Day Hikes
Elkhart Park to Photographers Point: Mileage on various maps disagree, but hiking the trail from the trailhead to Photographers Point is about 5 miles, which translates to about 2 1/2 - 3 hours EACH WAY. Miller Park and Miller Lake are on the same trail about 3 miles in.
Green River Lakes: This area offers many day-hike adventures. The trail around the lower lake is a very nice hike. Spend some time on the sand at the upper end of the lake. A longer hike up Clear Creek on the east side of the lake will take you to a natural bridge. The trail is not maintained past this natural bridge-expect lots of downfall. This is 4-1/2 miles one way. Taking the west side of the lake, you can hike past Porcupine Falls (at 3 miles) and continue up the trail to the alpine Twin Lakes (at 6 miles), Shirley Lake, and Valaite Lake.
New Fork Lakes: Here you can hike up the trail along the scenic New Fork River and explore the rocky canyon as it closes in. The trail crosses the river many times before reaching New Fork Park at about 6 1/2 miles. In the early summer, when the runoff water is high, the first river crossing is at about 5 1/2 miles. That is a good place to stop and turn back. When the water goes down, you can continue up the trail where fallen logs may provide a better crossing.
Half Moon Lake: The dirt road ends about halfway along Half Moon Lake at the Day Use Area. You'll pass a boat ramp and campground facilities along the way. The trail begins at the end of the road. The short hike to the end of the lake makes a popular day hike, or you can continue to Fayette Lake 3 miles from the parking area. Look for cactus blooming along the trail and osprey flying overhead.
Lander Cutoff of the Oregon Trail: Here you can follow the Lander Cutoff of the Oregon Trail and walk where wagons once rolled. This trip is not recommended for sedans. We suggest high-clearance, 4-wheel drive vehicles, ATVs or mountain bikes. The ruts are now filled with grass. The trail can be impassable when wet, so is best traveled in the summer and when dry. Begin at the LaBarge Meadows Guard Station and follow the double-track Lander Cutoff Trail. The Commissary Ridge Trail forks south at about 1 mile. Stay on the double track. At about 2 1/2 miles there is a gravestone marked "ESTELLA BROWN LAYED TO REST JULY 29, 1891". You can continue on to Buckskin Knoll at about 7 miles or turn back at any point.
Day Drives
You don't have to hike into the wilderness to see fantastic scenery. The Pinedale area offers many scenic views that can be seen right from your vehicle.
Skyline Drive: (34 miles round trip) Starting in Pinedale, head up the hill on the road marked Skyline Drive. You'll pass the Museum of the Mountain Man and begin climbing the rolling glacial moraine at the base of the Wind River Mountains. The large boulders and mounds were left by glaciers several thousand years ago. After cresting a hill, you'll see Fremont Lake. Several more miles along Skyline Drive you'll come to an overlook of Half Moon Lake. The remaining 15 miles of windy and narrow road up to Elkhart Park, and the entrance to the Bridger Wilderness, are filled with scenic vistas of the Wind River Mountain Range. Several turnouts and overlooks offer beautiful views of Fremont Lake along the way. If you take a moment to pull over and walk around, you'll find wildflowers galore. Look for Indian Paintbrush (Wyoming's state flower), Columbine, Rocky Mountain Iris, Shooting Starts, Elephant Heads, and Lupine, among others. Wildlife can often be seen along this drive. Picnic and restroom facilities are available at Elkhart Park. If you're looking for a fantastic day drive where you can see the skyline of the Wind River Mountains, don't miss this one.
Green River Lakes and Square Top Mountain: (84 miles round trip) Take Hwy 191 west from Pinedale about 6 miles to the Cora Junction. Turn right and take Hwy 353 north. This drive will take you past the small town of Cora and give you a beautiful view of the Wind River Mountains on your right. Along this road, you can take side trips to New Fork Lakes where you'll find campgrounds, restrooms, boat facilities, and a wilderness entrance. You'll pass the Kendall Warm Springs and home of the endangered fish, the Kendall Dace, that can be found only in this small steam and nowhere else in the world. You can try your hand at fishing along any of the many access points along the Green River or at Dollar Lake. If you take the entire 42 mile drive, part of which is on dirt road, you'll end up at the Green River Campground and a spectacular view of Square Top Mountain and Green River Lakes. Here you'll find picnic and restroom facilities, hiking trails, and a wilderness entrance. This is a beautiful trip to take if you want to spend the day enjoying the scenery of the area either as a relaxed country drive or stopping along the way to fish, hike, or watch the wildlife.