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The first known inhabitants of Great Basin National Park were the Paleo-Indians who are believed to have lived in the area as far back as 12,000 years ago.
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Fur trappers began to inhabit the area that is now designated a national park back in the 1800s.
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Great Basin National Park is home to both underground cavers and rugged mountains, and some of the world's oldest trees are found on the slopes of mountains in the park.
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Great Basin bristlecone pines are rare trees that can be found in the park that can survive as long as 4000 years or longer even in very harsh conditions.
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The highest trails in Great Basin National Park reach as high as 6,235 feet from the lowest trails in the park.
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Wheeler Peak's pinnacle is the highest point in the park at 13,060 feet above the sea level.
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Glaciers can be seen in Great Basin National Park including the Lehman rock glacier.
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Because there is minimal light pollution from nearby towns and cities Great Basin National Park is home to some of the darkest night skies in the country. This makes it popular for stargazers.
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The only trout species native to Great Basin National Park is the Bonneville cutthroat trout. This fish prefers high elevation cold streams and it is not found outside of the Great Basin area.
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The Lehman Caves at the base of Wheeler Peak were discovered in the 1800s by a miner named Absalom Lehman. These caves started to form about 550 million years ago.
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The most scenic features of Great Basin National Park include Wheeler Peak Glacier, Stella and Teresa Lakes, Rhodes Cabin, Lexington Arch, Lehman Caves, Lehman Orchard and Aqueduct, and the 12 trails within the park system.
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The most popular main driving route through Great Basin National Park is Scenic Drive - a 12 mile road.
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There are more than 136 native bird species found in Great Basin National Park, including bald eagles, barn owls, snow geese, killdeer, magpies, and mallards. In total there are more than 238 native and non-native bird species found in the park.
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Mammals found living in Great Basin National Park include pronghorns, badgers, kit foxes, coyotes, mountain sheep, cougars, bobcats, elk, mules, ermines, ringtail cats, shrews, spotted skunks, and a variety of rabbits.
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Visitors to Great Basin National Park can enjoy astronomy, driving tours, hiking, backpacking, biking, camping, skiing, snowshoeing, stargazing, horseback riding, and mountain climbing.
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More than 115,000 people visit Great Basin National Park each year.
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