Verses: Psalm 147:4
Fun Fact: Great Basin National Park has some of the darkest skies in the United States.
Favorite Hike: Baker and Johnson Lake Loop
Great Basin National Park is one of the least visited national parks, largely due to its remoteness and limited infrastructure. Great Basin is located in eastern Nevada, about 3.5 hours southwest of Salt Lake City or 4.5 hours north of Las Vegas. While it may be out of the way, it is well worth the trip!
The basin contains the area between the Sierra Nevada and Wasatch Mountain ranges. Great Basin’s high desert environment offers visitors a unique variety of nature: tall peaks, alpine lakes, aspen groves, an impressive cave system, and one of the country’s darkest skies.
One of the park's defining features is the Bristlecone pine tree. These oddly shaped trees grow in a twisted fashion. They are thought to be some of the oldest known living trees and can survive through harsh and changing environments. They can only be found in limited parts of California, Nevada, and Utah — often in areas where other trees and vegetation can’t survive.
Hiking is popular in the park. People like to hike to see the Bristlecones, alpine lakes, or the park’s highest point: Wheeler Peak, which is at 13,060 feet. The park is also home to Lehman Cave, which was originally protected as a national monument in 1922. The cave has about two miles of passageways, making it the longest cave in Nevada!
But the greatest feature of all at Great Basin National Park is the night sky. After the sun goes down, you get to see the best part of the park. Great Basin is considered an International Dark Sky Park. There are several requirements the park must meet to receive this designation; the Milky Way must be visible to the unaided eye and there must be very limited artificial light from the surrounding areas. Additionally, there are specific measures the park must meet for the level of darkness and the brightness of the night sky. The park must also establish a lighting management plan to reduce light pollution and commit to public education on the importance of dark skies. Great Basin holds astronomy programs throughout the year, typically May-September. They also host an annual Astronomy Festival in September.
From Great Basin National Park, you can usually see the Milky Way, the Andromeda Galaxy (the nearest large galaxy), the five planets we can see with the naked eye: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. And of course you can see the stars — so many stars.
There are an estimated 200 billion trillion stars in the universe. That is hard to fathom, but becomes all the more amazing when you consider that number in the context of Psalm 147:4:
He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names.
Psalm 8:3 tells us He has set the stars in their place.
When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place
The Lord knows each star by name. Think about that for a while. Scientists estimate that there are 150 billion stars born per year… that’s 4800 stars per second. The Lord names and places each of them. This is the power of our creator, this is a glimpse into His might and dominion, a display of His infinite and eternal attributes. This is how big our God is and how small we are.
Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing. Isaiah 40:26
But this same God who calls the stars forth is the same God who calls us (Romans 8:28) to repentance and righteousness. This call is according to our Lord’s divine purposes and leads to eternal Glory. Friends, if the Lord can call the stars forth by name, how much more can He call you?
As you visit Great Basin National Park, I pray that you experience moments of pure awe. Maybe this is your first time seeing the Milky Way, or the first time grasping the magnitude and complexity of our universe (and others). As you see the stars, I pray that you remember these truths, that the LORD has created them, called them by name, and put them in their place. This is the same Lord who has created you, who knows every hair on your head, and who has called you to be His.
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
- Psalm 19:1
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