Wind River Range High Route Loop from Elkhard Park - Could This Be the Best?

Could this be the best Wind River high route loop from Elkhart Park? There are many ways to hike high routes through this area, and many ways to turn those high routes into a loop. But this loop includes some of the most scenic off-trail and on-trail destinations in this part of the range. It also contains a pleasant variety of forests, meadows, high country and lakes with a good mix of cross-country route finding and easy trail hiking through diverse terrain. This route also had no need for microspikes, ice ax or any other technical gear or climbing, at least in late July of 2024.

This 65 mile light-weight backpacking trip through the Wind River Range of Wyoming started and ended at the Pole Creek trailhead at Elkhart Park, near the town of Pinedale Wyoming. The main focus of the trip was to hike a high route loop in the Fremont Creek and Pole Creek areas of the range, using the range’s most popular trailhead at Elkhart Park. The trip was planned to visit a few new destinations in these areas, plus some favorite spots I’ve visited before, including the magnificent glacier-carved Titcomb Basin. The clockwise lollipop loop included the Pole Creek trail, Seneca Lake trail, Lost Lake trail, Highline trail, Knapsack Col, Titcomb Basin trail, Wall Lake Pass, Cook Lakes, Angel Pass, Fall Creek Pass, Timico Lake, and the Fremont trail.

At least a quarter of the loop was cross-country travel through trailless areas, but the majority of travel was on designated trails. Nearly half of the loop followed a variation of the Wind River High Route, a mostly off-trail route staying close to the spine of the Continental Divide. The segment of the high route in this loop included Knapsack Col, Wall Lake Pass, Angel Pass and Fall Creek Pass.

For a more detailed trip report, including trail condition details, see my trip blog at the links below (full URL and tiny URL):

https://lesmoorephoto.com/wind-river-...

https://tinyurl.com/ypwpcyzn

Below is a link to the CalTopo route map showing the route followed for this trip. NOTE: the route shown in CalTopo is NOT a GPS track this route. The CalTopo route was created using Google Earth to serve as a rough guide and it does not represent the exact route that was hiked:

https://caltopo.com/m/ARCUKRT

Here's the LighterPack.com gear list:

https://lighterpack.com/r/92a5lz

Video chapters:

0:16 Map and summary
1:46 Day 1: Pole Creek trailhead to Hobbs Lake
2:55 Day 2: Hobbs Lake to Peak Lake
6:05 Day 3: Peak Lake to Wall Lake
8:47 Day 4: Wall Lake to Timico Lake
12:58 Day 5: Timico Lake to Sweeney Creek trail junction
17:28 Day 6: Sweeney Creek trail junction to Pole Creek trailhead
18:35 Thanks, Credits & Links

Music source:

https://filter.one

Songs:

Longing, by Sayl
The Wayfarer
Sail Away, by The Nerve Music
Maryland Road, by 1107 Studios
Silhouettes, by Sayl
Opening The Door, by 1107 Studios
God's Great Nature