Great Basin National Park · Nevada

Glacier Trail

1.0 mi of trail, end to end · about 600 ft of climbing · 10,450 ft–11,035 ft · native surface · trail class Moderately Developed · hiking

10,450 ft 11,035 ft · 0.9 mi high 11,035 ft

Hike to the Glacier the Park Service's write-up

2-4 Hours · no dogs · Spring, Summer, Fall

Start Bristlecone Trailhead

Green trees sit on a slope with sharp, cragged rock cliffs beyond, forming a wall.
The Glacier Trail provides views of the last glacier in Nevada and the ancient Bristlecone Pines Photo: NPS / B. Mills

Trail Overview

Total Distance: 4.8 miles / 7.7 kilometers

Starting elevation: 9,890 feet / 2,987 meters

Elevation Gain: 1,040 feet / 317 meters

Difficulty: Moderate

Time: 2 hours - 4 hours

Begin at : Bristlecone Trailhead/End of the Scenic Drive

Great Basin National Park is unique for many reasons, but one rare sight in the deserts of the southwest are glaciers. The Wheeler Peak Glacier is the last surviving glacier in Nevada and getting smaller by the year due to the effects of human caused climate change. Nowadays referred to as a "Rock Glacier," The Wheeler Glacier is an amalgamation of rock and ice, slowly drifting down the sides of the Wheeler Cirque, once solid but slowly carved out by glaciers like the surviving one. Follow the trail past the Bristlecone Pine grove to see the glacial remnants and read interpretive signs about this park's long history of glacial formation.

The Bristlecone Trail overlaps the first 1.4 miles of this trail and the total distance above includes the Bristlecone Trail in its calculations. See the trail map below (unavailable on NPS app) for clarification on the overlapping sections.

Beginning at an elevation of just under 10,000 feet, these trails provide both a respite from the summer heat of the Snake Valley, but also added dangers in the form of altitude sickness and afternoon thunderstorms. Be prepared with plenty of water and salty snacks, or to return to your vehicle if you become symptomatic of altitude sickness or see thunderclouds rolling in.

This hike starts at the Bristlecone Trailhead at the end of the Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive. 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 the Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive. Pack sufficient water with you, about one gallon per person per day. Water is available year-round at the nearby Lehman Caves Visitor Center or seasonally at the dump station.

Restrooms

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

Accessibility This trail is not accessible.

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.