Nevada National ParksHow many Nevada National Parks are there? Just one. The Great Basin. Located in east central Nevada and close to the Utah border. This US National Park sits between two major mountain ranges. The Sierra Nevadas and the Wasatch Mountains. Deep gorges that were carved out by Alpine Glaciers along time ago. Rugged cliff tops and huge elevation changes. This US National Park in Nevada has elevation from 5,000 feet all the way to the top of Wheeler Peak which is 13,063 feet high. This US National Park has one of the darkest night skies in the entire United States. Free from the light pollution of cities, you can clearly see the milky way and millions of stars. A basin is where the earths crust has been stretched out by geological forces. Examples of geological forces are when water cuts through rock, and earthquake shifts the land or a volcano errupts. Geological forces have created hundreds of mountain ranges here in Nevada. Most all of Nevada, half of Utah, parts of California, Idaho, Wyoming and Oregon are called the Great Basin. The Great Basin National Park lies within the state of Nevada. The valleys of this National Park is a desert. But there is much to do here. There is hiking, backpacking, camping, biking, fishing, horseback riding, photography, stargazing, scenic drives, nature walks, skiing and snowshoeing. There are several caves here. The one to visit is the Lehman Cave. The temperature is pretty close to 50 degrees inside of the cave year around. It is a marble and limestone cave that is worth seeing. The reason that this place is a desert is because this Nevada National Park only gets about 1.5 inches of rain a year. Summer thunderstormes and snow on the mountain peaks is what brings the water. The water is soaked up through the soil and returns by coming up through the many lakes and streams. This place has the highest evaporation in the world at a 128 inches a year. 77,000 acres in a non crowded national park. There are twelve hiking trails that are waiting to be explored. Hikes are easy to strenuous. You might even see some of the great wildlife that live here. Some of the animals in this Nevada National Park are: mountain lions, snakes, jackrabbits, big horned sheep, deer, pronghorn antelope, foxes, skunks, badgers, lizards, marmots, bats, owls, porcupines and elk. Come and visit. This is the place where the desert meets the mountains, the sky is filled with stars and you don't have the hassels of too many people being here. Best time to visit is from May to September. Great Basin National Park Weather Lodging Near Great Basin National Park
Return From Nevada National Parks To The US National Parks Page
|
