Great Basin National Park

National park · Nevada

Autumn foliage at Great Basin National Park
Photo: Famartin / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Wheeler Peak's aspen groves turn gold beneath bristlecone pines over 4,000 years old in one of the least-visited national parks in the country, with Lehman Caves tours and a scenic drive climbing to 10,000 feet near the Utah border.

Best for: solitary alpine aspen far from crowds

Don’t miss

  • 4,000-year-old bristlecone pines
  • Lehman Caves tours
2026 Forecast

Peak: October 13–October 17

Color builds from September 29 · mostly bare by November 6

Color starts: September 29Peak: October 15Bare: November 6AugustDecember

Sampled at Great Basin National Park’s own coordinates and elevation (2130 m) rather than a regional average.

Nevada is sampled at 53 weather points, and that answer already agrees with 1 published peak date from smokymountains.com, so nothing is added to it. This year's weather has the peak running 4 days earlier than a normal year. How the forecast works

When to go to Great Basin National Park

Good color holds through about October 24, giving you roughly 25 days from the first turn to past peak. Against Nevada overall, that is 1 day later. Most of that is elevation. It sits at 6,988 ft.

Great Basin National Park on the map

Drag the date slider to see when color reaches this corner of Nevada, or tap a pin for that stop’s own peak window.

More things to do in Nevada

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Frequently asked

When does Great Basin National Park peak in 2026?
Peak color is predicted for October 13–October 17 (best estimate October 15). Color starts around September 29 and is mostly bare by November 6.

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