Road into Great Basin National Park

Camping in a summer campground at the trailhead

Snowshoeing the road to the trailhead

Treeline and Wheeler Peak

Getting up there, 13,000 feet

Summit ridge

Getting close to the summit

Wheeler Peak should be Nevada's highest peak. Its location, scenery and history far surpass the embarrassingly "just a bit higher" Boundary Peak on the California-Nevada line who attaches himself to a much larger California peak. Wheeler was my first Great Basin climb, a winter ascent that took 2 days. I lived in Seattle, had climbed little other than in Washington and just getting to the peak was like being on the moon, totally foreign. It was this experience that led me years later to move to The Great Basin.

Access:

Wheeler Peak

Distance: 4 miles (+4 more in winter)
Elevation Gain: 3,000 feet
Summit Elevation: 13,063
Access rating: Level 1

The Route:

WillhiteWeb.com: Nevada Hiking & Climbing

From the summer trailhead parking area at 10,000 feet, follow the trail up. I did it with about 10 feet of snow in winter with no problems, a nice snowshoe trip. Much of the upper route is on the exposed ridgeline where winds or sun could be an issue. In winter, you will be starting at 7,800 feet at the Upper Lehman Creek Campground. Follow the Lehman Creek trail until you loose it, then just head up the drainage where you will run into the Wheeler Peak camp and merge onto the trail route just beyond.

From Baker Nevada, drive the Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive (Hwy 488) for 12 miles to the trailhead parking just before the Wheeler Peak Campground. In winter, the road is only plowed to Upper Lehman Creek Campground at 7,800 feet and you start there.