Mountain Climbing

Much of the appeal of the Wind River Range, which you can access from the west near Pinedale, or the east near Lander and Dubois, is the (relatively difficult) access to major peaks, the most significant of which is Gannett Peak, at 13,804 feet the highest mountain in Wyoming. The trip to the base of Gannett Peak can take two days, with considerable ups and downs and stream crossings that can be dangerous in late spring and early summer. The reward for such effort, however, is seclusion: climbing Gannett Peak might not be as dramatic as climbing the Grand Teton to the west, but you won’t have to face the national-park crowds at the beginning or end of the climb. Wind River is a world of granite and glaciers, the latter (though small) being among the last active glaciers in the U.S. Rockies. Other worthy climbs in the Wind River Range are Gannett’s neighbors Mount Sacajawea and Fremont Peak.