Frommer's National Parks of the American West - Don Laine [226]
Nearby Attractions
It's not exactly nature's way, but the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service makes sure that the elk at the National Elk Refuge, just north of Jackson on U.S. Hwy. 26/89 (☎ 307/733-9212; nationalelkrefuge. fws.gov), eat well during the winter by feeding them alfalfa pellets. It keeps them out of the haystacks of area ranchers and creates a beautiful tableau on the flats along the Gros Ventre River: Thousands of elk, some with huge antler racks, dot the snow for miles. Though the elk are absent in the summer, there is still plenty of life on the refuge, including, most recently, a quite visible mountain lion and cubs.
Each winter (mid-Dec to Mar), the Fish and Wildlife Service offers horse-drawn sleigh rides that weave among the elk. Rides early in the winter will find young bulls playing and banging heads, while later visits wander through a more placid scene. Riders embark at the Greater Yellowstone Visitor Center, 532 N. Cache St., between 10am and 4pm on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets for the 45-minute rides cost $15 for adults, $11 for children 6 to 12. Ask about a combination pass for the sleigh ride and the Wildlife Art Museum.
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GREAT BASIN NATIONAL PARK
by Don & Barbara Laine
GREAT BASIN NATIONAL PARK, ALONG THE UTAH-NEVADA BORDER, provides an intimate glimpse of a vast, rugged section of America, with ample opportunities for outdoor (and under-ground) adventures. A region of desert, valleys, mountains, lakes, and streams, North America's Great Basin includes Nevada, Utah, and parts of California, Oregon, and Idaho. It received its name because the rainwater that falls here has no outlet to the sea.
Founded in 1986, this park not only looks out at the Great Basin's expanse of desert and mountains from the summit of 13,063-foot Wheeler Peak, but also descends beneath the earth's surface for a subterranean tour of the intricately and delicately formed stalactites, stalagmites, and other exotic formations in the unreal world of Lehman Caves.
Hiking trails abound, through rugged pine and aspen forests, or above the tree line to a moonlike world of barren, windswept rocks. Camping in the park is a delight, with quiet campgrounds, plenty of trees, and splendid scenery. The park contains forests of bristlecone pine—a species scientists believe is the oldest living tree on earth—as well as pinyon, juniper, spruce, fir, pine, and aspen. You'll see wildflowers such as yellow aster and Parry's primrose during the summer; also watch for mule deer, bighorn sheep, squirrels, and golden eagles.
Like most of the American West's national parks, Great Basin offers ample activities to keep you busy for at least a week, and it is strongly suggested that you plan to spend at least 1 full day in the park. For the best park experience, try to allow at least 3 full days to provide enough time to tour Lehman Caves and explore the scenic drive, and to hike to the bristlecone pine forest and perhaps to one of the park's high-mountain lakes.
Because of its remoteness—Great Basin isn't near any other popular tourist destinations or even along a route to one—you'll find it relatively quiet and uncrowded, similar to what you would have found 30 or 40 years ago in America's loved-to-death parks such
as Yosemite and Grand Canyon. Although Great Basin National Park is in Nevada, many visitors are Utah residents on long-weekend excursions from Salt Lake City. Visitors to the national parks of Arizona and Utah who start their trips in Las Vegas, Nevada, can easily add Great Basin to the beginning or end of their driving loops.
Avoiding the Crowds. Because Great Basin National Park is seemingly in the middle of nowhere, it receives far fewer visitors than most other national parks. However, it isn't deserted. During the relatively busy summer season, you'll need to arrive at the visitor center early for your cave tour tickets (or purchase them in advance), and don't count on finding a campsite if you arrive late in the