Wind River High Route

The Winds in Wyoming are incredibly beautiful and offer some of the most challenging, but rewarding hikes. And the popular northern trailhead, Green River Lakes, is one of the most spectacular entry points. GETTING THERE: There are only two ways to get to the Green River Lakes trailhead. and one is over Union Pass from Dubois. I would not recommend this route unless you have high clearance ...

Shirley lake is a beautiful and not heavily traveled area in the Winds. To get there, you start at the Green River Lakes trailhead (8,000 ft) and head out on the Western shore of the lower lake. You can shave off three miles by canoeing to the end of the lake, if you like. But I prefer the hike. The Western side of the lake is gorgeous, mostly deep timber with babbling streams and creeks. It is...

You have two options when starting from Green River Lakes Campground, located 52 miles north of Pinedale, WY, (21 of these miles are on a washboard dirt road). The first option is to start backpacking from the campground and follow the trail that runs alongside the first lake, up the river and past the second lake. The second option is to canoe across two of these incredible, glacial water Gree...

The trail to get to the summit of Gannett Peak is not for the faint of heart. It is a 50+ mile round trip with over 10,000 feet of elevation gain/loss.  Late June through August are the best times to climb Gannett, but if you go too late in the summer and it has been a hot one, then there is a chance the snow bridge and the bergschund might be impassable.  The Glacier Trail starts at the New Gl...

Start your journey headed South/East out of Dubois toward Riverton and Lander. Take a left onto Fish Hatchery Road. The road forks and you can either turn right and go to the CM Ranch, or left towards Ring Lake Ranch. Go left. Follow this road to the end. But keep your eye out for big horn sheep and ancient petroglyphs on the side of the road on the drive up! (Whenever you see a wooden post abo...

Taking a drive down this road is well worth the trip. The first 10 or so miles are not particularly noteworthy, but once you reach the first lake (Trail Lake) the road becomes a lot more scenic. You will also pass Torrey and Ring Lakes. All of these lakes offer fishing, camping, and picnicking opportunities. Once you pass Trail Lake keep your eye out on the rocks, especially the ones to your ri...