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Review: Black Joe Lake Day Hike, Wind River Range

Wind River Range

Lucas Necessary in front of East Temple Peak
Review: Black Joe Lake Day Hike, Wind River Range

Review: Black Joe Lake Day Hike, Wind River Range

Lucas Necessary

Reading Time: 7 minutesThis short hike is great if you want to be in the Big Sandy area without the Big Sandy crowds. I describe the best way to access it, which is not via trail 116.

Review: Exploring the Cirque of the Towers in the Snow

Review: Exploring the Cirque of the Towers in the Snow

Lucas Necessary

Reading Time: 11 minutesVisiting the Cirque of the Towers in the fall is a real pleasure, since all the bugs and instagrammers are gone! I had it all to myself.

Review: Dickinson Park to Smith, Cloverleaf, Cook, Mendarrin, Middle, & Cathedral Lakes

Review: Dickinson Park to Smith, Cloverleaf, Cook, Mendarrin, Middle, & Cathedral Lakes

Lucas Necessary

Reading Time: 16 minutesThis hike visits numerous lakes in a short number of miles. It’s quite beautiful and has some huge fish!

Review: Quick Overnight Hike to Deep Lake (Temple Basin with Snow!)

Review: Quick Overnight Hike to Deep Lake (Temple Basin with Snow!)

Lucas Necessary

Reading Time: 11 minutesTemple Basin is probably the easiest hike in the Winds for an overnight, and it’s also one of the downright prettiest!

Dinwoody Trail in Wyoming, Wind River Range
Review: 52 Miles Hiking Glacier Trail to Dinwoody Basin

Review: 52 Miles Hiking Glacier Trail to Dinwoody Basin

Lucas Necessary

Reading Time: 21 minutesThis hike uses the popular Glacier Trail ingress to Dinwoody Basin. It’s arid, strenuous, and has a beautiful payoff, but few trails will make you work for it as hard as this one.

Bomber Lake, Wyoming
Review: Hiking Downs Mountain, Bomber Basin, Mile-Long Lake, etc., Plus a Crashed B24

Review: Hiking Downs Mountain, Bomber Basin, Mile-Long Lake, etc., Plus a Crashed B24

Lucas Necessary

Reading Time: 34 minutesThis hike features stunning scenery and incredible history, but I have suggestions on how you can make it far more worthwhile. My favorite part is the crashed B24 bomber.

Review: AWFUL—30 Miles to Lake Victor and North Fork Lake

Review: AWFUL—30 Miles to Lake Victor and North Fork Lake

Lucas Necessary

Reading Time: 14 minutesI didn’t like this hike. It’s long, winding, not made for easy walking, exposed to the sun, dusty, arid, and with terrible views. Its only redeeming feature is the fishing (maybe), which went poorly for me. I didn’t HATE it, which implies actively wishing it to never exist, but I’d certainly never do it again, and you shouldn’t do it in the first place.

Review: 42 Miles Meandering Titcomb Basin and Fremont Peak

Review: 42 Miles Meandering Titcomb Basin and Fremont Peak

Lucas Necessary

Reading Time: 34 minutesThe hike to Titcomb Basin results in great views, but I feel like it’s quite a bit of effort for a crowded, one-trick pony. (Two tricks if you put in an insane amount of effort and do Fremont Peak, too.) It’s better in the later season with fewer tourists, but I really don’t care for the trail in. The first 11.1 miles always suck, both coming and going, and I always want more than the views it offers. Still, I’ve done it a ton of times, and it’s a blessing.

kayaking green river lakes artistic background image
Review: Green River Lakes Campground and Kayaking Green River, Wyoming

Review: Green River Lakes Campground and Kayaking Green River, Wyoming

Lucas Necessary

Reading Time: 7 minutesGreen River Lakes Campground is over an hour from Pinedale, Wyoming, on a dirt road, and features semi-improved camping locations both for reservation and for first-come, first serve. It has incredible views of Squaretop Mountain, and many people use the Green River trailhead to hike the Wind River Range. The only hike I recommend out of Green River, however, is Slide Lake. For kayaking to Upper Green River Lake, see…

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Review: 43 Miles Hiking Middle Fork, Sonnicant, and Bonneville Lakes

Review: 43 Miles Hiking Middle Fork, Sonnicant, and Bonneville Lakes

Lucas Necessary

Reading Time: 45 minutesThis hike to Middle Fork and Sonnicant Lake basins features the prettiest scenery I’ve ever encountered. You’ll find numerous lakes, an altiplano, fishing, and rugged mountains, plus an unusual summit.

cirque of the towers from wind river peak wyoming wind river range
Review: Heavenly 45 Mile Loop from Stough Creek Basin to Wind River Peak

Review: Heavenly 45 Mile Loop from Stough Creek Basin to Wind River Peak

Lucas Necessary

Reading Time: 82 minutesThis hike is an absolute blast, featuring Leg Lake, Stough Creek Basin, Poison, Mountain Sheep, Coon, Tayo, and Deep Creek Lakes, plus a summit of Wind River Peak. It is the the favorite hike of my life to date.

Review: Shirley & Valaite Lake, Twin Lakes, & Lake Gadsby (Ugly + Boring)

Review: Shirley & Valaite Lake, Twin Lakes, & Lake Gadsby (Ugly + Boring)

Lucas Necessary

Reading Time: 20 minutes15 miles, 6 lakes, and some nice views. Is the hike to Lake Gadsby worth it? This is one where I was left very conflicted.

Sandy beach, Fremont Lake
Reviews: Long Lake, Half Moon Campground, and Soda Lake

Reviews: Long Lake, Half Moon Campground, and Soda Lake

Lucas Necessary

Reading Time: 7 minutesReviews of Long Lake Trail, Half Moon Campground, and Soda Lake, Wyoming. All are located near Pinedale, Wyoming.

Blue Lake Hike, Wind River Range—AllTrails summary, Wyoming
12 Miles: Blue Lake, Wind River Range (Unpopular and Easy!)

12 Miles: Blue Lake, Wind River Range (Unpopular and Easy!)

Lucas Necessary

Reading Time: 9 minutesBlue Lake is an off-trail lake that is mostly ignored by the large crowds that use the Big Sandy trailhead. It’s easy to access and has nice fishing for brook trout. While it has great areas to camp, it can also be done as an easy day hike. ➻ Quick Facts —Date of Visit: 17 Oct 2019 —Notable Features: Big Sandy River, Big Sandy Lake; Blue Lake —Total Miles: ~11.6…

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The Most Pain I’ve Felt While Hiking! (Also: Darby Canyon, String Lakes, and Green River Lakes.)

The Most Pain I’ve Felt While Hiking! (Also: Darby Canyon, String Lakes, and Green River Lakes.)

Lucas Necessary

Reading Time: 14 minutesA review of Darby Wind Caves in the snow, kayaking String Lake, and also yakking and camping at Upper Green River Lakes!

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Hiking and Adventure Map (Work in Progress)

  • NOTE! Zoom in for full list. Some icons at default view contain 5+ hikes when zoomed in. 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.


Map Symbology:

  • •Blue—Hiking plus kayaking trips
  • •Green—Day hikes; can be done as overnights.
  • •Yellow—Overnight hikes, typically 2 nights.
  • •Red—Long-duration hikes, typically 5+days.
  • •Purple—Camping, international trips; excursions.

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