Great Basin National Park · Nevada

Dead Lake Trail

2.4 mi of trail, end to end · Hike to Dead Lake: 5.1 mi round trip in the Service's write-up · about 1,500 ft of climbing · 8,192 ft–9,732 ft · native surface · trail class Moderately Developed · hiking, horse

8,262 ft 9,732 ft · 2.2 mi high 9,732 ft

Hike to Dead Lake 5.1 mi round trip · the Park Service's write-up

2-5 Hours · no dogs · Spring, Summer, Fall

Start Snake Creek Trailhead

Golden Aspens on the banks of a shallow lake
The Dead Lake hike is a great moderate hike in a less visited area of the park. Photo: Byan Petrtyl

Trail Overview

Distance: 5.1 miles / 8.2 kilometers

Starting elevation: 8,200 feet / 2,500 meters

Elevation Gain: 1,520 feet / 463 meters

Difficulty: Moderate

Time: 3 hours - 5 hours

Begin at : Snake Creek Trailhead

A 5.1 mile round trip hike to Dead lake offers trails through aspen groves and views on the snake valley on the way to a lake that comes and goes with the seasons. After heavy snow seasons, the lake is often filled late into the season, but can be totally dry after drier winters.

Spring time ushers in a bevy of wildflowers of many colors, some years blooming well into the summer. Find yourself surrounded by pine, fir, and aspen trees as you hike through the forest and gain elevation.

This hike starts at the Snake Creek Trailhead on Snake Creek Road. Stop to park at the trailhead at the road's end. Parking outside of designated spaces or along the road is prohibited.

No pets permitted on park trails. Trained service animals allowed. Learn more about service animal regulations at this link.

Water

Potable water is not available along Snake Creek Road. Pack sufficient water with you, about one gallon per person per day.

Restrooms

The nearest restrooms are pit toilets with no running water at the Snake Creek Trailhead.

Accessibility This hike is not accessible due to rocky terrain.

This hike on nps.gov

On the parks map

All 35 trails in Great Basin National ParkFind a trailOn the parks mapPark on nps.gov

About this trail's facts

The lines are the National Park Service's public trails layer, the trailheads and the waterfalls, views, peaks and historic places along them the Service's public points of interest, read 2026-10-16 and simplified for the map; the length is the line's, end to end. The write-ups are the Service's own "things to do" text, unedited. Heights come from USGS 3DEP through Terrain Tiles on AWS (Mapzen/Tilezen), read along each line and rounded; a short trail on steep ground can be off by a few tens of feet. Closures change: check the park's own site before you go.