Lehman Caves
Great Basin National Park
Baker, NV
A cool marble underworld hung with draperies and studded with hundreds of rare shields, at the foot of Nevada's loneliest high peak.
Lehman Caves is a jewel box hidden beneath the eastern flank of the Snake Range, a marble cavern packed with an extraordinary density of formations. Just steps from the entrance, the passages open into rooms hung with stalactites, columns, draperies, and, most notably, hundreds of the rare, plate-like formations called shields, a feature so unusual that few caves anywhere can match it.
The cave anchors Great Basin National Park, one of the least-visited and most quietly spectacular parks in the country. Above the cave rises Wheeler Peak, cloaked in ancient bristlecone pines and holding a small glacier, so a visit here can combine a cool underground tour with some of the highest, darkest, most starlit country in Nevada.
What Guests Love
- The dense forest of stalactites, columns, and draperies just steps underground
- The rare shield formations, which the cave has in unusual abundance
- The steady, cool temperature after the hot desert outside
- Pairing the cave with Wheeler Peak's bristlecones and alpine scenery above
Worth Knowing
- The cave is seen only on ranger-led tours, so it is worth reserving a spot ahead
- It stays cool and damp year-round, so bring a light jacket and sturdy shoes
- Touching the formations is not allowed; skin oils damage the delicate cave
- It is remote, so plan fuel and supplies for the long desert drive in
Details
Baker, NV
Learn about Lehman Caves
Absalom Lehman and the cave's discovery
The cave takes its name from Absalom Lehman, a German-born prospector and rancher who settled in Snake Valley in the late 1860s and, by most accounts, came upon the cave in 1885 near his ranch. He began leading visitors through it by candlelight and hoped to develop it as an attraction, but he died before he could fully realize the plan.
The cave's fame grew, and in 1922 President Warren Harding proclaimed it Lehman Caves National Monument. When Great Basin National Park was created in 1986 to protect the wider Snake Range, the cave and its monument were folded into the new park, where they remain the most popular attraction.
Shields and the making of the cave
The passages wind through limestone and low-grade marble at the base of the Snake Range, dissolved out over millions of years by slightly acidic groundwater seeping through the rock. As the water later dripped and evaporated, it left behind the slow-growing calcite formations that fill the rooms today.
Lehman Caves is best known for its shields, strange formations made of two roughly circular plates joined like a flattened clamshell, often trailing stalactites and draperies from the lower plate. Most caves have only a handful of shields if any; Lehman is studded with hundreds of them, one of the greatest concentrations known, and their origin is still not fully understood, which only adds to the fascination.
Wheeler Peak and the park above
The world above the cave is as remarkable as the one below. Wheeler Peak soars past 13,000 feet, its upper slopes home to groves of bristlecone pines, among the oldest living trees on Earth, and a small rock glacier tucked into a shaded cirque. A scenic drive climbs the mountain, and trails lead to alpine lakes and the ancient pines.
Because Great Basin is so far from any city, its night skies are among the darkest in the country, and the park is a celebrated spot for stargazing. The desert basins below are home to pronghorn and sage, while the high country holds marmots, mule deer, and the occasional mountain lion. Summer is the season for the high peak, while the cave stays cool and open through much of the year.
Closest Boutels
The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.
Things to Do Near Baker
Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive
Above the cave
A steep paved climb to nearly 10,000 feet with trailheads to the bristlecone pines, the rock glacier, and alpine lakes.
Baker
About 5 miles east
A tiny high-desert outpost at the park's edge, with a handful of eateries and lodgings and celebrated dark skies.
Great Basin dark-sky viewing
Throughout the park
Some of the darkest night skies in the country, with a Milky Way so bright it casts shadows and an annual astronomy festival.