Wyoming's Big Horn Mountains

After two rather crowded and hot days in the Black Hills of South Dakota we wanted to head to the high country to find some cooler weather and set out for the Big Horn Mountains in Wyoming.  Having collected a map a few days earlier we decided to start our explorations on the eastern side of the range in the small town of Buffalo, WY. Nestled in the foothills of the Big Horns, Buffalo is a quintessential western town that manages to stave off the side effects of modern tourism. After a quick stop at the local outdoor store we headed west out of town on Scenic Highway 16 toward the high country. The winding road lead us from sagebrush plains into pine forests; signs for National Forest campgrounds began to dot the highway but we had a particular spot in mind. Taking a recommendation from Sunset Magazine we were headed to the Circle Park Campground on Forest Service Road 20. Once off the highway it quickly became evident that we had just hit the dispersed camping bonanza with tents and trailers tucked in everywhere along the road.   We continued on to the Circle Park Campground but decided that we would try to do some boondocking for the night. Most of the easily accessible sites were already taken at this late hour, however one particularly rough dirt road spur proved to be just the ticket. With a little grit and a high clearance vehicle we found a perfect spot nestled in a pine forest.

Made it to the high country!

The next morning we were woken by some moose casually wandering by, paying no attention to their new neighbors. We packed up camp and went to the Circle Park trailhead where we loaded up our backpacks and headed into the Cloud Peak Wilderness to explore some alpine lakes and hopefully escape the heat. The first lake we came to was Sherd Lake, small but ringed by pines with nice mountain views. We landmarked some campsites and hiked on to Rainy Lake. This little lake had a true alpine feel situated at around 9000 feet and it offered excellent views of some of the peaks in the wilderness.  After some pictures at Rainy Lake we continued on to Willow Lake, a much larger lake ringed by boulder fields. We intended to camp here for the night, however the terrain around the lake was not particularly conducive to navigating with large packs let alone camping. The campsites we did find were on a ridge and rather exposed. Since it was early in the day we decided to head back to Sherd Lake for the night. We set up on the ridge overlooking the lake and talked with a group that had come in on horseback for a day of fishing. We woke to chilly mountain temperatures that were quickly warmed by the rising sun. The hike out was a warm one and a sign of the days to come.

Rainy Lake | Cloud Peak Wilderness

Time for a break

Daybreak at Sherd Lake | Cloud Peak Wilderness

Morning coffee

Living life on the road unfortunately does not grant one immunity from the unpleasantries of modern life and we needed a day to take care of business. So we headed into town to do laundry and re-supply. Our camping plans for the day were to head back to the Circle Park area and free camp, we got waylaid however when we stopped at the Middle Fork Campground and found a perfect stream side site. This small campground tucked into a canyon on Middle Clear Creek was one we just couldn’t pass up. There were probably less then ten sites but they were all stream side and for $15 we thought why not. 

Middle Fork Campground | Big Horn National Forest- Home for the night

The next day temperatures were pushing the ninety mark with no sign of relief in the near future. We unfortunately abandoned plans to backpack the Lost Twin Lakes from the Ten Sleep Trail Head, adding it to the ever increasing list of reasons to return to Wyoming and headed toward the Tetons where temperatures seems to be a bit cooler.Driving out of the Big Horns and down the canyon we watched the temperature steady rise into the high nineties. Passing through the rock climbing town of Ten Sleep we spied a sign for the Ten Sleep Brewery and immediately took action. The brewery is in an old barn nestled in a red rock canyon just outside of town. Pulling into the parking lot revealed a large outdoor seating area and since it was such a hot day, went in to see if dogs were allowed to sit outside. What we found is that they were not only welcome outdoors but also inside the taproom. If that wasn’t enough the they offered camping for $3 a night just steps from the brewery door. What a deal! Unfortunately it was much too hot for us to consider hanging around these parts so we continued on our way. The hours slowly ticked by, we passed by painted hills, massive canyons of the Missouri River and finally climbed into the high country of the Wind River Range. That night we found ourselves camped just minutes from the continental divide and the heart of grizzly country. 

Ten Sleep Brewing Company | Ten Sleep, Wyoming

Info: 

Entrance Fee: Big Horn National Forest-Free

Camping: Middle Fork Campground - $15/night- several other National Forest Campgrounds in the area; free dispersed camping (no services, first come first served) along many of the Forest Service Roads

Pets: Yes. Don’t miss Ten Sleep Brewing Company where dogs are welcome!

Maps:  Cloud Peak Wilderness National Geographic Trails Illustrated $11.95 

Tips: No permit required for hiking in the Big Horn National Forest, but a self-registration ticket outlining wilderness regulations is required to be filled out and carried by one member of each hiking party. Self-registration tickets were available at the Circle Park Trailhead and also at the Big Horn National Forest Service office in Buffalo