Great Basin National Park - An EV Road Trip Destination
This EV Road Trip is Out There
An EV Road Trip to Great Basin National Park is born of planning and a destination-driven mindset. Honestly, given this park’s remoteness, any road trip here becomes a destination in itself.
Our journey began in western Nevada, cruising along historic US Highway 50 (experience it). The route itself begins the adventure, with wide-open desert vistas, historic roadside stops, and a sense of solitude that sets the tone for the Great Basin experience.
Starting the day in Reno, Nevada, we traveled The Loneliest Road to the eastern Nevada border village of Baker—the tiny gateway to the park.
A restful night and a full charge at Whispering Elms Motel & RV Park prepared us for exploring steep slopes, hiking trails, and spectacular roadside views.
Other awestruck travelers we met had driven lengthy state highways from Utah or Las Vegas, each with their own stories of winding roads and scenic splendor.
Plug in, grab your essentials, plan your route, and make Great Basin your next EV adventure. However you get there, it’s worth the trip.
Ready to roam? Great Basin is the kind of place that turns an EV road trip into a bold journey of discovery.
Start planning today and let the adventure unfold.
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A Steep Drive to Visual Wonder
What Makes Great Basin Special?
Great Basin National Park is one of the lesser-known gems in the National Park System—and that’s part of its charm.
You won’t find crowds here—just endless high desert landscapes, steep mountain slopes, and a quiet that feels almost sacred.
The park is home to Wheeler Peak, Nevada’s second-highest mountain, which towers 13,065 feet over the surrounding terrain.
The 10-degree incline up Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive offers breathtaking views and access to alpine trails, bristlecone pine groves, and even a glacier.
You can start your morning in sagebrush flats and end it among ancient trees and alpine lakes. The diversity of ecosystems provides endless photographic opportunities.
End your day basking in the cosmic beauty of Dark Sky Country.
Don’t Miss: Lehman Caves
One of the park’s most unique features is Lehman Caves, a marble cave system filled with intricate formations like stalactites, stalagmites, and rare shields.
Guided tours are available and highly recommended—just be sure to book in advance, especially during peak season.
Planning and Execution
Charging Considerations for Your Great Basin EV Trip
Just 65 miles down the highway, Ely, Nevada offers convenient access to hotels, restaurants, and a Tesla Supercharger—making it a great overnight stop for EV travelers (new to Tesla charging? Read more here).
This allows for a morning top-up and plenty of range to visit Great Basin and repeat the hills back to a relaxing Ely evening.
Baker, Nevada hosts the Whispering Elms Motel & RV Park. A few months before our trip, we booked recently remodeled Room 6, located next to a Rivian Level 2 charger. Using the fast Wi-Fi didn’t take long to download the Rivian app and set up an account to start charging.
The flat $35.00 rate provided worry free sleep and a strong morning shower prepared us for the adventure ahead—and for the subsequent drive across Utah Highway 21 to the Electrify America charger in Beaver, Utah.
Amp’d Advice: The Whispering Elms Motel & RV Park in Baker, Nevada is a comfortable place to stay. To maximize your dollars, charge just enough to make the 65 hilly miles from Ely to Baker, then top off overnight.
Surprisingly, cellular service in Baker is very good.
However, don’t assume you’ll have signal outside of town—plan ahead.
While your EV flies over the US Highway 50 hills between Fallon and Ely, Nevada, keep in mind that EV Connect is the only charging option at the time of this post.
Because cell service can be unreliable in this stretch, I recommend ordering an EV Connect RFID card before your trip and testing it at home.
It’s a simple step that can save you from charging headaches on the road.
Coming from the east you can charge in Beaver, Utah; offering Electrify America, IONNA and Tesla Superchargers.
The 176-mile drive to Ely can be reduced to 114 miles by staying and overnight charging in Baker, Nevada.
Preparation and planning resulted in a drama-free journey—at least when it came to charging (there may have been additional panic that we will not talk about).
Amp’d Advice: EV Connect is the only Loneliest Highway charging option until Ely, Nevada. My AT&T service had a few bars, do not rely on this to begin charging from the App, request an RFID card to ensure easy charging.
Helpful Resources for Planning:
PlugShare – My choice for checking real-time charger availability and user reviews (Site).
A Better Route Planner (ABRP) – Ideal for mapping out your entire EV route with charging stops (Site).
SightSee EV - Use our road trip planning method to identify usable charging stations.
Birds Eye Review: Experience the Loneliest National Park EV Road Trip
In the Lower 48 States that Is
Wheeler Peak, Great Basin National Park
If you’re looking to check off a bucket-list trip that combines electricity, exploration, and natural wonder, Great Basin should be on your radar.
Great Basin National Park is a place of contrasts—desert and alpine, solitude and adventure, ancient trees and modern EVs.
It’s not just a destination; it’s a journey into one of the quietest, most beautiful corners of the American West.
Whether you drive north from Las Vegas (a bit tougher charging this direction), south from I-80, east from Utah, or arrive from western Nevada, charging opportunities are available with planning.
Spend a few hours exploring Lehman Caves.
Take a morning to drive the switchback road and enjoy the grand views across the mountains and the flat stretches into Utah.
Spend a few days overnighting at one of the park campgrounds and hike the trails to explore more of the park and its bounty.
Ditch the campfire and bask in the light of the cosmos.
Trust me on this one—you’ll find a grand adventure at Great Basin National Park.
