Great Basin, the Park Off the Edge of the Map

Spread out a map of the Grand Circle and find the cluster of parks in southern Utah. Now slide your finger west, over the state line, into open desert. Keep going. That lonely spot is Great Basin.

Great Basin National Park is in east-central Nevada, five miles west of the town of Baker. It is the park on this site that asks the most of your gas tank. Plan it as its own leg of the trip, not a quick stop.

Roads that get you there

There are three ways in, and each one starts far out.

Drivers from Utah go north on Utah State Highway 21 through Milford and Garrison to reach Great Basin National Park. Drivers from southern Nevada go north on U.S. Highway 93 to reach Great Basin National Park.

If you come in on the big east and west road, the last part is short. From U.S. Highway 6 and 50, drivers to Great Basin National Park turn south on Nevada State Highway 487 and go five miles to Baker. In Baker, drivers to Great Basin National Park turn west on Highway 488 and go five miles to reach the park.

Tell your phone where to go

Out here, a bad pin can cost you an hour. The park names the places to put in your navigation app, and the town of Baker is one of them. Set it before you lose signal.

Flying in

No airport sits close by. The nearest commercial airports to Great Basin National Park are Cedar City Regional Airport, Utah, 142 miles away, and St. George Regional Airport, Utah, 207 miles away. The nearest full-service airports to Great Basin National Park are in Salt Lake City, Utah, 234 miles away, and Las Vegas, Nevada, 286 miles away.

Once you land, you need your own wheels. No public transportation is available to, in, or around Great Basin National Park.

Where it fits

Great Basin works best for a driver who likes long empty roads and wants a park few trips include. Another park with long roads to its edge is Black Canyon of the Gunnison. Check the park's own website for current road news before you set out.