Best Time to Visit Great Basin National Park

Pick a month. Best months are in bold.

The best months to visit Great Basin National Park are March, April and May — computed from official NPS visitation (2021–2025 average), NOAA weather normals and daylight. July is the crowd peak (26,101 monthly visits); December is quietest at 7% of peak.

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Best months for fewer crowds

The quietest months at Great Basin, leaving out harsh weather and months when main access is typically closed.

Monthly crowd curve

Average monthly recreation visits, 2021–2025 (NPS Visitor Use Statistics). Amber bar = current month.

Great Basin month by month

Crowds: NPS Visitor Use Statistics, mean of 2021–2025 (2020 excluded as a COVID-19 anomaly). Weather: NOAA 1991–2020 monthly normals, station GREAT BASIN NP, NV US (0 mi from park coordinates). Daylight: computed for the 15th of each month at the park's location. Methodology.

How many people visit Great Basin each year

Great Basin National Park had 161,210 recreation visits in 2025, 6% more than 2024 (NPS Visitor Use Statistics). The busiest year since 2015 was 2017, with 168,028. Over 2021–2025 it averaged 148,707 visits a year, which makes it the 10th least-visited of the 63 national parks.

Calendar-year recreation visits as published by NPS Visitor Use Statistics. 2020 is shown here but left out of the monthly averages above, because the COVID-19 pandemic makes it unrepresentative. See how every park compares: all 63 parks ranked by visits.

What to pack for Great Basin in March

Computed from March's weather normals — Great Basin's best month above. Visiting another month? Each month page has its own weather-computed list.

• Insulated jacket, beanie and gloves — nights average 27°F, below freezing
• Traction devices (microspikes) and gaiters — 7″ normal snowfall (compare other options)
• Insulated, waterproof boots — plus navigation and a basic first-aid kit — 7″ of snow is normal this month

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Common questions

Great Basin month by month: notes from the park service

• January: January is Great Basin's quietest time: the park service describes winter as a season of solitude, when a few visitors explore trails and roads on skis and snowshoes and mule deer move down to lower elevations. The park grounds stay open 24 hours a day all year.
• February: February at Great Basin is still ski and snowshoe season in the high country, and the Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive stays closed in winter beyond Upper Lehman Creek Campground. Down at the Lehman Caves Visitor Center, 6,825 feet up, afternoons reach about 44°F and nights drop near 21°F.
• March: March at Great Basin is a transition month, and the park service advises coming ready for cold and snow or for the start of warm weather: valley days can be mild while snowpack still covers the high country. Lehman Caves tours run year-round, but each is capped at 20 people and they regularly sell out, so reserve on Recreation.gov; walk-up tickets, when offered, go on sale at the visitor center desk at opening and often go within the first hour.
• April: April is spring at Great Basin, when the park says rock squirrels wake and start foraging and snowmelt sends streams down the mountain. At Lehman Caves, days near 56°F give way to nights just below freezing, and the high country still holds snow; April's heaviest recorded snowfall at the visitor center is 35 inches.
• May: May brings desert colour to Great Basin as prickly-pear cactus, Indian paintbrush and globe mallow bloom, the park says, even while the high elevations keep their snowpack. Afternoons at Lehman Caves reach the mid-60s°F.
• June: June at Great Basin can mean hot valley days while snow still covers the higher elevations, the park notes. Expect mid-70s°F afternoons at the Lehman Caves Visitor Center and about seven thunderstorms in the month.
• July: July is Great Basin's comfortable season: at 6,825 feet the park service puts summer highs around 85°F and lows near 55°F. Hike early, because afternoon thunderstorms are common, and stay up late, since the park offers what it calls the best visibility of the Milky Way in the continental United States.
• August: August is Great Basin's stormiest month along with July, averaging about 12 thunderstorms, so the park suggests hiking early in the day. Afternoons near Lehman Caves run in the low 80s°F.
• September: September is when Great Basin's aspens start turning: the park service says fall colour typically develops from about the second or third week of the month, in yellow, red and gold groves along the mountains. Fall also brings cool air, quiet trails and roomy campsites, without the summer crowds.
• October: October is when Great Basin's roads begin to close: most park roads are typically open only from Memorial Day to late October, depending on snow, and the Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive shuts after snowfall. The park describes fall as cool and crisp, with uncrowded trails, roomy campsites and pine nuts ready for picking.
• November: November at Great Basin is the slide into winter quiet. Lehman Caves tours keep running, but not on Thanksgiving Day, and each tour takes at most 20 people and often sells out, so reserve on Recreation.gov.
• December: December brings snow and silence to Great Basin's high peaks. Lehman Caves tours continue in winter but are not offered on Christmas Day (or Thanksgiving and New Year's Day), and every visitor, toddlers included, needs a ticket.

Each month page carries the full note and the NPS page it comes from.

Dive into a month

Comparing parks for the same trip? See how Great Basin ranks against all 63 parks in March, April and May.

Last verified 2026-09-24 · all parks