Wind River Range
Cirque of the Towers
The Wind River Mountain Range is in western Wyoming and is 100 miles long. It's most known for its stunning alpine scenery, glaciers, abundant wildlife and is part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. The backpacking, fishing and climbing is unreal here and we have yet to explore other areas of the Winds. But one of our favorite routes is the Cirque of the Towers!
Route
Cirque of the Towers
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23 Mile loop
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2 nights/3 days
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3,848 ft elevation gain
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Hard
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Dog Friendly (off leash in some areas)
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Park at Big Sandy Campground (no parking fees)
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Start at the Big Sandy Trailhead
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Night 1 : camp at Dads Lake
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Night 2: camp at Lonesome Lake
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End at Big sandy Trail Via Big Sandy Lake
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When to go : July - September
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No Backcountry permit required to camp
NOTE
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Your're in bear country! Pack Bear Spray and store food properly!
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Our favorite time to go is in September to avoid crowds. We pretty much had the trail to ourselves!
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No bugs
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VERY cold at night.
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Dispose of waste properly and keep campsite clean!
AllTrails Link
NIGHT 1 : Dads Lake
It's about 6 miles from the Big Sandy Trail Head. We had a late start so we arrived at Dads Lake at sunset. Beautiful but pretty chilly at night, especially when camping close to the water. Bugs were non existent this time of year (September).
NIGHT 2 : Lonesome Lake
Its about an 8 mile journey from Dads Lake to Lonesome Lake with one challenging pass. We took a lunch break at Shadow Lake and soaked up the incredible views of the jagged peaks. We recommend taking another break at Texas Lake right before you ascend Texas Pass because it is very steep with loose rock. It looks like a scramble but there is an actual trail thats easy to follow! Once you summit the pass you get an epic view of the Towers and Pingora Peak! We descended down to Lonesome Lake right around sunset and the glow of the lighting was incredible against the Towers.
Day 3 : Loop Back to Big Sandy Trailhead
We woke up with some frost one our tents and a gorgeous view of Lonesome Lake. 9 more miles and one more pass to go ! Follow the North Fork Trail Via Big Sandy Trail up to Jackass Pass. This is also the part of the trail where you meet the Continental Divide. Descend down to Arrow Head Lake. There are two trails to choose from that go around the lake. We chose to break left, which was steeper but slightly shorter. The path to the right goes through a boulder field. Both trails meet back up before North Lake. Continue to Big Sandy Trail where you will pass Big Sandy Lake and back to the parking lot where you started!
A fire nearby made it really smokey!
