The Wyoming Range Trail Adventure

Aug. 8, 2026!

==> register here <==

If you want to take part of this one-of-a-kind free event in the remote mountains of western Wyoming, please register ASAP – knowing the rough number of folks who want to participate will help so much with planning shuttle logistics and the pre-adventure gathering in Kemmerer. 

The vision

Who’s game for a BIG adventure in western Wyoming this August? Bikepackers, backpackers, horsepackers – you’re all invited. 

We’ll gather in Kemmerer and then strike north through the Wyoming Range all the way to the Tetons, hopefully with some group camping along the way, a resupply drop at McDougal Gap, and shuttle support to make logistics as simple as possible. And no, this isn’t a race of any sort, and it’ll be free.

I’ve spent a lot of time on these trails over the past 5 years. There’s momentum on a major trails project out here, and to help that momentum grow, I want more folks to see some of the trails nestled in these mountains. These trails are very, very demanding – I can’t stress that enough. They fade in and out in places, completely vanish at times, rarely utilize switchbacks, and if you’re a mountain biker, you’ll be pushing your bike frequently. But for lovers of backcountry trails through beautiful places that rarely see tires, boots or hooves, this area is magical. You can read more here about the Wyoming Range Trail and see a gallery of photos, the magnificent and unrelentingly challenging middle 75 miles of this route. 

The route links together 2-track out of Kemmerer, the rugged and faint Wyoming Range Trail to Hoback Junction.

I’m still working on details for the northern-most end of the route with the USFS, so the ending point is still a bit in flux. It might be around Hoback Junction (the northern terminus of the Wyoming Range Trail proper, Willow Creek Trailhead), or it might be ~40 miles farther north around Victor, ID or Wilson, WY (those final miles are on more well-traveled trail through the Snake River Range). Hikers have the option can continue north on the famous Teton Crest Trail (closed to bicycle travel). Horse riders should plan to end their ride at the Willow Creek Trailhead near Hoback Junction).

Late JULY update

After a few months of back and forth with the USFS, the Bridger-Teton and Caribou-Targhee National Forests have given the go-ahead for this event! Now that that’s squared away, registration is open! 

 

Dates: Meeting on Saturday August 8 and starting the journey north the morning of the 9th. We’ll meet on the 8th in Kemmerer for an evening together, but the plan is still to organize a shuttle to help folks get from Victor, ID (the northern terminus) down to Kemmerer earlier that day. 

 
The route: See map above! The first ~30 miles is on quiet road between Kemmerer and the Forest boundary, and the vast majority of the rest is on backcountry trail. The map shows dirt roads/2-track in black and trail in purple.
 
The style: This isn’t a guided event of any sort, nor is it a race of any sort. Think of it as a backcountry adventure done on your own but with a group departure. There’s no additional safety net provided (although I will share detailed information on bail-out options for self-evacs and ways of bypassing some of the trail sections on gravel/4×4 tracks in case you want to speed up your pace). 
 
Duration/pace: Once we roll out, folks will be on their own in terms of pacing, camping, etc. I’m sure folks will end up traveling and camping in groups, which I’d love to see happen, but there won’t be any formal group destinations for each day. I’ll provide some recommendations of good spots to camp along the way. For folks on bike, I’d plan on averaging ~30 miles per day overall, equating to ~5-6 days for the full route at a “touring pace.” Some sections will definitely be faster (like the first and last days!). But overall, the trails are slow (and sometimes faint to non-existant) and have a LOT of hike-a-bike. For folks on foot, plan on averaging a bit less for daily mileage than you would on a typical trip on well-established hiking trails. 
 
Resupplying along the way: The plan is to have a box trailer parked at the McDougal Gap Trailhead, ~1/3 of the way through, and folks will be able to have drop bags waiting in the trailer. Then just over 2/3 of the way through, there’s a great little market in Hoback Junction. 
 
Group size: There are >100 folks who have expressed interest in this adventure, albeit I don’t expect nearly that many people to actually be able to join. I’m expecting about a dozen folks to actually show up. 
 
Trail work parties before the event:
A small crew of us will be out in the Tri Basin Divide / Commissary Ridge area the weekend of July 24-26 doing clearing deadfall off some of the trails. Let me know if you can help!