Great Basin National Park

What's better than visiting a National Park for the first time?  How about staying in a Hobbit Hole when you do!?

In June 2021 we ventured about 5 hours north of Las Vegas to Great Basin National Park.  We had the good fortune of finding a Hobbit Hole to rent on HipCamp.  We were one of the first folks that stayed there and the hosts were great.  Their place is literally at the entrance to the National Park, which made it incredibly convenient to visit.

In the morning we did the Alpine Lake Loop.  The trail is about 2.7 miles long, which isn't bad on paper, but I hadn't factored in the elevation - over 10,000 ft.  Needless-to-say, we were exhausted at the end!  It was totally worth it though.  We saw gorgeous, blue alpine lakes, glaciers, Mt, Wheeler, and enjoyed the peace and quiet of the wilderness.  We went first thing in the morning and didn't start seeing people on the trail until we neared the parking lot again.

In the afternoon we did the cave tour.  If you want to do this, book at least a couple weeks in advance, they sell out.  It was totally worth it.  The guides were knowledgeable and friendly.

The views from the Hobbit Hole were fantastic.  We also got up in the middle of the night to see the stars.  The star photo above was taken with a cell phone!