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Baker, Nevada, is the gateway to Great Basin National Park. This blink-and-you’ll-miss-it town with a population of about 70 doesn’t offer much outside of the park, but there is one site of importance.
Baker Archaeological Site
The Baker Archaeological Site lies a few miles from the heart of town down a rough gravel road. Excavations at the site from 1991 to 1994 revealed a large village that was inhabited by the Fremont culture, a pre-Columbian indigenous people that thrived between AD 1 and 1300. A trail guide is available at the shelter that explains the significance of the foundations visible at the site.
The village was inhabited from about 1220 to 1295. After excavations were completed, the site was backfilled and the original foundations were covered. The small walls visible today were built in 2002 to mark the location of the original foundations.
Quirky Road Art
On the roads in town, especially the one leading to the entrance of Great Basin National Park, there are some peculiar and hilarious things that the locals have put up along the way. It might be a boring drive to get to Baker, but at least you’ll be entertained once you arrive.