The Wyoming Range Trail Adventure

tentatively Aug. 8, 2026!

 

Please fill out this form to be kept in the loop. 

The vision

Who’s game for a BIG adventure in western Wyoming this September? Bikepackers, backpackers, horsepackers – you’re all invited. If you’re a maybe or a yes, please read all this and then fill out this form to be kept in the loop.

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, 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, and then more well-traveled trail through the Snake River Range. Hikers can continue north on the famous Teton Crest Trail, mountain bikers will wrap up in Victor, ID, and horse riders likely will hit the end of their ride a little farther south to avoid a short section on highway.

Let me know if you’re interested via this form. 

Mid-May update

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: Here’s the tentative route, which some POIs added for the official Wyoming Range Trail section (more POIs to come…). The first ~40 miles are mostly 2-track, and the vast majority of the rest is on backcountry trail. The route 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 ~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 than you would on a typical trip on well-established hiking trails. 
 
Resupplying along the way: The vision 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’ve told the USFS that there will be no more than 40 in the group when we begin. 
 
Trail work parties before the event:
I want to get out in July with some small groups of other volunteers to clear deadfall off the trail in a few areas. A bunch of you expressed interest in being able to help, and a surprising number are also USFS-certified sawyers (I’ll take any A or B buckers available to help!)! If you’re interested in helping out (there’s need for both sawyers AND non-sawyers), I put together this very quick survey to see who’s available on what weekends. I’ll be coordinating this with the Bridger-Teton National Forest, and we’ll have to have any sawyers sign a volunteer agreement with the BTNF. 
 
For the trail work weekends, we’ll camp out, have a good time, and clear as much trail in a few areas as possible. Areas we might end up working include a few possibilities (and will obviously need approval from the BTNF) – (1) in the Tri Basin Divide area north of Kemmerer, (2) the Roosevelt Meadows area in the upper Little Greys River drainage above Alpine, WY, and (3) the Middle Piney/Wyoming Peak zone.