From Baptiste Lake, head due east for approximately 1.5 miles, then north to the upper Grave Creek Cirque. Anyway, the Wind River Tribal Reservation requires anyone traveling on or within the boundaries of their land to possess a Wind River Tribal Fishing/Trespass Permit regardless of whether one is fishing or just hiking; this typically includes the following: Failure to have a permit will result in severe fines so dont push your luck. Take in stunning panoramic views as you hike or ride right from your doorstep in the area considered the Shangri-La of the Similkameen. The 63 glaciers of the range are more than in any other range of the American Rockies and surpassed in the continuous USA only by the Washington Cascades. A major contributor to the stunning views is the range's geology. Ben, thank you for visiting this page. And the shores of Grave Lake (also pictured) have endless scenic camping spots. Fremont County, Wyoming, U.S. Parent range. We soon found that we were indeed on the trailwhich had been hidden by snow. Related objects are relevant to each other in some way, but they don't form a parent/child relationship. Though its neighbor, Colorado, takes up most of the outdoor attention in the central western United States, the Wind River Range offers a fair share of notable outdoor attractions in its own right. In AdventureAlan's trip report of his long-distance Wind River Trip (linked below), he advises not to camp at the upper part of the basin containing Long Lake (the particular lake is Lake 10,555) due to poor campsites and unpleasant-tasting water. It is fine country to wander through. Dads Lake is accessible from the Big Sandy Trailhead (the same as Cirque of the Towers Trail), and close to the Big Sandy Campground. Use caution when going off trail to look for campsites, and, above all, leave nothing behind throughout your journey. Of course, with such a bounteous landscape thats overflowing with scenic trails its tough to know where to start your backpacking adventure. We also stopped for some pictures on the drive out! Follow the top of the divide north for approximately 1.5 miles, then drop down west to the north shore of Baker Lake. As you make your way under the gigantic shadow of Warbonnet Peak, there are many ups and downs and rocky sections to shift your gaze to your feet. The bugs can be pretty bad in the heat of summer, though, so hiking here in September is highly recommended since the mosquitoes wont be as bad. The possibilities of creating a loop from Summit Lake are endless. Just continue north to shallow and picturesque Hay Pass. To reach Peak Lake, continue west down the valley after Knapsack Col. Due to the nature of the WRRT, this trip is best savored by taking your time. Only the off-trail option is doable as a day hike (shown on a map in Pallister's book). Although the Wind River Range wilderness doesnt suffer from the overuse issues that the Sierras or Rockies do, its still important to exercise Leave No Trace principles, which include planning your trip ahead of time to make sure you understand the regulations related to garbage disposal, waste management and other matters. Go south up the glacier to the top of Indian Pass. Was planning on going in this yr but life got in the way so maybe next yr. To old to walk it with 100 lb packs so going to use horses if we do it in the future. The Bear's Ears Trail continues down the stream's west bank (headed north) and climbs west and descends to Grave Lake. Hooker towers above Grave Lake, and is the largest vertical rock wall in Wyoming. With 130 glaciers, 1,300 alpine lakes, and 30 peaks over 13,000 feet, it's no wonder the Winds have made their place on thousands of backpacker's bucket lists. Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases from Amazon.com. I have just connected bits and pieces of their suggested routes into an alpine traverse of the entire range. Following the partly maintained Christina Pass Trail starting east of the trailhead at Sweetwater Guard Station (not at the end of the 2-mile dirt road to the normal Sweetwater Gap TH), you hike approximately 3 miles to the intersection with the North Fork of Blair Creek. Why Hike Cathedral Lake. 2022 Best Places to Camp: Top 10 in the U.S. Far north in the Wind Rivers, Gannett Peak is also viewable from this ridge line. Dickinson Park to Middle Lake. A wide, well-maintained trail offers great views and the ease of simply being outside. Trailhead Start: Big Sandy Trailhead Youll quickly gain altitude and find yourself on a ridge that overlooks the valley and lakes below, and the entire Wind River mountain range to the East. The East face of Mt. The trail is immensely ugly with only a couple of redeeming features, and those features are very large rocks. Reachable by Pinedale, Roaring Fork Trail offers thick forest scenery and shelter to backpackers. In short, plan to get wet. Cathedral Lakes: Hike Details Starting Elevation: 8,548 ft. Trailhead: Cathedral Lakes One of the most famous hikes in the world, this classic trek on the John Muir Trail is popular for both its incredible scenery and generally declining elevation. Backpacking without a stove is the easiest, leanest, and safest way to wander the wilderness. Im going to try and keep this hike narrative pretty short. The rest of the route is described in Nancy Palister's book, called the Goat-friendly High Route. Meridian lake was not named then ( just blank name on topo maps) so we named it glacier amongst ourselves. However, I don't think that style of travel is the best fit for this route. If you cross the land, you have to pay money. They bring back a lot of fond memories Ive been doing this trip since I was 12 and Im 76 now so have seen a lot of changes to trail. Print/PDF map. Wyoming Game and Fish supports more than 20 high mountain lake fisheries with a long-term schedule of stocking by helicopter. The 2022 Glampys: The Coolest Glampsites You Can Book Right Now, Lets Get Spooky! Day 3 totals: 7 miles, +817/-1427, 9294 min/9636 avg/9985 max. Youll come across semi-established camp spots that are heavily used by thru-hikers. A couple of hundred feet beyond we came to some cascades, and decided to cross back again, since there was an easy area of rocks to hop. Cathedral Group is a group of the tallest peaks in the Teton Range, including Grand Teton, Mount Owen and Teewinot. As with Titcomb Basin, snowpack is often the determining factor in how early or late in the season you should aim to start your trip. Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 5 h 38 min to complete. About a mile from Photographers Point, you will reach Eklund Lake. Eklund Lake sees very few visitors since most groups continue on to Seneca Lake, so camping here is ideal if you are looking for solitude. After about 1.2 miles, among a few small tarns above the basin floor, cut north to Split Mountain Pass. I plan on taking my little kid with me for her first trips into the Winds this summer. Sign up for our free email to join thousands of readers getting epic travel, hiking, camping and gear ideas every week. Due to the low use of this area, a permit is not required to wilderness camp here. Applying DEET and wearing layers will help protect you from these little buggers. Bring bear protection, never hike alone, and make noise as youre navigating the backcountry. Dan, thank you. Prepare for your next adventure by downloading maps. The Beartooth Recreational Trail leads through some of the most scenic country in the Beartooth Mountains. Your comment made my day! Its recommended for the Cirque of the Towers loop that you bring a map and compass and that you know how to use them. It also contains the largest system of glaciers in the American portion of the Rockies. FOR RESERVATIONS CALL: St. Matthew's Episcopal. The issue was the amount of snowpack. Dogs are allowed on National Forest land trails as long as they are on leash. The route down the glacier is detailed in Pallister's book, and unless you are slightly crazy, you should plan to carry some form of light crampons and an ice axe. We followed the trail past Cook Lake, but it wasnt pretty and I didnt get pictures of the lake itself. Elevation Gain: 2,200 feet over 6 miles (9,100 ft to 11,300 ft). We had to go around one section of road when we were there, as it was completely trashed out, but USFS vehicle we saw did the same, as well as all the others. Joe Kelsey says the following of this area, "Hall's Lake sits at 10,602 feet in the midst of a large area decreed trailless by the Forest Service. We took the same trail out that we took in, and spent only 7 hours from packing up to getting to the trailhead. Before 8PM we had a huge fire going, and sadly the mosquitoes here were fairly aggressive. Laramie, Wyoming 82070. The Cathedral Group Turnout is located along Jenny Lake Road which you can access while driving the Grand Teton Scenic Loop Drive. Immediately by it is Twin Lakes Creek in a pretty meadow, though it was putting off tons of mosquitoes. 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. Its hard to believe Heaven is going to be better than the beauty of that area. While the trip offers a number of different arrangements depending on how long you make it, the recommended path includes starting from the Elkhart Park Trailhead, which is located just a two-hour drive from Jackson. Also, though I dont get many visitors, I have been surprised by a few emails telling me that places I didnt like were pleasant to them. 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. The trailhead is easily accessible from Pinedale. If so, I believe only slightly, for I've done my research based on the authorities on the Wind Rivers. Theres no better way to experience the natural beauty of the state than to stay in one of Montanas yurts. NPS Photo/J. Continue north to the head of Tourist Creek, and ascend northeast above lake 10890 all the way to the divide near Point 12450. We only saw one group of campers down by the lake. Fly fishing is a very popular activity for overnighters of Dads Lake. You would be better off trying your hand at the shorter and more direct WRHR, pioneered by AdventureAlan (link at the bottom). Thanks Luke. We eventually got a reprieve and broke out into an area of dry shoreline, which was glorious to walk on. An extra day can be taken to climb Wind River Peak, the southernmost 13er in the range; definitely a worthy summit, with amazing views from what I've heard. Love your critique of the Smith Lake and Cathedral Trail trailheads appreciate the turn-offs for touri helps weed a few out. Camping at Faler Lake is typically done in the warmer months. YellowOvernight hikes, typically 2 nights. The trail itself continues by the lakeside for about 1000 feet and is also a bit steep, though you can find plenty of spots to put up a camp. The lead rider stopped to talk with us, and as we were chatting, her rear mule lost its mind, snapping off from the train and pulling the rope off of itself. After my excitement wore down, we had to find a place to camp. I noticed that most routes follow the lower highline trail, or skip the many magnificent areas including Stough Creek Lakes, Deep Lake Cirque, Grave Lake Cirque, North Fork Cirque (on the Wind River Indian Reservation), the Brown Cliffs, Scott Lake, and Bear Basin. by Daniell LaFleur The section from Big Sandy Lake to the Cirque of the Towers will be the busiest part of the entire WRRT. Thanks again. Thankfully there was an awesome bridge over the marsh. Here you can go straight and around the north side of Middle Lake (SmithMiddleCathedralsomeone wasnt creative), or take the branch trail toward Cook Lake. Lakes such as Trapper Lake, Trail Lake, Gottfried Lakes, Borum Lake, and Summit Lake provide excellent campsite options and even better fishing! Hiking around Jenny Lake offers spectacular views of the Cathedral Group and Cascade Canyon. 104 South 4th Street. Dang it! Some of our favorite day hikes are: Stough Creek Basin, Smith, Middle and Cathedral Lakes, Island and Thumb lakes in Silas Canyon, Lake Louise, and anything on the Middle Fork Trail, which starts at Bruce's Bridge at the end of Sinks Canyon, and takes us all the way to Wind River Peak. Excellent photography and fishing opportunities. It goes west across the expansive plateau of Osborne Mountain, then follows Mill Creek to the Osborne Cabin, on old homestead of a famous trapper. Jenny Lake is a popular area and . We began descending and at mile 2 reached some switchbacks. Anyway, at the intersection theres a park and a creek, so we again got water. Cathedral Group Turnout is a viewpoint on Jenny Lake Road. If you come prepared with a map and compass, you can link several trails and lakes together for the ultimate Wind River Range adventure. I'm transcribing these hikes in my own order, but if you'd like to see one moved to the top of the review list, just let me know. If you are looking for the perfect weekend getaway, this ones for you! The terrain and elevation of the Wind River Range make backpacking here a challenge, albeit a worthwhile one. Photos (9,667) Directions. From this lake, continue southwest past Lake Kagevah to 11,290 foot Kagevah Pass. This time of year they were impressive, and we considered camping towards the waterfalls, but there seemed to be nothing but steep hillsides there. Great write up! If you didnt want to deal with the logistics of getting picked up and shuttled, you could hike this sucker as an out-and-back trail and double the mileage. One of these lakes goes by the alias "Flying Monkey Lake" (not on maps), and is the home of the largest Golden Trout in the world. Instagram and TikTok (maybe, dont use it) seem to drive the crowds, which I suppose, if anything, I prefer. 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