Green River Lakes

Green River Lakes is one of Wyoming’s most scenic and popular summer and fall scenic drives accessible by car. Located in the Bridger Wilderness of the Bridger-Teton National Forest, the lakes are 52 miles north of Pinedale in the northern Wind River Range. The lakes are considered the source of the Green River, a major tributary of the great Colorado River system. Like many of the more mammoth lakes on this side of the Winds, Green River Lakes were scoured out by glacial action, then sealed off by an end-moraine dam.

The Upper Green River Valley provided sustenance and marketable goods to the earliest trappers and settlers and continues to support Pinedale families today. The road to Green River Lakes, which roughly parallels the river, is a trip back in time. Travelers pass homesteaders’ cabins, and historical markers tell the story of the tie hacks and their camps. The remains of the earliest Dude Ranch in Sublette County, the first in a long line of thriving local businesses, stand in this valley. For several weeks each October, the Green River Drift, one of the longest (and longest-running) cattle drives in the nation, takes place when cowboys on horseback push livestock back from their summer range in this valleys back home to their working ranches, a distance of about 70 miles. Visitors may catch a glimpse of the HWY 352 from the Green River Lakes to observe this present-day historical phenomenon from the highway.

Not only is the journey to Green River Lakes scenic and rich in history, but the endpoint rewards the traveler with the stunning, much-photographed view of Squaretop Mountain looming over the blue-green lakes, with stands of aspen and pine blanketing the hillsides. Depending on which time of day finds you there, expect to discover a fall color show and glimpses of wildlife such as moose, elk, deer, bear, hawks, and eagles — plan for plenty of time to enjoy your surroundings simply.

From the Green River Lakes parking lot, the trailhead will take you on a half-day, easy to moderate hike to the end of Green River Lakes, offering adventurers and photographers solitude in a majestic setting.