Why you should go: Explore one of the Winds most popular trails to reach Big Sandy Lake. The lake can produce some stunning reflections. And the shores of Grave Lake (also pictured) have endless scenic camping spots. 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. Sprawled in the shadow of 14,115-foot Pikes Peak, Colorado Springs is the type of city that boasts the best of all worlds. This trip was planned as a 10 day shuttle trip from Meadow Lake TH to Boulder lake TH on the west side of the Winds out of PInedale WY. THUMB LAKE: Its about 6 miles to Thumb lake from the trailhead, 12 miles roundtrip. Make noise as youre hiking to avoid bear encounters, never hike alone, and bring bear spray or other protection. It contains 40 peaks over 13,000 feet, the largest glacier in the American Rockies, and over 1300 named lakes. In 1836, Fitzpatrick guided the "First White Women to Cross This Pass", Narcissa Whitman and Eliza Hart Spalding, along with and their husbands, plus Miles Goodyear and William Gray. 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. For a while we were losing so much eleveation I thought we might have taken a wrong turn. The Dorothy Harvey papers (1902-2005) is a collection of materials focusing on the Central Utah Project (CUP), a water resource development program to use Utah's alloted share of the Colorado River. Generally speaking, backpacking here is best done in the late summer or early fall, when temperatures are warmer and the better portion of the snow has melted from the high altitude terrain. Feb 6, 2017. View Wind River Range Traverse Image Gallery - 1 Images. Daniell is a freelance writer based out of Fort Collins, Colorado. I wouldn't advise camping in the Cirque (according to guidebooks). This is rated as class 2-3 by Pallister. Continue north to the head of Tourist Creek, and ascend northeast above lake 10890 all the way to the divide near Point 12450. The only major areas I had to bypass are (from South to North) the Deep Creek Lakes and Ice Lakes, Smith Creek Lakes and Cathedral Lake, Bonneville Basin, Bald Mountain Basin and Cook Lakes, the Peak Lake Area (as described by Kelsey), and the Eastern drainages north of Gannet Peak, which are pretty much impassable due to rough terrain and massive glaciers. According to the approximate route I traced on my phone, the total elevation gain is about 29,000 feet!! The sight of the Continental Divide towering over the picturesque Dream Lake is fantastic, so plan to spend a few minutes here soaking in the views before you start your adventure. Its also a great camping destination. Hi. Call 307.438.970 or Email windrivershuttle@gmail.com to Book For point-to-point trips, we recommend we meet you at your take-out point and we shuttle you to your start location. After nearly 6 miles, turn right onto WY-352 for 25.3 miles. From here the trail ascends 400 feet and then drops down into Dickenson Park. 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. Related: 10 of the Best Airbnbs in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. 2023WindRiverVisitorsCouncil. Earthwalk Press publishes two Wind River Range overview maps (one for the northern part of the range, and another for the southern portion). From the Upper Basin, about 1.5 miles past the north-most lake, ascend west to Knapsack Col. From the Col, travel west while staying above (north) of the Peak Lake drainage. Approaching a construction zone 20 minutes outside Pinedale, Wyoming a flagger stands between us, rotating his sign to "stop." In fact, 19 of Wyoming's 20 highest peaks are in the Wind River Range and there are more than 40-named peaks rising above 13,000 feet. Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 11 h 27 min to complete. 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. The quick-and-easy trail slowly gains elevation until you reach Rainbow Lake. - Marcel Proust Escape to a Random Place Discover Luzon Lake in Sullivan County, United States and Hilderbrand Lake in Wisconsin, United States . P.O. Among the best ways to explore the Wind River Range is to travel one of the spectacular trails through the region. Drop down to Lake 10,566 and follow the East Fork River and pick up the same trail (from Pyramid Lake) further down at Skull Lake.] This is one big lake but it seemed like a challenging place to find a campsite due to the steep, rocky shoreline. The range spans over 100 miles running roughly from Jackson, WY at its northwest edge, to Atlantic City, WY at its south eastern terminus. Weve spent Labor Day weekend here with the kids on a couple of occasions. From Temple Pass, descend to the east shore of Temple Lake. The Dyrt PRO lets you download maps and campgrounds without cell service. 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. That's the question that this project tries to solve, and I think I've succeeded. This hike primary trail can be used both directions and has a hard overall physical rating. Location. Between the five of us we caught about 18 trout in an hour. Highlights: 48 summits higher than 12,500 feet, Gannett Peak-Wyoming's highest, 7 of the largest glaciers in the Rocky Mountains, 2,900 lakes and ponds, hundreds of miles of hiking trails, many campgrounds and trailhead access points. Turn right on the road and walk back to your car. Continue west until you get to the drainage of the Knife Point Glacier, your next destination. From the northwest corner of Scott Lake, ascend northwest to "Smirnoff Pass" (unofficial name of the pass between Scott Lake and Lake 11085 to the north). Island Lake is beautiful! As mentioned earlier, there are plenty of alpine lakes to go around this beautiful mountain range, creating world-renowned fly fishing. Our three sons, from very young ages, have enjoyed this hike with us. The Lakeside Trail takes you deep into the forest of the Wind River Range, giving you a broad perspective of the magnificent range. Free Trail Guides. I'm sure someone over here is familiar with Wind River Range hikes and could point me in the right direction. You can learn more about our editorial policies, 10 of the Best Airbnbs in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, 11 Amazing Wyoming Cabin Rentals To Warm Your Soul, The 11 Best Airbnbs Near Grand Teton National Park, 12 Best Airbnbs in Wyoming for a Taste of the American West, 10 Free Things to Do in Colorado Springs, CO, The 15 Best Hikes Near Seattle, Washington, 7 Must-See Day Trips From Denver, Colorado, 9 Best Airbnbs & Vacation Rentals in Missoula, Montana, Black Tree Resort: Colorado Camping At Its Finest. You then depart from the trail due northeast, following Blair Creek to the pond at 9590. Mileage: 29-30 miles RT From the Pass, follow the Osborne Mountain Route as described by Pallister and Kelsey. Miller Lake Trail (#173) Pole Creek Trail (#119) DISTANCE: +/- 28.5 miles. The town of Pinedale is the gateway into many of the Wind River trailheads. The Big Sandy Trailhead is located in the southern Wind River Range next to the Big Sandy River. We started hiking at 3:30am, and hiked 16 miles to the top of Wind River Peak, the tallest peak in the southern Wind River Range, only to turn around and return. From Coon Lake, you go around the south shore, and walk to a small pond just west of the lake, perched above cliffs. Make your way north past a myriad of small lakes to Crescent Lake. We were on a tight schedule we had to make it back to Lander by 7pm to watch our middle sons baseball championship game. They were trying to avoid Crow warriors further north, on their return to St. Louis, Missouri from Astoria, Oregon. 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. The Wind River Range Traverse (WRRT) is the finest non-technical alpine backpacking route in the lower 48 states. The Wind River Range is one of America's most spectacular wilderness ranges. Directions from Pinedale: From the intersection of Pine Street (US 191) and North Tyler Ave (the Pinedale Tourism office is located on the northeast corner) in Pinedale, WY, drive south on Highway 191 for 11.7 miles and then turn left (east) on WY . Everest!! If you're looking for day-hikes out of GRL, try Slide or even Valaite . For speedier backpackers, Big Sandy Lake is a popular camping spot just under 6 miles from the Big Sandy trailhead. Every off-trail route, mountain pass, and glacier traverse along this route is detailed in the fine guidebooks I've had the pleasure of studying. Take a left onto Fish Hatchery Road. Island Lake is so named because theres an small island with trees on it in the middle. wildflowers, Big Sandy Lake, Wind River range, WY. All lakes can be accessed using the Stough Creek, Sheep Bridge, or Sweetwater trailheads in the Shoshone National Forest. I looked on AllTrails but couldn't find anything. Wind River High Route Trailheads & Transportation Thru-hiking East side The most logical termini for a Wind River High Route thru-hike are on the range's east side: Bruce Bridge, 15 miles west of Lander, entirely on pavement Trail Lakes, 10 miles west of Dubois, mostly on gravel At both trailheads, you will find only a parking lot and an outhouse. Rainbow Lake is a popular fishing destination, so hikers typically bring along fishing poles to spend a relaxing afternoon on the water. Trip Type: Loop Interested in Wind River Range backpacking but not going the distance in the Titcomb Basin? While the Wind River Range receives barely half the traffic that its more popular counterparts do (think the Sierra Nevadas or the Rockies), the Cirque of the Towers loop remains one of the most popular trails in the region, both for short backpacking trips and dedicated climbers who set up base camps below the towering Cirque spires. Hike through forest and up the rolling trail for about another mile before arriving at Upper Silas Lake. This section was inspired by Matt Lemke's trip report "Gone with the Winds." It was designated as a U.S. National Historic Landmark on January 20, 1961. I saw maybe five people on my way to the Cirque from the Big Sandy Lake (Big Sandy Trailhead to Big Sandy Lake is a different story). . From Camp Lake, head northeast above Half-Fish Lake (Lake 9675) and continue above treeline up the slopes around 11,600 feet. With alpine lakes above the timberline surrounded by nothing but dramatic mountain peaks, I dont know of another day hike that even comes close to New Fork Trail. The foreground streaks in from the right front of the canvas, a rocky outcropping with trees, some fallen, and verdant grasses invite the viewer into the painting to take a moment before looking out over the edge of the cliff into the vast wilderness. From the east end of Grave Lake, follow the trail that goes west along the north shore. By 1848, 18,487 Americans had crossed the pass, and over 300,000 by 1860. 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. 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. Hiking Smith Lake Basin in the Wind River Range : r/wyoming 2 yr. ago Posted by MeowingtonChaCha Hiking Smith Lake Basin in the Wind River Range Hello everyone, I'm sure someone over here is familiar with Wind River Range hikes and could point me in the right direction. In fact, my most epic day hike in the Wind River Range was on my birthday one year. I'm very interested in this hike right here: https://www.yellowstonepark.com/things-to-do/smith-lake-basin-in-wyomings-wind-river-range-is-a-hikers-haven and I am wondering if anyone could point me to a trail map or something along those lines to visualize what I would be doing. Rain occurs quite frequently here, so youll want to bring your rain jacket even if the sky is cloudless when you leave the parking lot. My alternative to using pro would be to drive back out to cell service. Drainages are intricate and minor obstacles abound, but by paying attention and consulting a map you can get where you're going without difficulty." Two years ago we came back and hiked to the Cirque of the Towers, so this year I thought it . Setting out from the Smith Lake Trailhead, the Dickson Park to Middle Lake Hike crosses a bridge over an . Stretching over 100 miles along the Continental Divide, the Wind River Range in Wyoming is an oft-missed treasure trove for backcountry exploration. 97. To Roaring Fork Pass: 4.5 miles/9 miles round-trip. Trip Type: Out-and-back The Hay Pass Trail is not maintained, so keep your GPS, map, and compass handy. Few places in North America are as staggeringly beautiful as Titcomb Basin and Island Lake. Also, they don't necessarily share the same parent. All of the areas I missed are accessible by reasonable day hikes off the WRRT, with the exception of the Northeast corner of the Range around Ross Lakes. According to Joe Kelsey, "Above treeline, while the Forest Service doesn't maintain the trail shown on the Temple Peak quad, you shouldn't have trouble switchbacking to Temple Pass, the 11,480-foot saddle between Temple and East Temple Peaks.". Follow the top of the divide north for approximately 1.5 miles, then drop down west to the north shore of Baker Lake. Odesa Ukraine The strenuous Lizard Head Trail leaves the North Fork Trail in these meadows and climbs nearly 2000 feet to the bare upper slopes of Windy Mountain. 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