Wind River Mountain Range
While in Jackson, why not visit some of the other majestic mountains in the vicinity? The Wind River Mountains, with the western gateway town of Pinedale only about 90 miles southeast of downtown Jackson, are an impressive range harboring 13,804-foot Gannett Peak - the tallest in Wyoming. On the eastern side, the friendly town of Lander serves as a great starting point for trips into these mountains. The range also is home to all but one of the states 15 other highest peaks. The 150 or so extant glaciers in the mountains all formed during the Little Ice Age, between A.D. 1400 and 1850. The glaciers which formed the range were so great that they spilled over the mountaintops to create the features that we see today.
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Where is Mountain Man Country?
Sublette County offers easy access to the high mountain lakes and trails of the wind River Range. Fishing, hiking, climbing in an uncrowded paradise.
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Wind River Mountains
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The Wind River Mountains start near South Pass and continue about 100 miles northwest to Union Pass, forming a portion of Americas Continental Divide backbone. This massive mountain range is visible from the sagebrush country of central and southwestern Wyoming, with its snowcapped peaks acting like beacons in the distance. Considered Wyomings premier backpacking area, the Wind River Mountains offer more than 600 miles of maintained trails. With much of the area above timberline, the range features hundreds of small lakes. For mountain climbers, the range is a big playground with a countless amount of granitic precipices to scale.
Three different Forest Service areas surround these mountains, with the biggest being the Bridger Wilderness located on the western side of the Continental Divide. The remaining two are the Popo Agie and Fitzpatrick Wilderness Areas just east of the Divide. On the northeast border is the Wind River Reservation, which includes some high mountain country, but access is highly restricted.
A majority of the hiking trails in the Wind Rivers are generally free of snow by early July and remain that way until late fall. Although, it can snow at anytime in these mountains with summer evening temperatures dropping below freezing. Because of the openness of the country, off-trail hiking is easy but requires the knowledge of how to read a topographic map. In the summer, be prepared for afternoon thunderstorms which roll in quite often. Lightening can be a serious problem as well above timberline.
The 428,169-acre Bridger Wilderness, which gained wilderness status in the original Wilderness Act of 1964, stretches 90 miles along the western side of the Wind River Mountains, encompassing 27 active glaciers, 2,300 alpine lakes and more than 500 miles of trails. Popular hiking trails include the Green River Lake trails, Elkhart Park trails and the Big Sandy trails. The most frequently traveled trail out of the Big Sandy Opening is the Big Sandy Trail which includes a 5.5-mile jaunt to Big Sandy Lake.
The 198,838-acre Fitzpatrick Wilderness lies on the northeast side of the range and is sandwiched between the Bridger Wilderness and the Continental Divide. This area is home to dozens of mountain lakes, cascading streams and steep rock formations. With Gannett Peak dominating the landscape, the Fitzpatrick is a favorite of outdoor enthusiasts who have considerable backpacking and climbing skills.
The smallest, in terms of acreage, of the wilderness areas within the Wind Rivers, the 101,991-acre Popo Agie Wilderness is full of jagged peaks, deep valleys and lakes. More than 19 peaks stand taller than 13,000 feet with Wind River Peak taking the prize at 13,225 feet. This wilderness area is bounded to the west by the Bridger Wilderness and the Wind River Reservation to the north. Access to the Popo Agie Wilderness is from the east in Lander. Home to the popular and heavily visited Cirque of the Towers with its sharp pinnacles, the Popo Agie Wilderness is a great destination for rock climbers and backpackers. At the base of the towers is Lonesome Lake-which is an ideal place to camp. Three Forest Service offices in the area have detailed information on backcountry areas in the Wind Rivers.
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