Backpacking Cirque of the Towers in Wind River Range

Written By Kendall Garrett

The Cirque of the Towers is a backpacking route within the Wind River Mountain Range in Wyoming. This route absolutely blew us away and definitely lived up to the hype. We went in early September to avoid the bugs (as we’ve heard they are brutal July/August) and found this was the perfect time to go as we never even had to put on bug spray! This challenging backpacking route has 2 mountain passes, tons of gorgeous alpine lakes, panoramic mountain range views, and incredible dispersed campsites. Here you will find everything you need to know to tackle this trip including trail specs, packing lists, travel tips, and a sample itinerary. There are no permits/reservations required for this wilderness area (yet!), but this route is increasing in popularity fast (for obvious reasons) so go out and explore freely before its too late!

Disclaimer: This blog post may feature some affiliate links, which means I get a small commission if you make a purchase (at no extra cost to you). It’s one of the ways I can keep producing free guides and resources for my readers.

Shadow Lake featuring the “Towers”

Travel

The Wind River Range is not the easiest place to get to as there are no close airports to fly into to get you there without a rental car. Here are the closest airports to fly into. Rent your car from the airport and the journey begins!

  • Jackson Hole Airport (JAC)

    • 3 hour drive

  • Salt Lake City Airport (SLC)

    • 4 hour drive

Accomodation

When you get to the Wind River Range you have two options to spend the night before you hit the trail!

Resources

This is a packing list specifically for backpacking Cirque of the Towers, if you are looking for an all inclusive backpacking gear list click here!

Trail Specs

Sample Itinerary (2 night/3 day & 3 night/4 day options)

Day 1

  • Fly into airport of your choosing and make the drive to the Cirque of the Towers Trailhead.

  • Either stay in hotel near campsite or you will find dispersed camping along the road to the trailhead where you can camp for the night and get ready to set out on the real trail tomorrow!

    • *Warning: this lot tends to get very full in peak season (July/August) so prepare to park down the road from the trailhead. We had zero issues finding parking in early September!

Day 2

  • Get an early start and hike 11 miles to Shadow Lake for your campsite.

    • This lake is known for hosting the actual “towers” in the Cirque of the Towers!

    • If this lake is full when you get there, hike another mile to BIllys Lake to find more flat campsites near water!

Day 3

  • Hike 4.5 miles to Lonesome Lake

    • You will climb Texas Pass this day! A short yet brutal mountain pass (0.3 miles, 700ft elevation gain), but you will be rewarded with an incredible overlook of the mountain range.

    • Camping is not allowed at the base of Lonesome Lake (because of human overuse of the land) so you will need to camp at least 1/4 of a mile from the lake. We followed the stream that feeds Lonesome Lake and found a small waterfall (follow the all trails link) to camp near!

Day 4

  • Option 1: Hike 8 miles out back to trailhead (for a 2 night 3 day itinerary) and head back to airport to fly home

  • Option 2: Hike 4 miles to Big Sandy Lake to camp for the night (for a 3 night 4 day itinerary)

    • You will climb Jackass Pass this day! Again short, but less daunting than Texas Pass

Day 5

  • Option 2: Hike 5 miles back to trailhead and depending on what time your flight leaves you may be able to drive back to the airport and fly out the same day. If your flight timing doesn’t work out to leave the same day, stay the night at the trailhead camping sites or hotel near trailhead then head out the next day

Lonesome Lake Campsite

Kendall Garrett
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Backpacking Lake of the Falls and Landslide Lake in Banff, Canada