Pinyon-Juniper woodlands cover the lower slopes of Great Basin National Park. Alana Dimmick. Plants - Great Basin National Park (U.S. National Park Service) The Great Basin is a desert, averaging less than 10 inches of rain a year. It is a cold desert, and because of its high elevation, it receives most of its moisture in winter snows. Despite these dry conditions there are over 800 different plant species in the park and South Snake Range, of these 13 are considered sensitive species. The way many of these plant species are able to survive in this environment is through specialized adaptations or by living in the cooler, wetter mountain ranges.