Wyoming's Best Horse Packing Trails: A Working Rider's Shortlist

Wyoming has more horse country per square mile than any other state in the lower forty-eight, and most of the people who ride it for a living will tell you the same thing: there is more good trail here than any one rider can cover in a working life. The four ranges below cover the bulk of what serious backcountry packers actually use. None are easy. All are worth the trip.

If you are coming from out of state, plan three full weeks before you make a wilderness commitment, one for permits, conditioning, and pre-trip work, two on the ground. If you are coming from within Wyoming and you ride enough that this article is mostly review, the appendix at the bottom lists the trailheads worth knowing that don’t show up in most published guidebooks.

Wind River Range, the long ride country

The Wind Rivers are the headliner. Granite, alpine lakes, the Continental Divide running 100 miles north-south, and trail networks that let you ride for ten days without crossing a road. The west slope drops into the Bridger Wilderness on the Bridger-Teton National Forest; the east slope is the Fitzpatrick and Popo Agie Wildernesses on the Shoshone. Combined wilderness acreage exceeds 700,000.

Best multi-day loops. The classic west-slope ride is Big Sandy to Lonesome Lake or onward into the Cirque of the Towers, six to eight days round trip from the Big Sandy trailhead. From the east slope, the Glacier Trail out of Trail Lake into Dinwoody and the foot of Gannett Peak is the most dramatic multi-day route in the range, about 50 miles round trip with significant exposure above timberline. The Highline Trail ties together east and west slope traverses for parties willing to commit to two weeks.

What the rangers will tell you. The Bridger Wilderness has the heaviest stock use in Wyoming, and meadows around the popular lakes (Big Sandy, Lonesome, Marms, Pyramid) are showing measurable degradation. The Forest Service publishes designated grazing-rotation schedules; pack outfitters in the area follow them and you should too. Camp at least 200 feet from water and tie stock for no more than one night in any meadow.

Outfitters worth knowing. Triangle X Ranch (out of Moose, but they run Wind River trips), Box R Ranch, and Castle Rock Outfitters all hold long-standing Forest Service permits in the Bridger. East slope is dominated by the Lander and Dubois outfitters, Skyline Camps, Lazy L&B, and a handful of smaller operators. The full licensed list is at the Wyoming Outfitters and Guides Association directory.

Absaroka Range, Yellowstone’s wild edge

The Absarokas are the wall on the east and southeast of Yellowstone, and they hold some of the most remote country left in the lower forty-eight. The Washakie Wilderness alone is 700,000 acres, with the Teton Wilderness on its north and the Stratified Wilderness on its south. Together with the Park, this is the largest contiguous block of roadless land south of Alaska.

The trail network. Volcanic geology, deep valleys with side canyons that stack twenty deep, and big elk and grizzly populations. The South Fork of the Shoshone is the standard access from the east, with trailheads at Ishawooa and Cabin Creek. From the south, the Brooks Lake area and the Buffalo Fork drainage out of Turpin Meadow give onto the Teton Wilderness and connect to the Park’s southeast trails. From the north, Sunlight Basin and the Crandall trailheads open the Absaroka-Beartooth.

The grizzly factor. The Absarokas are core grizzly habitat. Stock will react to grizzly sign, fresh scat, beds, tree marks, sometimes from a quarter mile out. Pack with the assumption you will see bear and probably ride past one. Bear-resistant food storage is required across the Greater Yellowstone area, and most outfitters carry electric fence for nighttime camp protection. If you have not horsepacked in grizzly country before, do your first trip with an outfitter, not solo.

Outfitters worth knowing. Two Bear Outfitters out of Cody for the South Fork drainages. Yellowstone Outfitters out of Moran for the Teton Wilderness. Open Creek Outfitters for the Washakie. All are long-tenured. Several smaller hunting outfitters take summer trail clients on day or weekend trips when their hunting calendar is open, call directly in May or June for the upcoming season.

Bighorn Mountains, the underrated range

The Bighorns get less press than the Winds or the Absarokas, which is exactly why they remain the easiest serious horse country in Wyoming to plan a trip into. The Cloud Peak Wilderness, 189,000 acres on the eastern flank of the Bighorn National Forest, has trail mileage that punches well above its size and stock-use levels well below what its scenery would justify.

Best multi-day rides. West Tensleep Lake to Mistymoon Lake to Florence Pass, four to six days round trip, takes you under Cloud Peak itself (13,167 feet, the highest in the range). The Solitude Loop, accessible from West Tensleep, is the classic multi-day route, 25 miles, two passes, half a dozen lakes worth fishing. The east-side Hunter Mesa and Paintrock Lakes drainages are quieter still.

Why it works for first-time Wyoming packers. Lower elevations than the Winds (most trails 8,500-11,000 feet), shorter approach drives from any direction, less complex permit logistics, and a smaller grizzly population (black bears yes, grizzlies extremely rare). The trail surface is mostly granite and decomposed granite, hard on stock if you push too long, but consistent and easy to read.

Outfitters worth knowing. Cloud Peak Wilderness Outfitters, Trapper Creek Outfitters, and the long-running Bighorn Mountain Outfitters all hold permits and have been operating for decades. Day-ride and overnight options are available for parties not ready to commit to a full multi-day expedition.

Teton Wilderness, the Yellowstone gateway

The Teton Wilderness sits on the south boundary of Yellowstone and the north end of the Bridger-Teton National Forest. It is 585,468 acres of high meadows, river valleys, and conifer forest that funnel directly into the Park’s roadless southeast corner. For a rider who wants to get into Yellowstone backcountry without dealing with Park stock-use restrictions, the Teton Wilderness is the back door.

The Buffalo Fork country. The Turpin Meadow trailhead is the standard entry. From there, riders can pick up the Buffalo Fork drainages, push north toward Two Ocean Pass (where the Continental Divide actually splits a single creek into Atlantic-bound and Pacific-bound flow), and either loop back or push into Yellowstone via the Thorofare. The Thorofare Trail is the most remote thirty miles of trail in the lower forty-eight, the farthest point from any road in the contiguous United States is a saddle on the Thorofare, depending on how you measure.

What to expect. Thick lodgepole pine on the approach, opening into broad alpine meadows once you cross 9,000 feet. The Buffalo Fork drainage is benign country in good weather and serious country in bad, afternoon thunderstorms above timberline are routine, and riders need to be off exposed ridges by early afternoon in summer. Late-September trips can hit early snow that closes passes overnight.

Outfitters worth knowing. Yellowstone Outfitters, Triangle C, and several Jackson-area operators run Teton Wilderness trips. The Thorofare is a flagship destination and books early.

What to bring that most packers forget

After the obvious, saddle, breast collar, breeching, panniers, manty tarps, lash ropes, hobbles, picket line, halter, lead, hoof pick, easy boot, current Coggins paperwork, the things that get left at the trailhead and missed by mile ten:

• Certified weed-free pellets or cubes, at least 24 hours’ worth per head per day. Hay must be certified within 200 miles of the wilderness; pellets travel better and pack denser.
• Stock-grade insect repellent and a fly mask per horse. July and August in any of these ranges, the deer flies and horseflies will run animals to exhaustion if you are not protected.
• A backup hoof pad or boot for every horse. A thrown shoe four days into a trip is a problem; a thrown shoe with no boot is a trip-ender. The EasyBoot Trail is the standard choice — sold individually in hoof sizes, so measure before you buy.
• A folding bow saw, not just an axe. Blowdown across trails after spring runoff is consistent in all four ranges; without a saw you will lead horses around dozens of obstructions per day.
• Water filter rated for protozoa. Giardia is endemic in Wyoming surface water. Boiling works; filtration is faster on a riding day. The Sawyer Squeeze weighs 3 oz and removes 99.9999% of protozoa.
• Spare cinch latigo and a length of saddle string. Both fail at the worst possible moment.

Resources for trip planning

Forest Service ranger districts publish annual trail condition reports usually by mid-June. The contacts that matter:

• Bridger-Teton National Forest, Pinedale Ranger District for the Bridger Wilderness (Wind Rivers west slope).
• Shoshone National Forest, Washakie Ranger District for the Fitzpatrick and Popo Agie (Wind Rivers east slope).
• Bighorn National Forest, Buffalo Ranger District or Tensleep Ranger District for the Cloud Peak.
• Bridger-Teton National Forest, Buffalo Ranger District for the Teton Wilderness.

Backcountry Horsemen of Wyoming runs trail-clearing volunteer days every June and July across all four ranges. New riders to the state get a faster education in two weekends with that crew than they will in any guidebook, and the chapters are welcoming to out-of-state members.

The single most useful book for anyone planning a Wyoming pack trip is Smoke Elser and Bill Brown’s Packin’ In on Mules and Horses (Mountain Press, 1980). Elser worked out of Missoula and spent decades packing in the Selway-Bitterroot and adjacent ranges; the book covers stock selection, loading, the diamond hitch, camp management, and trail hazard assessment better than anything else in print. Read it before you go.

Wyoming horse country is open. It rewards riders who do the work of planning, and it is unforgiving of riders who don’t. The country has not changed much since the Bent brothers ran cattle through it; the maps are better, the boots are better, and the Forest Service is friendlier than the U.S. Cavalry was. Past that, it is still the same long ride.

Tack and gear for Wyoming packing trails

• Neoprene horse cinch — multi-day wet conditions are normal in July and August at altitude
• Weaver 40-ft cotton lash rope — for the diamond hitch over a loaded Decker
• Pure neatsfoot oil — condition the pack saddle leather before the season starts and after it ends
• Kinco 1927KW work gloves — for morning stock handling at 20°F

Related reading on this site

• The Wyoming regional outfitter directory
• Wyoming outfitters offering horseback hunting trips
• The Wyoming Trading Post guide to horseback camping
• How to pack for a four-day horse camp trip in the Bighorns
• A buyer’s guide to heritage camping bedrolls in 2026
• Wyoming horse breeds: what works in mountain country
• Cody, Wyoming: a local’s guide to the East Gate of Yellowstone
• Sheridan, Wyoming: home of King’s Saddlery
• Lander, Wyoming: NOLS, Sinks Canyon, and the East Slope of the Wind Rivers
• Pinedale, Wyoming: the Bridger Wilderness gateway and Mountain Man capital
• Jackson, Wyoming: an honest guide to Tetons, Yellowstone, and the town
• Chief Washakie: the Eastern Shoshone leader who shaped Wyoming
• 9 Wyoming hot springs you can actually soak in