mars to look like. A popular thing to do there is rent dune buggies to ride around in the sand.

Another place that might be worth a stop, this one near Bryce Canyon NP, is Kodachrome Basin SP. It’s thought that this area was once much like Yellowstone, with lots of geysers. Over time, sand deposits in the geysers turned to rock, then the surrounding land eroded away, leaving these spires of rock they call chimneys or sand-pipes, I believe. Apparently this is the only place in the world with these formations.

The road to Kodachrome Basin (KB) is Cottonwood Canyon Road. I didn’t have time to go beyond KB when I was there, but it continues (albeit unpaved) to Grosvenor Arch, then through Cottonwood Canyon, which I understand is a nice scenic drive. I hear that the road is passable by 2WD vehicles, though I also see this warning about the southern end of the road: “impassable when wet and hard to navigate when too dry”. Best to ask one of the park rangers at KB about the current condition of the road before setting out too far down the road.

By the way, I wouldn’t recommend going to these two state parks to the exclusion of Zion or Bryce; definitely take your time at those two and see all you can (I highly recommend taking a hike down into the Bryce Amphitheater, such as the Navajo Loop trail). Cedar Breaks is a breathtaking view, as well. If you have additional time, then consider the Sand Dunes and Kodachrome.

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Okay, despite living in Reno, I still haven’t been to Great Basin National Park. From everything I’ve heard, it’s an amazing place, but I really can’t give you anything more than that. I plan to go this fall, if that’s any help.

Southern Utah, though, is one of my favorite places in the United States. Zion and Bryce are simply amazing, especially considering how close they are together and how different the two parks are. If you have a 4 wheel drive vehicle, I’d recommend taking some if the dirt roads through the Grand Staircase of the Escalante national monument. You can get a map of the 2-tracks just about anywhere in the area; just make sure you’re legal, you’ve got a reliable vehicle with plenty of water and anything else you might need, and it hasn’t rained recently. I ended up pulling a couple of cars out of the mud last time I was there; it had rained for an hour or two several days earlier, but one particular low spot was still close to impassable.

I’ve been to Mono Lake, but not for more than a weekend or so. Sounds like it’ll be a great trip.

5

Stop in St. George, contact the Chamber of Commerce, and see if “Ranger” Bart Anderson is giving any tours of the area while you’re there.

Bart was a good friend while I lived in St. George, and his knowledge of the area combined with his story-telling abilities, are legendary in Southern Utah.

6

While In Hurricane- Stop and see Victor Hall. He is a well known (for those parts) historian of that area in Southern Utah and he’s familiar with the historical and geological monuments there.

When in Hurricane - I never miss him- his wife is nice too.

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This is from Victor-

Lehman Caves is well worth a hundred miles of driving. Obviously, you
want
to take jackets when you go in.
The Caves are at the base of Wheeler Peak. A paved highway takes you
up to
about the 10,000 foot level where you can hike through alpine meadows
and
small snow-fed lakes. The peak is over 13,000 and there are great
views of
it while hiking. I know nothing about eateries in Ely. I think what
you do
is try to run over jack rabbits that come onto the highway and then fry
them
up.

Zion is too hot this time of year except for one hike-- the narrows.
You
hike as far as you want up the narrows mostly through shallow river
water.
Between the cool water and the shade from cliffs, the heat won’t bother
you.
Take walking sticks! Walking on the small submerged rocks is murder
without
a stick.

Bryce is about 8,000 feet. A much better place to hang out, have
picnics,
etc. Be prepared for thunder showers. It has a unique and most
remarkable
trail-- The Peekaboo Loop. You get up face-to-face with the hoodoos.
It’s
about five miles total. A lot of elevation changing.

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If you decide that Zion isn’t too hot to hike in, I highly recommend the Angel’s Landing trail. It’s steep and long, and the last half mile or so will probably freak out anyone who’s afraid of heights (there’s a knife’s edge about 20 feet wide with a 900 foot drop on one side and a 1200 foot drop on the other), but it’s a spectacular view from the top. I remember standing on the top looking down on a peregrine falcon circling above the valley floor.

Steep, long, and hot, but well worth it. Bring plenty of water, and take it at a comfortable pace and it’s not too hard.

9

Thanks everyone for your response! I’ll let you know what I see in Great Basin. I just hope we don’t get a late jump on that day (leaving Mammoth) to get there…

My oldest son plays hockey and we save his hockey sticks. I cut the blades off of the shafts and they make wonderful walking sticks. I’ll try to go on some of the trails mentioned (probably the teenagers and myself only).

We’ll be taking my wife’s Chrysler Mini-van (although I would rather take my Suburban) because it has the TV and VCR in it for the kids, so we gotta travel very light. So, I probably am going to shy away from dirt roads unless I have assurances of safe passage from park officials.

I never travel without a case of water in the car and I freeze about 2 bottles per person the night before we drive, hike or go out and about on a hot day.

10

I’m jumping in a little late here, but I’ll add my vote in favor of visiting Great Basin. The cave tours are fun and informative, plus you have the option of heading up to Wheeler Peak to escape the heat. Nice campgrounds (at least when I was there…) If you’re up for a hike, you can check out the Bristlecone Pine Forest…a beautiful, unworldly landscape…

Although it’s probably out of your way, Frisco Ghost Town is a neat place to visit. It’s on UT21 west of Milford.