Frommer's National Parks of the American West - Don Laine [232]
Where to Stay
There are no lodging facilities in the park, but the tiny community of Baker, 5 miles east of the park entrance, has several places to stay. You can get additional
information on the Baker businesses discussed below, as well as other facilities, from the Great Basin Business & Tourism Council's website (www.great basinpark.com). Otherwise, park visitors will find services in Ely, Nevada, 70 miles west, and Delta, Utah, about 100 miles east. Both Ely and Delta also have a variety of restaurants, plus fuel, groceries, and camping supplies.
NEAR THE PARK
The Border Inn
U.S. 50/6, at the Nevada-Utah border, 13 miles northeast of the national park (P.O. Box 30), Baker, NV 89311. ☎ 775/234-7300. www.greatbasinpark.com/borderinn.htm. 29 units. A/C TV TEL. $31–$39 double. AE, DISC, MC, V. Pets accepted.
This comfortable motel has basic rooms and 12 kitchenette units in Utah, and a restaurant with a bar and slot machines a few feet away in Nevada. The wood-paneled rooms are simply but attractively furnished. There is a coin-operated laundry as well as VCR and videotape rentals. Gasoline and diesel fuel are available. Also see "Where to Dine," below.
Silver Jack Inn
Downtown Baker, 5 miles east of the national park (P.O. Box 69), Baker, NV 89311. ☎ 775/ 234-7323. www.silverjackinn.com. 7 motel units, 3 efficiency units. A/C TV. Apr–Oct motel $45–$70 double; lower rates rest of year. Year-round efficiency units $65 double. DISC, MC, V.
This well-maintained motel is the closest lodging to the national park. Basic motel rooms have either one or two double beds, and one unit has two double beds plus a twin bed in a separate room. Some units have tub/shower combinations, while others have showers only. There is an attractive patio with a fountain where guests sit, chat, and watch the hummingbirds. The separate efficiency units are several blocks away; each has a queen-size bed, refrigerator, microwave, and coffeemaker. Pets are permitted at the inn but not in the efficiencies. All units are nonsmoking. There are also five RV spaces, offering water and electric hookups plus showers, at $18 per night.
Where to Dine
INSIDE THE PARK
The only food services in the park are the visitor center's cafe and gift shop (☎ 775/234-7221), open daily from April through October (8am–5pm in summer; slightly shorter hours at other times). Your choices here include light breakfasts, soup and sandwich lunches, and snack items, including excellent homemade ice-cream sandwiches.
NEAR THE PARK
The Border Inn
U.S. 50/6 at the Nevada-Utah border, 13 miles northeast of the national park. ☎ 775/ 234-7300. www.greatbasinpark.com/border inn.htm. Lunch $2.75–$6.95; dinner $6.75– $12. AE, DISC, MC, V. Daily 6am–10pm; bar open until 2am. Closed Dec 25. AMERICAN.
Good burgers and chicken-fried steak are on the menu at this roadside restaurant, which also specializes in homemade soups and baked items. The dining room is large and open, with a bar along one side. There are also slot machines, video games, a pool table, a gift shop, a convenience store (open daily 24 hr.), an ATM, and a gas station with diesel fuel.
T&D's Country Store, Restaurant & Bar
Corner of Elko and Main, downtown Baker. ☎ 775/234-7264. www.greatbasinpark.com/ td.htm. Sandwiches and meals $3.95–$10; large pizzas $12–$19. DISC, MC, V. Restaurant summer daily 11am–10pm, plus several mornings for breakfast (call ahead). Store summer daily 8am–7pm; shorter hours in winter. AMERICAN/MEXICAN.
The restaurant is in a bright and cheery sunroom attached to a small grocery store. It's known for its pizzas, deli sandwiches, homemade salsa and chips, and big burritos and other Mexican specialties. The restaurant also serves burgers, steak sandwiches, pita sandwiches, a good