Great Basin National Park ⓘ

Throughout central Utah, and into very eastern Nevada and western Colorado, archaeologists have uncovered the remnants of an archeological culture they call the Fremont, named for the Fremont River in Utah.

The Fremont differed in several ways from their more famous contemporaries in the 11th to 14th centuries, the Ancestral Puebloan peoples who built Mesa Verde and Chaco Canyon. Four distinct artifacts set them apart: very unique "one rod and bundle" basketry construction, moccasins constructed from the hock of a deer or sheep leg, trapezoidal shaped figures found as clay figurines and in rock art, and the unique materials used to make their gray, coiled pottery.

Because of a focus on sedentary villages and agriculture, the Fremont culture also stands out from the lifeways practiced by Great Basin tribes before and after it. They built villages of pit houses with adobe structures to store food. They collected wild foods and hunted game, but also cultivated corn, beans, and squash using irrigation techniques. The presence of obsidian, turquoise, and shells show that the Fremont traded with distant villages.

The westernmost known Fremont site, Baker Village, is located only a few miles from Great Basin National Park. Believed to be occupied from 1220 to 1295 C.E., the site had been known to archeologists for many years because of a visible raised mound covered with a scattering of potsherds and chipped stone. From 1991 to 1994 the Brigham Young University, in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management who owns the site, conducted summer excavations at the Baker Archaeological Site .

The excavations revealed a settlement of surprising complexity. Instead of a scatter of pit homes and mud-walled food storage structures, Baker Village consists of an organized cluster of over 15 buildings built according to a specific plan and aligned to a single compass direction. In the center, a larger mud-walled structure shows intriguing alignments with sunrise on the winter and summer solstices.

Evidence of the Fremont can also be found in local rock art. Upper Pictograph Cave , in Great Basin National Park, contains pictographs believed to be painted by the Fremont. The figures painted onto the rock surface with an organic pigmented mixture resemble both animal and human forms, and contain the classic Fremont style trapezoidal shapes. Other creations are more abstract, consisting of lines or dots.

The villages, agricultural strategy, and unique artistic elements of the Fremont Culture fade from the archeological record between 1300 and 1500 C.E. The cause of this change remains a subject of archeological inquiry, but most archeologists highlight two factors.

First, the Great Basin, already a challenging environment for farming, seems to have become drier during this period. As local groups responded by relying more and more on wild food resources and increased mobility to access different seasonally available foods, the archaeologically distinct Fremont villages were no longer used.

Linguistic evidence suggests that many words in the Numic languages (Ute, Paiute, and Shoshone of modern Great Basin residents) spread into the area from the southwestern Great Basin around the same time. Although the connection between the people who brought these words, the Fremont, and the modern Tribes of the Great Basin are unclear, some archaeologists contend that the groups spreading across the Great Basin arrived with other cultural traits, including a smaller band structure and foraging strategies that helped as the area became more arid.

You can visit other Fremont Indian sites in Utah at Fremont Indian State Park , Zion National Park , Capitol Reef National Park , Arches National Park , and in Colorado at Dinosaur National Monument .

The Baker Archaeological Site, also known as Baker Village, contains the remains of a Fremont Indian village occupied from approximately 1220 to 1295 CE. The Fremont lived in this well planned community of several small pit houses and granaries, surrounding a main big house, and practiced a form of agriculture.

The site was excavated by Brigham Young University's Office of Public Archaeology, in cooperation with the BLM, from 1991 to 1994. Recovered artifacts are currently stored at BYU's Museum of People and Cultures in Provo, Utah.

After the excavations, the site was backfilled (reburied with the dirt that was removed during excavation), a necessary step in protecting the cultural features that remain. As a result, the foundations of the village can no longer be seen on the surface. The walls visible today are modern walls, built in 2002. Artifacts found on the ground may be observed, but not removed, from the site.

The site is currently administerd by the Bureau of Land Management. Brochures and an information kiosk are located at the parking area. A restroom, picnic tables, and a sun shelter are available for day use. No water is available.

The Baker Archaeological Site is located on a cut-off road that runs between NV Hwy 487 at Baker, Nevada, and US Hwy 6/50. The cutoff is one-half mile north of the Great Basin Visitor Center.

Upper Pictograph Cave is a window to the past. Painted on its walls are pictographs -- a type of rock art -- depicting people, animals, and abstract images. What is this art? Who painted these pictures and what do they mean?

The pictographs at Upper Pictograph Cave are believed to have been painted by the Fremont Indians , a farming and hunting group that lived in the Snake Valley from about 1000 to 1300 B.C.E. The Fremont built several villages, including one near present-day Baker, Nevada, called Baker Village . What little is known about this culture is based off of what we've learned from the artifacts and rock art found in their villages and throughout the region.

First, a pigment, usually inorganic, gave the paint color. One common pigment was the mineral hematite, which creates a red color. Next, a binder was added to hold the pigment particles together and to hold the paint onto the rock surface. Some examples of binder ingredients include blood, egg, seed oils, plants resins and juices, milk, and honey. The third ingredient of the paint was a medium, or a fluid, that made the paint liquid and suitable for application. Examples include plant juices, water, animal oils, and urine.

Some of the shapes and patterns that are represented on these cliff faces have been named by people who study rock art. Figures resembling human form are called "anthropomorphs". More specifically, the figures shaped like trapezoids are called "Fremont-style anthropomorphs". Figures resembling animal forms are called "zoomorphs".

While many of the pictographs clearly represent living things, some of the art is more abstract - dots and lines drawn on the rock surface with paint or charcoal.

What do these pictographs mean? No one can say for sure what the painter had in mind when creating these images. We could guess, but that might lead to wrong conclusions about the images and the people who made them. We are left, then, to wonder. Any meaning we give these paintings is merely speculation, and what they actually represent - if they do, in fact, represent anything - may never be known.

Besides the rock art, artifacts have been found in this cave. During the 1930s, E.P. Harrington recovered stone artifacts, animal bones, ashes, charcoal, and fire-cracked rocks buried in the floor sediment. These artifacts show that the cave was used for more than just a place to paint figures.

Over the years, vandals have written over and destroyed some of the art in Pictograph Cave. It is important to understand that the images painted on the rock wall are delicate and we must carefully protect them. These images are one of the few links we have to the people who came here before us. Please do not touch any of the pictographs, or engage in any activity that might damage them. Be advised that damaging archeological sites is a federal, criminal offense that will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Be advised also that it is not permitted to enter the cave. Enjoy the pictographs from outside.

The story of the Great Basin is not just one of geology and landforms, but also of people. This region has been home to Native Americans for thousands of years. In more recent times, farmers, ranchers, Mormons, and sheepherders all called the Great Basin home.

Within Great Basin National Park, a representative piece of this massive region, stories of people and of places abound. Humans have left their mark, from the Fremont culture , to the first to fully explore Lehman Caves, Absalom Lehman , to the mining camps that once dotted the South Snake Range. Remnants of these times are invaluable links to the past, as worthy of preservation as much as any of the park's natural resources.

The single most comprehensive document on the cultural history of the area within and surrounding Great Basin National Park is the Great Basin National Park Historic Resource Study , completed in 1990. This study contains information on the area from prehistory, exploration, and Native American occupation, to mining, ranching, and the creation of Great Basin National Park in 1986.

The Great Basin is a desert , averaging less than 10 inches of rain a year. It is a cold desert, and because of its high elevation, it receives most of its moisture in winter snows. Despite these dry conditions there are over 800 different plant species in the park and South Snake Range, and of these, 13 are considered sensitive species. The park’s large elevation gradient (5,295 to 13,016 feet; 1,615 to 3,981 meters), varied topography, geology, soils, and hydrology create a diversity of habitats for plants and animals.

The way many of these plant species are able to survive in this environment is through specialized adaptations or by living in the cooler, wetter mountain ranges. The plants in the Great Basin have developed some ingenious methods to deal with dry desert conditions. Read more below about their adaptations to these harsh environments.

More than 800 plant species live in Great Basin National Park. Learn about variation in types of plants across seven elevation zones.

Great Basin bristlecone pines are noted for their age and sculptured appearance at high elevations where they weather harsh conditions.

The vast expanses of sage brush and high desert that stretch across the Great Basin are home to many species of mammal. Of all the mammals in North America, 70% of species are represented here in the Great Basin. From the kangaroo rat, which can survive without ever drinking water, to the mountain lion that slips through the forest on silent paws, the variety of wildlife is astounding. Don't expect to observe all of these animals at once, as many are secretive and have a low population density. With a little luck, good timing, and patience, a wide variety of mammals may be seen as you hike or drive across the area.

Mountain Lions (pumas, cougars, wildcats, catamounts, panthers, etc.) average 6-8 feet in length and can weigh up to 250 lbs. These powerful animals can drag three times their own weight, jump up to 40 horizontal feet, 20 vertical feet or drop from 60 feet and land running. Incredibly solitary, cougars are found together only when a mother has young. Although they can be active at any time of day, they most commonly seen at dusk or dawn when they are hunting deer and elk.

Coyotes are a highly adaptable species, found in many areas. This ruddy (brown) and gray colored animal is dog-like in appearance. Unlike dogs, coyotes run with their tails down. Traveling in search of food sometimes up to distances of 400 miles, the coyote cruises at a speed of 25-30 mph. Coyotes eat nearly anything, from the meat of small mammals to insects and fruit. At dawn or dusk the coyote can be heard calling in a series of yelps followed by a long howl.

Bobcats derive their name from their short, 3-6 inch 'bobbed' tail. Their coats are tawny brown with stripes and mottled spots. Their average weight varies from 14 to 68 lbs. Bobcats are the most common North American wildcat and generally hunt snowshoe hares and cottontail rabbits.

Badgers are a formidable, if relatively small, presence across the Great Basin. Their bodies are flat and their coats are light brown in color, with white and black stripes across the head. They prey on rattlesnakes and seem to be unaffected by the venom except when bitten on the nose. Badgers only weigh up to 25 lbs but most creatures avoid them because of their skunk-like odor and large, powerful claws. If attacked, a badger will attempt to get to its burrow and block itself inside. An excellent digger, badgers can instantly build new burrows at a rate faster than a human can shovel. Badgers are valued in agricultural areas for their efficient pest control as they feed on rodents.

The black-tailed jack rabbit is a desert animal commonly seen in the sagebrush and pinyon communities. To withstand the heat of the desert sun, the rabbit spreads out its large, thin ears, releasing heat as blood travels through the veins. A popular prey for a variety of mammals and birds, the jack rabbit confuses the predator by zigzagging as it runs, and powerful back legs propel it to speeds of up to 30 mph.

Kangaroo rats are an amazing rodent able to live their entire lives without ever directly drinking water. The rats store food in cool, damp areas, which allows the grains to collect moisture. They live in a series of underground tunnels, and usually never stray more than 30 feet from their homes. Foraging for food with jumps of up to 9 feet, these rodents have tan coloration above and white below. Their long tails are also distinctive with white stripes along the sides.

Packrats, also known as woodrats, are fascinating animals found in caves and cliffs. Their habit of collecting an odd assortment of objects in their nests helped to earn them their name. They have a strong affinity for shiny objects such as coins, keys, or spoons. Their nests are valuable tools for climate research, as the contents can be preserved for thousands of years. By looking at plant materials found in nests, climatologists can determine what plant communities existed around the nest in a specific era. A mixture of brown and gray, these rats are 11 ½ - 18 ½” in length, and have a bushy tail used for balance. When threatened, the packrat may stomp his feet, producing a low tapping noise.

Select a Hike by Location Find a hike in the park based on where you plan on visiting. Important to note that only trails on the Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive are accessible via a paved road. All others are gravel or require four wheel drive.

Select a Hike by Difficulty Find hikes sorted by difficulty. Easy hikes include those that are ADA accessible.

How to pick a trail: Pick a trail within your ability level. Don't push yourself too hard especially when not acclimated or under-prepared. Consider starting altitude, many trails go beyond 10,000ft and altitude sickness can be a very real danger while hiking. Keep in mind all of Great Basin's backcountry regulations and follow them carefully. Pets are not allowed on park trails with the sole exception of the Lexington Arch Trail. Consider timing. Most people hike about 2 miles/hour, or about 3 kilometers/hour, so leave plenty of time in the day for your hike, or take a good source of light for night hiking. Additionally, many trails and areas of the park will see afternoon thunderstorms during the summer months. Coming in Winter? Check out the Visiting in Winter page. Look for road conditions updates on the Alerts page . Many roads close in the winter even if trails technically remain open, limiting access or significantly increasing the length of a hike. All trails remain open in winter time, but are generally covered in several feet of snow. Snowshoeing and backcountry/crosscountry skiing are the top activities for being on trails in winter. Check the Winter Touring page for popular winter routes. Navigation can be extremely difficult in winter for the uninitiated. Check with park rangers for the most up-to-date conditions and which hikes/routes are well marked.