USA Nevada Great Basin: Lexington Arch to Snake Range Limestone Canyon Walk

#arrivalguide Great Basin National Park’s Lexington Arch is the undervisited sibling of Lehman Caves—no entrance fee, no shuttle, just a 5.5-mile round-trip hike from the Baker Creek Road unpaved lot (high-clearance recommended but I did it in a Corolla, slowly). The trail follows Baker Creek, crosses to Lexington Canyon, and climbs to a 60-ft freestanding limestone arch tucked in a side slot—2h40 round trip, 1,100 ft gain. Unlike Utah arches, this one is not on any paved loop; the last 0.3 mile is unmarked route-finding up a dry wash with cairns. I went at 8 am in September and had shade until the arch itself. Carry 2 L—zero water after the creek dries post-June. The Snake Range backdrop (Wheeler Peak 13,065 ft) dominates the upper canyon; fall color on the aspen groves in late Sept is the real draw. No cell signal, no rangers past the visitor centre (open 8–5, $0 entry to centre, $12 cave tour separate). Mistake: I trusted Google Maps "Lexington Arch Trail" pin which dropped me 2 miles too far south on a closed mining track—use the NPS board at Baker Creek instead. Permits: none for day hiking, but backcountry camping in the canyon needs a free register at the trailhead. Discussion: with so little signage and no crowd control, should Great Basin keep Lexington Arch raw, or does it deserve the Zion-style boardwalk treatment?