The Wyoming Range is home to elk, moose, deer, antelope, grizzly and black bear, mountain lions, lynx, and many other species of wildlife. The landscape is a mixture of rolling open slopes dotted with sagebrush and pockets of aspen trees and forested hills.
Explore the Wyoming Range
Many backcountry hiking trails traverse these mountains, including the Wyoming Range National Recreation Trail. Trails are open to hikers, horseback riders and mountain bikers. Trails cross remote, primitive country, and in some places they may be hard to find. Roads usually are snow free from mid July until mid October. During the winter, roads serve as a network of snowmobile trails.
Wyoming Range National Recreation Trail
This scenic trail system runs for approximately 70 miles along the Wyoming Range, with much of the trail at or near the crest above 9,000 feet elevation. Most of the trail is closed to motorized vehicles, although one short segment between Lake and North Piney creeks is open to trail bikes. The rest of the trail is for hikers, horseback riders and mountain bikers. Access is typically from July through September, although some portions may be accessed as early as mid-May or as late as mid-October, depending on the weather. Best time for optimum trail conditions and access is August and September. The trail begins in the north in the Hoback Canyon at Bryan Flat/Willow Creek at an elevation of 6,300 feet and ends at the South Piney Creek Trailhead at an elevation of 8,200 feet.
Camping Opportunities
There are many opportunities for dispersed camping throughout the Wyoming Range with scenic views and room to play. You'll need to bring your own water and answer calls of nature the primitive way at dispersed sites. There are also a number of developed campgrounds with restrooms and picnic tables in scenic locations.
Wyoming Range Snowmobiling Trails
The Wyoming Range trails out of the east side of the Wyoming Range, less than 45 minutes from Pinedale, remains largely unknown providing minimal crowds, lots of off trail deep powder, hundreds of groomed and ungroomed trails, and unbelievable scenery. The Wyoming Range also offers an extensive system of logging roads for snowmobiling fun. These areas are less used by snowmobilers and offer a wide variety of terrain, from open sagebrush side hills to windy mountain roads through the forest. Horse Creek, North and South Cottonwood Creeks, Big Piney, or Cottonwood Creek areas go for miles of open riding. Riders can explore snow-covered meadows, play on the hills along the way, and watch the wildlife.
Snowmobiling season can start as soon as December depending on snowfall, with January through mid-April consistent as the best time for riding. Temperatures at this time of year usually range from lows near zero to daytime highs in the mid twenties. Most days are sunny. The terrain is quite variable, ranging from flat to gently rolling sagebrush prairie to very rugged forested mountains. The elevation in Pinedale is 7,175 feet, but many trails are over 10,000 feet. Snowmobiles and equipment can be rented in Jackson, and locally, the Pinedale Snow Explorers Club, Green River Outfitters and Timberline Lodge offer half day to full day guided snowmobile trips.
Free snowmobiling trail maps are available at and the Sublette County Visitor Center at 19 East Pine Street, by mail order (pre-trip) or as a pdf download from the Wyoming State Trails Program website. It is important for snowmobilers to refer to the Southwest and Continental Divide maps for our trail locations and restricted use areas. Restrictions vary by area and may not always be marked on the trail. Snowmobiling is not allowed within National Forest Wilderness Area boundaries
Accessing the Wyoming Range
Access to the range is by a network of one lane gravel roads that wind through the mountain slopes and are suitable for two wheel drive cars and trucks. Some roads are not recommended for RVs or trailers. Roads are often narrow and windy with limited sight distance, and caution is advised to watch for rocks on the road and wash boarded sections that can affect handing of your vehicle. To get to the interior, you need to park your car and either hike or horseback trail ride in.
The eastern side of the Wyoming Range can be accessed from US 189 (watch your speeds here too!) Commercial services are available on the perimeter, but none are available within the range. Grab your gas and food in Pinedale, Daniel, Big Piney, or Marbleton, and be sure to have a full tank of gas and a good spare tire along. In the town of Pinedale you will find the best variety of lodging.
Forest Service Ranger Station offices are located in Big Piney (US 189) and Pinedale (US 191) for more information.
