Cirque of the Towers Traverse

🚗 Getting there & comms

Trailhead: Big Sandy Trailhead

~40mi of dirt off the Boulder/Pinedale side. Slow, washboarded — protect the undercarriage from salt-seeking porcupines.

⛽ Last services: Pinedale, WY (~50 mi northwest via Hwy 191 then forest roads): last reliable gas, grocery, and restaurant. Boulder, WY (a small hamlet ~40 mi out) has very limited services. The 40-mi dirt road to Big Sandy has no services. Last cell signal: Pinedale (AT&T and Verizon). Cell drops entirely within a few miles of leaving pavement.

📶 Cell signal: Verizon offers the most coverage in the Wind River Range but is still unreliable — best from exposed ridgelines with open views east toward the high plains. AT&T has coverage in Pinedale and drops quickly on the approach. Last reliable signal: Pinedale, WY. No cell service at Big Sandy TH or in the Cirque. Carry a satellite communicator (InReach/SPOT) — this is mandatory, not optional.

🧗 Routes

⏰ Start & altitude

🌄 Timing: Mid-July: sunrise ~5:30 AM, sunset ~8:50 PM (MDT, lat 42.8°N, approx.). Alpine/remote objective — camp at Lonesome Lake (~10,200 ft) the night before. Start climbing by 7–8 AM from camp. Be off summits by 11:30 AM–noon — Wind River thunderstorms build fast and hit hard by early afternoon. Lightning exposure is extreme on the tower tops; bail threshold is low.

🫁 Altitude & sun: Big Sandy Trailhead: ~9,100 ft. Lonesome Lake camp: ~10,200 ft. Pingora summit: ~11,884 ft. Multi-day backcountry approach (~9 miles). CRITICAL for Austin-based climber: you start at sea level, gain 9,000+ ft in one or two days of driving/hiking — AMS risk is HIGH. Plan 1–2 nights at 7,000–8,000 ft (Pinedale or Jackson area) before going in. Symptoms: headache, fatigue, nausea, poor sleep — descend if worsening. Hydrate 3+ L/day. UV at 12,000 ft is severe — SPF 50+, sun hoody, quality sunglasses required. Dry air at altitude accelerates dehydration; keep drinking even when not thirsty.

🏕️ Land · camp · water · permits

🪧 Land & passes: Bridger-Teton National Forest (Bridger Wilderness) and Shoshone National Forest (Popo Agie Wilderness). No fee, no permit required for groups under 15. Self-issue wilderness registration at some trailheads (informational). No entrance fee; no America the Beautiful pass required for access. Big Sandy Campground ~$7/night.

🔥 Campfires: No campfires — alpine zone, stove only. The Cirque of the Towers sits within Bridger Wilderness (Bridger-Teton National Forest) where campfires are prohibited above 10,000 ft and within 200 ft of lakes/streams. The Cirque is entirely above 10,200 ft — bring a canister stove. Bear canister required.

🆓 Free camping nearby:

• Big Sandy Campground (7 sites, $7/night, first-come) the night before the approach
• Big Sandy Reservoir area — BLM dispersed camping on the approach road near Farson/Boulder WY
• Inside the wilderness: camp anywhere — 200 ft from water, 100 ft from streams; no camping within 1/4 mi of Lonesome Lake; no fee in wilderness zones
• Town of Boulder WY (44 mi south) — very small; Pinedale WY (50+ mi) for motel options

Camp:

• Big Sandy Campground the night before ($7, first-come)
• Benches/meadows ABOVE Lonesome Lake — NO camping within 1/4 mi of Lonesome Lake
• Keep 200ft from lakeshores, 100ft from streams
• Big Sandy Lake / Arrowhead Lake on the approach

💧 Water: No potable water at Big Sandy trailhead — arrive full · Filter/treat ALL water (giardia) · Abundant streams and lakes in the basin

📋 Permits: None for Bridger/Popo Agie Wilderness (groups under 15, no fee). Tribal permit only if you enter the Wind River Indian Reservation. Big Sandy Campground $7/night.

🚽 Toilet: Vault toilets at Big Sandy trailhead. Backcountry: WAG bag or cathole 200ft from water, pack out TP — no facilities in the Cirque.

🌤️ Live conditions

🦟 Peak mosquitoes mid-June to late July; eases through August — best bug window late Aug-Sept.

👀 In the field

Tap any for ID, edibility & first-aid.

🏛️ Access · ranger · pass

Ranger station: Pinedale Ranger District (Bridger-Teton NF) — (307) 367-4326; 29 E. Fremont Lake Rd, Pinedale, WY 82941. Open Mon–Fri 8 am–4:30 pm. Bear canisters rentable here.

Pass: No entry fee for Bridger Wilderness; camping is first-come at the Cirque (no reservation). Self-issue permit at Big Sandy Trailhead. Bear canister required.

🎣 Fishing

Excellent fishing throughout the Cirque basin and approach lakes. Big Sandy Lake, Arrowhead Lake, and the Lonesome Lake area hold brook trout, cutthroat, and some grayling. Wyoming fishing license required (purchase from Wyoming Game & Fish online or in Pinedale). High alpine lakes are typically ice-free and fishable July–September. Fly fishing only in some designated stretches — check Wyoming Game & Fish regulations for Sublette County waters.

🔭 Points of interest

Fire lookouts, old mines, wreckage, historic relics nearby.

• Lizard Head Peak (12,842 ft) — The best viewpoint in the Cirque — non-technical scramble to the summit with unobstructed 360° views of all the towers. Classic objective for the rest day.
• Sinks Canyon State Park — ~60 mi east near Lander, WY — the Popo Agie River disappears into a limestone cavern then resurfaces downstream. Surreal geology + free to visit.
• Big Sandy Lake — Beautiful basecamp lake at the end of the main approach trail — good swimming and fishing in late summer.
• Continental Divide / Jackass Pass — Jackass Pass on the Cirque traverse gives access to the Continental Divide and views into multiple drainages.

📍 Nearby & other interest

• Lizard Head Peak (12,842') — scramble + the best Cirque views
• Shark's Nose, Block Tower, Mitchell Peak — more towers
• Lonesome Lake
• The 45-mi Cirque loop via Texas & Washakie passes
• Big Sandy Lake — basecamp + a swim