Nature Travelers
Contact Us​
  • Welcome
  • About
    • About Us
    • About NatureTravelers.com
  • Our Travels
    • USA Travels Overview
    • 31 Days In Iceland
    • 15 Days In The Galapagos >
      • Galapagos Resources
    • 28 Days In South Africa
    • 43 Days In Costa Rica
    • Travels In Canada
    • Cruises
  • Travel Journals
    • USA Journal
    • Iceland Journal
    • Galapagos Islands Journal
    • South Africa Journal
    • Canada Journal
  • Photo Galleries
    • USA Photo Gallery
    • Iceland Photo Gallery
    • Galapagos Islands Photo Gallery
    • South Africa Photo Gallery
    • Costa Rica Photo Gallery
  • Future Travels
  • Welcome
  • About
    • About Us
    • About NatureTravelers.com
  • Our Travels
    • USA Travels Overview
    • 31 Days In Iceland
    • 15 Days In The Galapagos >
      • Galapagos Resources
    • 28 Days In South Africa
    • 43 Days In Costa Rica
    • Travels In Canada
    • Cruises
  • Travel Journals
    • USA Journal
    • Iceland Journal
    • Galapagos Islands Journal
    • South Africa Journal
    • Canada Journal
  • Photo Galleries
    • USA Photo Gallery
    • Iceland Photo Gallery
    • Galapagos Islands Photo Gallery
    • South Africa Photo Gallery
    • Costa Rica Photo Gallery
  • Future Travels

Lehman Caves - Great Basin National Park

5/22/2018

0 Comments

 
We were passing through eastern Nevada and took the opportunity to stay at Great Basin National Park for a couple of nights. With uncooperative weather, we decided to do the tour of Lehman Caves which is weather independent. We were pleasantly surprised.
Lehman Caves - Great Basin National Park
Great Basin National Park is one of the lesser visited National Parks in the U.S. Of course that makes it even more attractive to nature lovers.

For those that are curious, I'll let the park website explain the "Great Basin".

The Hydrographic Great Basin is a 200,000 square mile area that drains internally. All precipitation in the region evaporates, sinks underground or flows into lakes (mostly saline). Creeks, streams, or rivers find no outlet to either the Gulf of Mexico or the Pacific Ocean.

The Great Basin includes most of Nevada, half of Utah, and sections of Idaho, Wyoming, Oregon, and California. The term "Great Basin" is slightly misleading; the region is actually made up of many small basins. The Great Salt Lake, Pyramid Lake, and the Humboldt Sink are a few of the "drains" in the Great Basin.



The basin is surrounded by mountains and the Snake Range runs through the park with Wheeler Peak being the primary focus. At over 13,000 feet Wheeler Peak is the tallest "independent" mountain in Nevada.

In the photo below, Wheeler Peak looms over the Lehman Caves Visitors Center.
Wheeler Peak - Great Basin National Park
Unfortunately, during our visit, the weather was pretty bad, and we didn't have time to wait it out. So, on this day we opted to take one of the guided tours through Lehman Caves.

​Here are a few logistics regarding the Lehman Cave Tours. 

There is a sixty-minute tour, the Lodge Room Tour ($9), and a ninety-minute tour, the Grand Palace Tour ($11), which includes everything in the Lodge Room Tour plus a couple more rooms. Senior and Access passes entitle the cardholder only to discounts on cave tours (no discounts for accompanying friends and family).

During the summer, they offer each tour four times a day, but the rest of the year they are only offered twice a day. Check the Lehman Caves Tour webpage for current pricing and schedules.

They highly recommend reserving your spots online, but they hold a few tickets at the Lehman Caves Visitors Center for same-day walk-ins. We were told to be there by 8:00 a.m. for the best chance to get tickets for today, but they still may sell out. Tours are limited to 20 people

We didn't have reservations, so I arrived right at 8:00 a.m. and we got lucky.

I obtained tickets for the 10:00 a.m. Grand Palace Tour.

Oh, they asked me if our shoes, boots, clothing, or any other gear we would be taking into the cave had been in any other cave in the last ten years. If so, they have to be disinfected to be sure we don't carry in White-nose Syndrome which is killing bats across the country.

Also, the cave is a constant 50 degrees, so they told me to dress appropriately. And you are not allowed to take food, drink, any types of bags (including camera bags), tripods, and a few other items. You can take a camera or phone and take all the photos you want.

​At our tour time, a ranger gave us a brief orientation at the entrance.
Lehman Caves Entrance - Great Basin National Park
On the Grand Palace Tour we would be visiting the entrance area, the Music Room, the Lodge Room, the Inscription Room, and the Grand Palace. The rooms are shown on the map below. The Talus Room and West Room are off-limits due to a few crumbling ceiling issues.
Lehman Caves Map - Great Basin National Park
​We entered the entrance tunnel where the ranger asked if anyone was claustrophobic, so they could leave before we got too far in.

The trail through the cave is a solid surface with texture on uneven areas, and there are several steps. They ask that you wear close-toed shoes with good traction. Oh, and there is quite a bit of stooping and ducking.

You aren't supposed to touch anything in the cave. The formations are really close to the path, so it takes some discipline to not reach out and feel them.

Having come from the state of Mammoth Cave and having seen the wonders of Carlsbad Caverns, our cave expectations are pretty low. But I have to say we were both impressed with Lehman Caves. There are great formations close to the path, and the path is kind of fun with ups and downs and low ceilings and narrow passages. The ranger was quite knowledgeable and had several amusing stories about Mr. Lehman.

Unfortunately, Mr. Lehman had a "If you can break it, you can take it policy" for his tours, so many of the stalactites had been broken or sawed off. Also, visitors would use their candles to burn initials and words into the ceiling, especially in the Inscription Room.

We quite enjoyed the tour and here is a collection of some of the more interesting photos.
Lehman Caves - Great Basin National Park
Our ranger also told us that a portion of the 1965 movie "The Wizard of Mars" was filmed in the cave. She said "If you haven't seen it, consider yourself lucky". Of course, I will now have to watch it to see just how bad it is. The full movie is on YouTube: "The Wizard of Mars" (the name was later changed to "Horrors of the Red Planet".

At the end of the tour, we walked up through the exit tunnel. ​That was the most strenuous part of the walk. A couple people were huffing and puffing a bit in that last section.

​Here is where we exited.

Lehman Caves Exit - Great Basin National Park
And this is the original, natural entrance used by Mr. Lehman when he discovered it.
Natural Entrance Lehman Caves - Great Basin National Park
The natural entrance is located on the Mountain View Nature Trail behind the Visitors Center. It's a nice, easy little 0.3-mile trail that's worth the walk.

​​Again, we were surprised by this cave and really enjoyed it.

As a little bonus, we encountered a bit of wildlife in our brief visit to Great Basin National Park.

Mule Deer - Great Basin National Park
Mule Deer
Wild Turkey - Great Basin National Park
Wild Turkey
Yellow-bellied Marmot - Great Basin National Park
Yellow-bellied Marmot
Rock Squirrel - Great Basin National Park
Rock Squirrel
Uinta Chipmunk - Great Basin National Park
Uinta Chipmunk
Another great activity if you are short on time is to drive the 12-mile Wheeler Peak Scenic Road up into the mountains. Unfortunately, the road was only open to the 7-mile mark when we were there and the mountain top was fogged in.
Wheeler Peak Scenic Road - Great Basin National Park
The most disappointing thing was we couldn't access the Bristlecone Pine Grove farther up the road. Bristlecone Pines are the longest-living trees in the world, and we really wanted to spend some time with these twisted marvels of nature.

Still, we made the most of our one full day in the park, and it just gave us incentive to return during the summer one of these years.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Categories

    All
    Interests - Backpacking
    Interests - Bird Watching
    Interests - Boat Tours
    Interests - Caves
    Interests - Fishing
    Interests - Hikes
    Interests - Paddling/Float Trips
    Interests - Scenic Drives
    Interests - Waterfalls
    Interests - Wildlife - Alligators/Crocodiles
    Interests - Wildlife - Bears
    Interests - Wildlife - Beavers
    Interests - Wildlife - Bighorn Sheep
    Interests - Wildlife - Bison
    Interests - Wildlife - Coyotes
    Interests - Wildlife - Deer
    Interests - Wildlife - Dolphins/Porpoises
    Interests - Wildlife - Eagles
    Interests - Wildlife - Elk
    Interests - Wildlife - Javelinas
    Interests - Wildlife - Manatees
    Interests - Wildlife - Moose
    Interests - Wildlife - Mountain Goats
    Interests - Wildlife - Otters
    Interests - Wildlife - Owls
    Interests - Wildlife - Prairie Dogs
    Interests - Wildlife - Pronghorn
    Interests - Wildlife - Seals
    Interests - Wildlife - Whales
    Interests - Wildlife - Wolves
    National Conservation Areas
    National Conservation Areas - Red Rock Canyon
    National Monuments
    National Monuments - Bandelier
    National Monuments - Chiricahua
    National Monuments - Grand Staircase Escalante
    National Monuments - Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks
    National Monuments - Vermilion Cliffs
    National Monuments - White Sands
    National Parks
    National Parks - Acadia
    National Parks - Arches
    National Parks - Badlands
    National Parks - Big Bend
    National Parks - Bryce Canyon
    National Parks - Canyonlands
    National Parks - Capitol Reef
    National Parks - Carlsbad Caverns
    National Parks - Cuyahoga Valley
    National Parks - Everglades
    National Parks - Glacier
    National Parks - Grand Canyon
    National Parks - Grand Teton
    National Parks - Great Basin
    National Parks - Great Sand Dunes
    National Parks - Great Smoky Mountains
    National Parks - Hot Springs
    National Parks - Isle Royale
    National Parks - Joshua Tree
    National Parks - Lassen Volcanic
    National Parks - Mammoth Cave
    National Parks - Mesa Verde
    National Parks - North Cascades
    National Parks - Petrified Forest
    National Parks - Redwood
    National Parks - Rocky Mountain
    National Parks - Saguaro
    National Parks - Theodore Roosevelt
    National Parks - Voyageurs
    National Parks - Waterton Lakes (Canada)
    National Parks - Yellowstone
    National Parks - Yosemite
    National Parks - Zion
    National Preserves
    National Preserves - Mojave National Preserve
    National Wildlife Refuges
    National Wildlife Refuges - Ash Meadows
    National Wildlife Refuges - Bosque Del Apache
    National Wildlife Refuges - Laguna Atascosa
    National Wildlife Refuges - Okefenokee
    State Parks
    State Parks - Adirondack NY
    State Parks - Anza Borrego CA
    State Parks - Dead Horse Point UT
    State Parks - Del Norte Coast Redwoods CA
    State Parks - Goblin Valley UT
    State Parks - Hocking Hills OH
    State Parks - Jedidiah Smith Redwoods CA
    State Parks - Kodachrome Basin UT
    State Parks - Palo Duro Canyon TX
    State Parks - Patrick's Point CA
    State Parks - Prairie Creek Redwoods CA
    State Parks - Quoddy Head ME
    State Parks - Valley Of Fire NV
    States - Alabama
    States - Arizona
    States - Arkansas
    States - California
    States - Colorado
    States - Florida
    States - Georgia
    States - Kentucky
    States - Maine
    States - Michigan
    States - Minnesota
    States - Montana
    States - Nevada
    States - New Hampshire
    States - New Mexico
    States - New York
    States - North Dakota
    States - Ohio
    States - South Dakota
    States - Tennessee
    States - Texas
    States - Utah
    States - Washington
    States - Wyoming

    Archives

    September 2018
    May 2018
    March 2018
    December 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    March 2017
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    January 2015
    June 2014
    May 2014
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    May 2012
    August 2011
    July 2011
    March 2011
    January 2011
    October 2010
    July 2009
    June 2009
    May 2009
    April 2009
    March 2009
    January 2009
    November 2008
    May 2008
    April 2008
    March 2008
    February 2008
    October 2007
    July 2007
    June 2007
    May 2007
    February 2007
    November 2006
    March 2006
    October 2005

Thanks for visiting and we hope you enjoy our website.

Contact Us

Nature Travelers  •  Howard & Linda Payne  •  Howard@NatureTravelers.com  •  www.NatureTravelers.com

All content, photos, and videos - Copyright © Nature Travelers.  All Rights Reserved.
Website Designed by: WCWDesigns