Where should I go?
This is a sensitive question. Why? Areas of the Wind River Range, as other backcountry areas across the nation, are very popular resulting in backcountry crowding and adverse impacts from overuse.
Are you asking why we put the above paragraph in this section? Well, it’s because many, many visitors ask where can I go? And typically the answers they receive are all the same. How does that translate in the backcountry? Crowds of people hiking and camping in the same places! The same goes for the internet. Yikes, the power of the internet towards directing crowds all to the same backcountry locations is crazy!
As a life long and avid explorer of the Wind River Range, I can straight faced and unequivocally tell you that the entire range is beautiful and has much to offer in its entirety.
Please, we strongly encourage you not to show up and ask “where should I go?” or not follow a predefined route from some website! Rather, plan your own adventure, maybe get off the beaten path, choose your own routes, your own trails, your own summits. We are very confident that such an approach not only makes your planning more exciting, your experience will be more meaningful. A lost art of backcountry travel is basic navigation with a map. One of the greatest offerings of wilderness is discovery, we sincerely hope you choose your own places to discover in these mountains. Begin your planning by perusing a map with your family and friends! You don’t need others telling you where to go, right?
Wilderness is freedom! Don’t we need that in our world that that is otherwise so structured? Take a moment to think about this. We believe that planning your own adventure, while a simple concept, is actually remarkably significant towards the quality of your experience and the preservation of the wild character of these mountains. Think about that unconfined type of recreation phrase from the Wilderness Act.