. By Colorado standards, to think that this trail is the one of the most heavily-used in the entire range is. Hooker towers above Grave Lake, and is the largest vertical rock wall in Wyoming. Gold had been discovered in the gulches near the pass as early as 1842. The lake can produce some stunning reflections. Also, this section is described in Pallister's book. Because the Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1803-1806 was searching for a water route across the Continental Divide it did not learn of South Pass from local peoples. After guiding several trips through the Western Slope Desert, Daniell fell in love with climbing desert towers and overnight canoe trips down the Colorado River. Keep following the trail past Poison Lake, and finally to Coon Lake. Its easy to reach the Lower Green River Lakeside Circuit from Dubois, and youll enjoy stellar views from start to finish on this scenic trail. The Wind Rivers humbly hide 30 peaks over 13,000 feet, including Wyomings tallest mountain Gannett Peak. All Rights Reserved. Wind Rivers. We hiked to Clear Lake in the Winds from the Green River Lakes TH. Setting out from the Smith Lake Trailhead, the Dickson Park to Middle Lake Hike crosses a bridge over an . EXTREME WX CATEGORIES CITIES & VALUES: Temperature Dewpoint Heat Index Wind Wind Chill Pressure Pressure Change Elevation Gain: 3,100 feet over 10.5 miles (9,400 ft to 10,626 ft). Instead, the expedition followed a northerly route up the Missouri River, crossing the Rockies over difficult passes in the Bitterroot Range between present-day Montana and Idaho. Thats another story. Wyeth then established Fort Hall on the Snake River and the Lees settled the Willamette Valley. My name is Shelli Johnson, and I love to hike. 13 Halloween Camping Activities, The Checklist Every First Time RVer Needs, Everything You Need To Know About Wifi For Your RV, 14 Wilderness Survival Tools You Should Have in The Backcountry, How Marfa Became the Art and Glamping Capital of Texas, 30+ Tips on Camping with Kids, From Parents Who Have Been There. This article on Marfa camping is brought to you by OOFOS, whose womens footwear line is made with patented foam that enhances muscle recovery and, We recently asked our Facebook Campfire group for advice on camping with kids, and the responses flooded in with everything from let them help with, 2022 The Dyrt, Inc | All rights reserved, 4 Stunning Routes for Backpacking Through Wyomings Wind River Range, 6 Private Campgrounds to Book When Your Favorite National Parks are Full. That said, its also extremely important to be aware of your surroundings and to follow bear bag or canister protocols at all backcountry camping destinations. Trip Type: Out-and-back Between the five of us we caught about 18 trout in an hour. Its a pretty mountain lake that we always seem to have to ourselves. Under most conditions, crampons are required. If you are flying in, we recommend the Riverton, Casper, Rock Springs, and Jackson airports. roanoke virginia blue ridge mountains peaks of otter Almost relentlessly rugged and physically and mentally taxing, with navigational challenges, and mile-for-mile arguably the most jaw-dropping trek through any mountain range in Americaand I've taken many of the very best over the past three decades, including the 10 years I spent as . The first recorded crossing was made on 22 Oct. 1812 by Robert Stuart, and six companions from the Pacific Fur Company of John Jacob Astor. It is apparent on topo maps, and there is a stream that follows it and drops to the creek. (1), Southwest Arete Lost Temple Spire, IV, 5.10b. It is non-technical, but may require technical gear in early-season. Composed mostly of National Forest land and the Wind River Reservation, the Winds are protected by three quarters of a million acres of public lands. From Cheyenne to Jackson, Evanston to Casper to Gillette and everywhere in between. Though well known to Native Americans, South Pass was first traversed in 1812 by European American explorers who were seeking a safer way to return from the West Coast than they had taken to it. You can find directions easily from guidebooks. Heres our take on the best day hikes in the Wind River Range. Smith Lake is a 7 mile blue singletrack trail located near Popo Agie Wilderness Wyoming. UPPER SILAS LAKE: Its about 3 miles from the trailhead to Upper Silas Lake, 6 miles roundtrip. According to the approximate route I traced on my phone, the total elevation gain is about 29,000 feet!! It is advised that you camp in either of these spots rather than at Big Sandy Lake. You'll want to bring your friends and family to experience the sheer quantity (and quality) of scenic, unbeatable camping across Sublette County. The range is home to many of the state's highest mountains including Fremont Peak at 13,745 and Wind River Peak at 13,192 feet. The best route from Baker Lake to Bear Lake is described in Pallister's book, and also Matt Lemke's excellent trip report. We started at the St Lawerence ranger station and made our way to Twin Lakes for the first night. Partway up, a short trail branches left to Bear Lakes. From Wykee Lake, travel 1 mile (on-trail) west to the south shore of Sonnicant Lake. Additional Read: The 11 Best Airbnbs Near Grand Teton National Park. In 2013, Alan Dixon and Don Wilson envisioned the " Wind River High Route ," a cross-country trek traversing the range and connecting all three of those areas, as well as less-famous, equally striking scenery in between. Check Out Our Perks and Open Positions, Lets Get Spooky! Directions from Pinedale: From the intersection of Pine Street (US 191) and . A translation of his journal was published in an 1821 French journal, but South Pass would have to be rediscovered by later explorers from information provided by Crow Indians. Outside of the Sierras, Wyoming's Wind River Range is home to the West's best golden trout fishing. This article is about my favorite day hikes, not my favorite epic day hikes. [5]:110,113[4]:158, In 1842, John C. Fremont led a United States Army Corps of Topographical Engineers expedition to survey South Pass. . No permit is required to use the range and a range attendant will not be present. The Bear's Ears Trail continues down the stream's west bank (headed north) and climbs west and descends to Grave Lake. The route follows closely to the Continental Divide through the Wind River Range and is largely off-trail; of the approximate 100 miles, 65+ miles are off-trail, depending on your measuring device. Stuart's "Travel Memorandum" was left with President James Madison, but the War of 1812 preempted western exploration. Joe Kelsey describes the first 5.5 miles of this trail as the Lizard Head Trail as follows: "Lizard Head Meadows are an opening along the North Popo Agie 2 miles below Lonesome Lake. Explore the numerous lakes in the area. Half Moon Lake - Low use 7. Although it gets spotty between Deep Lake and Clear Lake, you can't really get lost; just head north down the granite slabs to the east end of Clear Lake. The Wind River Range is home to a variety of wildlife, including elk, deer, bighorn sheep, moose, bald eagles, wolverines and grizzly bears, making it an incredible location for viewing rarely seen animals in their natural habitat. Best reached from Pinedale, this trail goes by a few names. And also from going south from New Fork Lake past Lee Lake. SILAS CANYON (including Lower Silas Lake, Upper Silas Lake, Island Lake, and Thumb Lake), Trailhead: Christina Lake Trailhead, just past Fiddler Lake, when approaching from Lander, WY. "The ridge is most easily gained 0.5 miles from the summit; two couloirs nearer the summit are corniced early in summer and later filled with ice and loose rock. I'm sure someone over here is familiar with Wind River Range hikes and could point me in the right direction. Make your way north past a myriad of small lakes to Crescent Lake. The first mile is a nice forested trail with some small ups and downs before reaching a trail junction, where you can head left toward Christina Lake, or head right toward Upper Silas, Island and Thumb lakes. A river, that appears to drop into an unseen . Its got more than 40 named granite peaks that soar 13,000 feet or higher, scores of giant glaciers, 1,300 alpine lakes and hundreds of miles of incredible hiking trails. See more of his great photography at Best.ChuckSutherland.Com, Press J to jump to the feed. For speedier backpackers, Big Sandy Lake is a popular camping spot just under 6 miles from the Big Sandy trailhead. Slide Creek Falls is a unique waterfall thats not very known unless you look at a topo map. Smith Lake Lake Popular Destinations in Wyoming Cheyenne Casper Laramie Gillette The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes. The Highline Trail begins at the campground and follows most of the length of the Wind River Range, 80 miles to the south. After looking at my map, the drive is through the wind river Indian reservation (the hike is entirely on national forrest land) and you may need a permit for moccasin lake road. Follow the plateau northwest all the way to Lake 10528 in Stough Creek Basin. All lakes can be accessed using the Stough Creek, Sheep Bridge, or Sweetwater trailheads in the Shoshone National Forest. [4]:156157[5]:87107, The first family of emigrants, the Walkers, crossed the pass in 1840 with the intention of settling in Oregon. Perhaps the most beautiful section of the Traverse is the Northern section, so you would ascend back to the divide (and the Traverse) via Tourist Creek (this off-trail route is described in detail by Pallister and Kelsey). Reaching the pass on 8 Aug. 1842, Fremont wrote, "The ascent had been so gradual, that, with all the intimate knowledge possessed by Carson, who had made the country his home for seventeen years, we were obliged to watch very closely to find the place at which we had reached the culminating point." #WindRiverCountry, Wind River Visitors Council Updated October 25, 2021. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, https://www.yellowstonepark.com/things-to-do/smith-lake-basin-in-wyomings-wind-river-range-is-a-hikers-haven. When hiking in a group, you should always stay on the trail to avoid creating erosion. A dazzling Wind River Range brook trout, courtesy of Finis Mitchell. Indeed, the time where one can write a guidebook without ever leaving home is upon us! I wouldn't bet on it, however. I have taken backpacking trips to the Cirque of the Towers and Temple Lake area, as well as the Titcomb Basin area; however, I have not completed the WRRT yet. Check out more of our hiking guides featuring the most epic terrain in the Rocky Mountains: 14 Majestic Hikes in Glacier National Park, The 10 Best Hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park, How to Spend One Day in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. [5]:114,128. Wyoming Highway 28 crosses the Continental Divide 2.5 miles (4.0km) to the northwest at elevation 7,550 feet (2,300m), and its crossing is also named South Pass. For those not in the know, The Wind River Range, or "The Winds" as they are called, are one of the most amazing wild places in the lower 48 states. The meadow before the trail drops to Ross lake so muddy that it stopped the horse packers, so I only saw 2 groups at Ross Lake the . THUMB LAKE: Its about 6 miles to Thumb lake from the trailhead, 12 miles roundtrip. . Its conveniently situated right in the middle of the range, providing ample opportunities to stock up on food, water, and supplies in this beautiful part of the country. Its also a great camping destination. From Windy Lake Basin, make your way east to the top of the plateau, as described in Nancy Palister's book "Beyond Trails." After rounding Cathedral Peak, this trail joins the Bear's Ears Trail, just before the latter's descent [west 1.5 miles] to Valentine Lake." The height of Mt. They thrive in cold water and are typically only . Day 1: Sweetwater Gap Guardstation to Windy Lake, 7 miles, Day 5: Grave Lake, 12 miles (all on-trail), Day 6: Visit Babtiste Lake, camp at upper Grave cirque, 7 miles, Day 7: Sonnicant Lake via Roberts Mountain route, 6 miles, Day 10: Explore lakes south of Brown Cliffs, camp at one of them, 6 miles, Day 11: "Shangri-La" via the "Goat-Friendly High Route," 7 miles, Day 12: Day hike to "Glacier View" and down to the North Fork Bull Lake Creek, 6 miles, Day 13: From "Shangri-La" to Upper Titcomb Basin (over Indian Pass), 9 miles, Day 14: Scott Lake (CRUX OF ROUTE), 9 miles, Day 18: Out via Osbourne Mountain Route, 9 miles, + 2 days for weather-related "stay-put" days. Depending on where you decide to camp, there may or may not be trees large enough to create bear hangs, so bear canisters may be the most sensible option. It offers panoramic views and excellent backcountry camping without the heavy mileage of its longer cousin. This vast 110-mile uplifted spine offers limitless climbing and hiking in a remote setting. For a while we were losing so much eleveation I thought we might have taken a wrong turn. Its in the name! Elevation Gain: 2,200 feet over 6 miles (9,100 ft to 11,300 ft). My only experience is in the WRIR roadless area, though. Looking over Marms Lake Lakes dominate much of the Wind River Range, meaning you don't have to carry too much water. wildflowers, Big Sandy Lake, Wind River range, WY. The range spans over 100 miles running roughly from Jackson, WY at its northwest edge, to Atlantic City, WY at its south eastern terminus. Ashley subsequently established the first Rocky Mountain Rendezvous in 1825. [7][5]:5377[4]:158, In 1832 Captain Benjamin Bonneville, aided by Michel Cerre and Joseph R. Walker, blazed a wagon road across the pass. Earthwalk press makes the best maps for the winds. The Sweetwater River flows past the east side of the pass, and Pacific Creek rises on the west side. 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