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Great Basin National Heritage Area

Hermit's Cabin   |  Millard County
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The Great Basin, once covered by the ancient Lake Bonneville, stretches across all of Western Utah. The Northern area near Tooele is known as the land of the Pony Express and Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trails. The Central area near Delta is federally-designated as Great Basin National Heritage Area and branded “Great Basin Territory” because it is a common traveler pathway to Great Basin National Park, which lies near the Utah and Nevada state border. Together, these remote areas make up Utah’s “West Desert” and one of the Western United States’ least-visited, but most-fascinating areas for heritage tourism and desert discovery. If you like the sound of ghost towns, wild horses, rockhounding for ancient fossils and remote hot springs — this is the area for you. 

National Historic Trails in Utah The Pony Express Trail

Top Destinations & Activities

For more information on things to do in the area, visit Millard County’s Great Basin Territory website and the Great Basin National Heritage Area website, or call or stop by a visitor center in the area.

Isolated mountain ranges scattered throughout the Great Basin area offer secluded campsites and accessible hikes ending with majestic views of the massive expanse.

Isolated mountain ranges scattered throughout the Great Basin area offer secluded campsites and accessible hikes ending with majestic views of the massive expanse.

Photo: Rosie Serago

Great Basin

Watch off the side of the road for wild horses that roam freely across the Great Basin region.

Watch off the side of the road for wild horses that roam freely across the Great Basin region.

Photo: Rosie Serago

Great Basin

Great Basin Desert

01

3 Days

West Desert Ramble & The Pony Express

This itinerary is a three-day adventure along the Pony Express National Historic Trail in Utah's West Desert. Visit Simpson Springs, Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge, Gold Hill and more.

Adventure, Film Tourism, History and Heritage, Solitude, Wildlife, Ghost Towns

Highlights

  • Camp Floyd State Park Museum
  • Fish Springs Wildlife Refuge
  • Pony Express National Historic Trail
  • Historic Wendover Airfield

See Itinerary

02

5 Days

Grand Adventure in the Great Basin

In this five-day itinerary you won’t find many crowds. But take your time and you’ll find this desert geography isn’t so empty after all.

Hiking, Cycling, Adventure, Dinosaurs, Photography, Scenic Drives/Road Trips, Solitude, Stargazing, Wildlife, Mountain Biking, ATV and off-road, Guided Experiences, Camping & Backpacking, Climbing & Canyoneering, Agritourism

Highlights

  • Territorial Statehouse State Park Museum
  • Pahvant Valley Heritage Trail
  • Topaz Incarceration Camp and Museum
  • Sinbad Road / Hermit Cabin
  • Great Basin National Park
  • Cove Fort

See Itinerary

"After slowing down for exploration and discovery of the Great Basin's towns, museums, and open lands, the imagination quickly fills in the spaces: volcanoes erupt and the liquified earth hardens into formations; a massive, prehistoric lake inundates the valleys; ancestral peoples carve out a wild and sophisticated culture; pioneer settlers put down roots; and dreams of statehood build up monuments."

– Andrew Dash Gillman

Great Basin National Heritage Area

Nearby Towns

Travel With Care

When traveling on dirt roads it is best to have a high clearance or four-wheel drive vehicle. If you plan to venture off the main highway, you should take plenty of food and water, good maps, a spare tire and the tools and knowledge needed to change your tire because cell phones are unreliable in the desert. Ensure your gas tank is full as gas stations are few and far between. Please respect and protect all cultural sites, avoid creating new trails or fire rings and pack out all your trash.

Utah Road Conditions & Safety

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Well-prepared travel is responsible travel.

Do your part by planning ahead
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