Backpacking Wyoming: From Towering Granite Peaks to Steaming Geyser Basins

PREFACE

Authors of guidebooks face a dilemma. Without dedicated supporters the wilderness would never be protected in the first place. The best, most enthusiastic advocates are those who have actually visited the land, often with the help of a guidebook. On the other hand, too many boots can also be destructive. It is the responsibility of every visitor to tread lightly on the land and to speak out strongly for its preservation.

Americans have long recognized the unique nature of Wyoming’s wild character and the value of protecting these resources for future generations. Consider the fact that this one state contains our country’s (and the world’s) first national park (Yellowstone), its first national monument (Devils Tower), and its first national forest (Shoshone). But while Wyoming has millions of acres of land that is now officially set aside in national parks or wilderness areas, the job of protecting Wyoming’s precious wildlands is far from complete. You are strongly encouraged to join in the efforts to protect more of the state’s ever-dwindling roadless terrain from the headlong push to drill, dig up, pave over, or otherwise destroy every piece of useless wilderness that remains. Not only must some areas be set aside for permanent protection, the remaining lands (the vast majority of the state’s acreage) needs to be managed in a more sustainable and environmentally friendly manner. One excellent grassroots organization working to achieve these ends is the Wyoming Wilderness Association; you are strongly encouraged to join them in their efforts (see for contact information). But even land that is officially protected as wilderness needs continued citizen involvement. Issues like use restrictions, grazing rights, mining claims, and entry fees continue to present challenges. Remember that you own this land. Treat it with respect and get involved in its management.

To their credit, many of the agency officials who reviewed this material stressed the need for hikers to leave no trace of their visit. But especially in already crowded backcountry areas, the time has come for us to go beyond the well-known no trace principles and leave behind a landscape that not only shows no trace of our presence, but is in better shape than before we visited it. Here are some guidelines:

Be scrupulous to leave no litter of your own. Even better, remove any litter left by others (blessedly little these days).

Do some minor trail maintenance as you hike. Kick rocks off the trail, remove limbs and debris, and drain water from the path to reduce mud and erosion. Report major trail-maintenance problems, such as large blowdowns or washouts, to the land managers so they can concentrate their limited dollars where those are most needed.

Always camp in a place that either is compacted from years of previous use or can easily accommodate a tent without being damaged. Sand, rocks, or a densely wooded area are best.

Never camp on fragile meadow vegetation or immediately beside a lake or stream. If you see a campsite growing in an inappropriate place, be proactive: Place a few limbs or rocks over the area to discourage further use, scatter horse apples, and remove fire-scarred rocks.

Never feed wildlife, and encourage others to refrain.

Do not build campfires. I have backpacked countless thousands of miles in the last couple decades and built just one fire (and that was only in an emergency). While there are still places in the lower-elevation forests of Wyoming where you could build a small campfire with a clear conscience, you simply don’t need a fire to have a good time, and it damages the land. When you discover a fire ring in an otherwise pristine area, scatter the rocks and cover the fire pit to discourage its further use.

Leave all of the following at home: soap—even biodegradable soap pollutes; pets—dogs and bears do not get along and even well-mannered pets are instinctively seen as predators by smaller wildlife; anything loud; and any outdated attitudes you may have about going out to conquer the wilderness.

INTRODUCTION

No offense to those of you from elsewhere in the country (with the possible exception of Alaska), but you ain’t seen nothin’ until you’ve hiked in Wyoming. Your home state probably has some terrific backpacking areas, but Wyoming is so full of stunningly beautiful scenery, abundant and interesting wildlife, and outstanding long trails that you could spend several lifetimes backpacking here and only scratch the surface of the Cowboy State’s wonders.

Beginning with the day that the first Native American migrated into this area, through the days of the earliest white explorers, and all the way to the present, Wyoming has always been a terrific place to get away from it all. Consider the fact that when measured by its area, Wyoming is the ninth largest state in the country. In population, however, the state ranks almost dead last. If you do the math, that adds up to one heck of a lot of wide open spaces. In fact, Wyoming proudly boasts that it contains the most isolated place in the entire Lower 48 (based on its distance from the nearest road), in southeast Yellowstone National Park. It is not surprising, then, that some of our country’s best long-distance backpacking is found in Wyoming.

There are many ways to see and appreciate the beauty of Wyoming, including dayhikes, rafting trips, bicycle tours, or even from your car. The focus of this book, however, is on the best ways for backpackers to see the state. Most of Wyoming’s best scenery is far from roads and can be seen and truly appreciated only by those willing to hit the trails. After many years and thousands of trail miles, I have selected what I believe to be Wyoming’s very best backpacking trips. The focus is on longer trips — from 3 days to 2 weeks. These are beyond a simple weekend outing, but they make terrific vacations, and give you enough time to fully appreciate the scenery. Best of all, you’ll have the chance to really get to know and love the state and the outstanding wildlands that comprise so much of its area.

HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE

Each featured trip begins with an information box that provides a quick overview of the hike’s vital statistics and important features, which lets you rapidly narrow your options based on your preferences, your abilities, how many days you have available, and the time of year.

Scenery: My subjective judgment of the trip’s overall scenic quality, on a 1 (an eyesore) to 10 (absolutely gorgeous) scale, this rating reflects my personal biases in favor of wildflowers, photogenic mountain views, and clear streams—all qualities Wyoming has in embarrassing abundance. If your tastes run more toward lush forests or rolling grasslands, then your rating may be quite different.

Solitude: Since solitude is one of the things that backpackers seek, it helps to know roughly how much company you can expect. This rating is also on a 1 (bring stilts to see over the crowds) to 10 (just you and the bears) scale.

Difficulty: Yet another subjective judgment, this rating warns you away from the most difficult outings if you’re not in shape to try them. The scale is relative only to other backpacking trips. Most Americans would find even the easiest backpacking trip to be a very strenuous undertaking. So this scale of 1 (barely leave the La-Z-Boy) to 10 (the Ironman Triathlon) is only for people already accustomed to backpacking.

Mileage: This is the total mileage of the recommended trip in its most basic form (without added side trips). I have never, however, seen the point of a bare bones, Point-A-to-Point-B kind of trip. After all, if you’re going to go, you may as well explore a bit. Thus, for many trips, a second mileage number (in parentheses) includes distances for recommended side trips. These side trips are also shown on the maps and included in the Possible Itinerary section at the end of the trip description.

I have made every reasonable effort (and some unreasonable ones) to ensure that the mileages shown are accurate. Users should not, however, assume that the numbers are exact. Wilderness maps for Wyoming rarely (if ever) include mileages, and the distances given on trail signs, especially outside of the national parks, are often contradictory and usually unreliable. In addition, many trails in Wyoming have a disturbing tendency to disappear, forcing confused hikers to wander around in search of the tread.

When exact mileages were not available, the distances used in this book are based on a combination of map extrapolation and my own pedometer readings. These numbers can be considered accurate to within a margin of error of perhaps.

Elevation Gain: For many hikers, how far UP they go is even more important than the distance. This box shows all of the trip’s ups and downs in a total elevation gain given in feet, not merely the net gain. As with the mileage section, a second number (in parentheses) includes the elevation gain of recommended side trips.

Days: A rough figure for how long it will take the average backpacker to do the trip, this estimate is based on hiking an average of about 10 miles per day. Also considered were the spacing of available campsites, not-to-be-missed side trips, and the trail’s difficulty. Hard-core hikers may cover as many as 25 miles a day, while others saunter along at 4 or 5 miles per day, a good pace for hikers with children. Most trips, therefore, can be done in more or fewer days, depending on your preferences and abilities.

Map(s): Every trip includes a map that is as up-to-date and accurate as possible. These maps use bold lines to indicate the main route and all recommended side trips, so you can get an instant overview of the hike. As every experienced hiker knows, however, you’ll also need a good contour map of the area. This entry identifies the best available map(s) for the described trip.

Season: There are two seasonal entries shown for each trip. The first tells you when a trip is usually snow-free enough for hiking (which can vary considerably from year to year). The second lists the particular time(s) of year when the trip is at its very best—when the flowers peak, the fall colors are at their best, or the mosquitoes have died down, and so on.

Permits and Rules: In Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks all overnight hikers are required to obtain and carry permits and land managers enforce strict quotas on backcountry campsites. Outside of these parks, however, hikers will encounter few restrictions and in the rare instances where permits are required they are typically free at the trailhead. Some areas have specific regulations that prohibit the use of fires, restrict the number of people allowed in each party, or have seasonal closures due to bear activity. These and other rules are noted in this section.

Contact: This section lists the local land agency responsible for the area covered by this hike. You can contact it to check on road and trail conditions before your trip. Turn to the appendix for the mailing addresses, telephone numbers, and websites (if applicable) of all relevant Wyoming land agencies.

Unfortunately, you should not always expect to get useful or reliable information from these agencies. For the national parks the information is usually very good and frequently updated. The U.S. Forest Service, however, has fewer resources and far fewer wilderness rangers, so the information you receive is often out of date, not very specific, and usually less reliable. Forest Service websites in Wyoming are typically very general and are practically useless for gathering up-to-date information.

Special Attractions: This section focuses on attributes of a particular trip that are rare or outstanding. For example, almost every trip has views, but some have views that are especially noteworthy. The same is true of areas where you have a better-than-average chance of seeing wildlife, excellent fall colors, and so on.

Challenges: The flip side to the Special Attractions section lists the trip’s special or especially troublesome problems. Examples include areas with particularly abundant mosquitoes, poor road access, difficult river fords, lots of grizzly bears, or limited water.

Possible Itinerary: Given at the end of each trip and intended as a planning tool, the itinerary includes daily mileages and total elevation gains, as well as recommended side trips. Although I have hiked every mile of every trip in this book, many were not done exactly as written here. If I were to re-hike a trip, however, I would follow the improved itinerary shown here.

Variations: This self-explanatory section (included only with select trips) suggests the best ways to lengthen, shorten, or otherwise alter the recommended trip.

SAFETY NOTICE

The trips in this book are long, often difficult, and go through some of the most remote wilderness terrain in the U.S. On some trips it is not uncommon to travel for days without seeing another human being. In the event of an emergency, supplies and medical facilities may be several days away. Anyone who attempts these hikes must be experienced in wilderness travel, properly equipped, and in good physical condition. While backpacking is not inherently dangerous, the sport does involve risk. Because trail conditions, weather, and hikers’ abilities vary considerably, the author and the publisher cannot assume responsibility for the safety of anyone who takes these hikes. Use plenty of common sense and realistically appraise your abilities so you can enjoy these trips safely.

References to water in the text attest only to its availability, not its purity. Treat or filter all backcountry water before drinking it.

GENERAL TIPS ON BACKPACKING IN WYOMING

This book is not a how to guide for backpackers. Anyone contemplating an extended backpacking vacation will (or at least should) already know about equipment, the no-trace ethic, conditioning, how to select a campsite, food, first aid, and all the other aspects of this exciting sport. There are many excellent books covering these subjects. It is appropriate, however, to discuss some tips and ideas specific to Wyoming.

BE BEAR AWARE: HIKING IN GRIZZLY COUNTRY

Although Wyoming is justly famous for a great variety of wildlife, the most famous (or infamous) wild animals here are its bears. Depending largely on how many bad horror movies you have seen, you may or may not be happy about the possibility of encountering one of these powerful native residents on