Parking
Follow Snake Creek Road to its end and use the designated Snake Creek Trailhead lot. Parking outside marked spaces or along the road is prohibited. Pit toilets are at the trailhead.
Overview
About Snake Creek Overlook Trail
Why go
- A short loop ends at a bench with a view over the lower valley.
- The wooden creek bridge and two walk-in campsites add interest to the approach.
Heads up
- Most of the climbing is concentrated near the overlook.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Great Basin map
Full mapElevation8,186–8,556 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
4 active Great Basin alerts
- CautionStage II fire restrictions prohibit outdoor fires and smokingStage II fire restrictions are active throughout Great Basin National Park because of extreme fire danger. - Do not use campfires, charcoal grills, or smoke outdoors anywhere in the park.Official details
- CautionPotable water is unavailable at park campgroundsPotable water is currently unavailable in every Great Basin National Park campground; bring sufficient water or fill containers before settling in.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Great Basin Tour Guide
Your drive to Snake Creek Overlook Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Great Basin National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this trailhead
Snake Creek: Johnson Lake and the Old Mine0:00 / 0:26
“Up ahead are the Snake Creek trailheads, with a long hike to Johnson Lake and its old mining district.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Great Basin Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Many Aspen Trunks, One Plant
- A Kangaroo Rat Without a Drink
- Baker Creek Trailhead: Lake or Meadow Loop
- Baker Creek Campground: Choose Your Setting
- 36 audio storiesacross Great Basin’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Elk, Mule Deer, Wild Turkey, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 29 trails, 29 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Snake Creek Overlook Trail
A small valley-view hikeThis easy lollipop from Snake Creek Trailhead takes about an hour.
This easy lollipop from Snake Creek Trailhead takes about an hour. Walk the shared approach to a short overlook loop, then return along the same trail. A bench looks over the lower valley. The complete route measures about 1.4 miles from the mapped trail geometry; park information still lists 1.1 miles, so plan for the longer figure.
The approach and overlookA short wooden bridge crosses Snake Creek, then the trail passes two walk-in primitive…
A short wooden bridge crosses Snake Creek, then the trail passes two walk-in primitive campsites. Most of the climb comes near the overlook. The bench is a little over a tenth of a mile around the upper loop; take the counterclockwise side to reach the view sooner, then finish the loop before retracing the shared approach.
Trees and wildflowersThe route climbs through pine, fir and aspen.
The route climbs through pine, fir and aspen. Spring wildflowers can continue into summer in some years. The trail starts around 8,200 feet, so even this short hike begins at high elevation.
Water, access and petsThere is no potable water along Snake Creek Road.
There is no potable water along Snake Creek Road. Pit toilets without running water are at the trailhead. Pets are not allowed on park trails; trained service animals are permitted. Snake Creek Road closes in winter when snow and ice make it impassable.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Great Basin
22 sightingsElkMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
237 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
185 sightingsWild TurkeyMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
22 sightingsRattlesnakeMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
23 sightingsDusky GrouseMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
18 sightingsThree-toed WoodpeckerMost seen around 8 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Great Basin. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
