A bumpy dirt road, no coffee in sight, and tiny towns flashing by as we cross northwest Utah toward Great Basin National Park. We land an incredible campsite, then head toward Weaver Peak to film CampVue and catch our first jaw-dropping views. In this episode, we finally leave City of Rocks National Reserve and begin the long push toward Great Basin National Park. The route takes us along sometimes bumpy dirt roads, cutting across the northwest corner of Utah through wide-open country and tiny towns that seem to disappear as quickly as they appear. With no luck finding coffee in Almo before setting off, the search for caffeine becomes a running joke as we roll through near-empty stretches of road, soaking in the quiet and isolation of this part of the West. It’s a travel day defined by movement, small moments, and the humor that comes from unmet expectations. We eventually arrive at our campground near Great Basin National Park and quickly realize we may have landed one of the best campsites of the entire 2025 CampVue Northern Tour. After getting set up, we head out toward Weaver Peak to continue filming for CampVue, where we’re rewarded with our first real glimpse of the stunning landscape that defines this region. This episode marks the transition from travel to discovery, setting the stage for what’s to come in Great Basin.

Morning coffee by a quiet creek leads to an alpine hike in Great Basin National Park. We explore the Alpine Lakes Loop, visit Stella and Teresa Lakes, meet a mother deer and her fawn, then descend with sweeping desert views far below. We wake up to a quiet morning at our campground in Great Basin National Park, easing into the day with fresh coffee and time spent beside a peaceful creek. It’s an unhurried start, setting the tone before heading out to explore the higher elevations of the park. From there, we drive toward Wheeler Peak and set out on the Alpine Lakes Loop Trail, hiking through cool mountain air and dramatic scenery. Along the trail, we visit Stella Lake and Teresa Lake, where a surprise encounter with a mother deer and her baby adds a memorable moment to the hike. Afterward, we make our way back down the mountain, lingering on the drive as the landscape shifts. Glimpses of the desert floor far below offer striking contrast to the alpine terrain above, prompting plenty of quiet awe along the way. The video ends here, before returning to camp to reset for the next adventure — a visit to Lehman Caves — continuing our exploration of Great Basin National Park in the following episode.

We head underground on the Parachute Shield Tour at Lehman Caves in Great Basin National Park, exploring massive chambers, delicate formations, and ancient stone shaped over millions of years—an awe-filled experience and a reminder of just how fragile caves can be. In this episode, we head underground for the Parachute Shield Tour at Lehman Caves in Great Basin National Park. After a morning spent exploring the alpine landscapes near Wheeler Peak, the day takes a very different turn as we check in at the Lehman Caves Visitor Center and prepare for one of the park’s most iconic experiences. Before entering the cave, we spend time learning about its discovery, history, and the people connected to it—both those who knew of this place long before it was documented, and the early explorers who helped bring it to wider attention. Descending into the cave, we learn how Lehman Caves began hundreds of millions of years ago, when this region was covered by a shallow sea. Over time, limestone formed from ancient marine life, later transforming into marble and slowly dissolving to create the intricate passages and chambers we see today. Along the Parachute Shield Tour, we encounter a wide variety of formations, including stalactites, stalagmites, flowstone, and the striking shield formations for which the tour is named. The famous Parachute Shield stands out for its size and shape, formed as mineral-rich water spread outward in thin sheets over thousands of years. The tour also offers moments of reflection—on cave conservation, the marks left by early visitors before preservation was understood, and just how fragile these underground spaces truly are. We wrap up the episode back at camp, reflecting on the experience and why Lehman Caves is such a memorable part of Great Basin National Park.

We leave the alpine heights of Great Basin National Park and descend into the desert, stopping at the Baker Archaeological Site. The changing landscape sparks reflection on the Fremont culture and how people once lived between mountain forests and open desert. In this episode, we begin our descent out of Great Basin National Park, leaving behind the high-elevation pines and aspens for the wide-open desert below. Before continuing south toward our next destination, we make a short but meaningful stop at the Baker Archaeological Site. Standing on the ground where a village once stood, we take time to reflect on how dramatically the landscape shifts in such a short distance—from the cool forests atop the mountain to the dry, expansive desert stretching out around us. At the site, we talk about the Fremont culture, whose presence in this region dates back centuries. It’s a quiet pause in the journey, offering perspective on how people once lived and adapted to this land long before modern roads and national parks. The episode ends here, setting the stage for our next stop and the continuation of the day in Episode 34, as we carry on southward.

In this episode, we leave the Baker Archaeological Site and continue south to the historic mining town of Pioche, Nevada. Once in town, we spend time walking up and down Main Street, taking in the atmosphere of a place shaped by boom-and-bust mining history. Along the way, we receive a surprise invitation into the Lincoln County Historical Museum, giving us an unexpected opportunity to learn more about Pioche’s past and the people who once called it home. Outside, we stop to look at the remains of the town’s aerial tramway, a reminder of the infrastructure that once supported mining operations in the surrounding hills. We wrap up our visit by wandering past Pioche’s historic buildings, pausing to observe their details and imagine what life might have looked like during the town’s busiest years. The episode ends here, setting up the next stop on the journey: Cathedral Gorge State Park, coming up in the next episode.