Great Basin National Park is in Nevada, near the Utah border, in one of America's largest deserts, the Great Basin. Called the Great Basin because water that falls as rain within its borders never reaches the ocean (the desert is surrounded by mountains, and no rivers flow out of it). The desert includes large parts of Nevada and Utah, along with smaller parts of California, Wyoming, Oregon, and Idaho. The national park preserves one section of the desert around Wheeler Peak (13,063 feet), the second tallest mountain in Nevada.

In addition to hiking up to the summit of Wheeler Peak and exploring the desert, one of the highlights of the park is an ancient stand of bristlecone pine trees. These pines are some of the longest-lived plants on the planet, and are found in the mountain ranges in and around the Great Basin. The other main attraction is the Lehman Cave system, which is at the foot of Wheeler Peak. The caves are open year round for guided tours.

There aren't very many people in the area surrounding the park, but it is only a couple of hours drive from either Las Vegas or Salt Lake City. Many visitors tour the caves and then drive up the Wheeler Peak road as far as they can go (parts of the road open and shut down with the snow).

Camping is available at several campgrounds within the park, and there are limited lodging and eating options outside the park.