Visit one of our Wyoming CDT Gateway Communities

Encampment / Riverside Lander / South Pass City Pinedale Rawlins

The grand and diverse landscapes of Wyoming offer hidden gems for the CDT traveler. From wild horses in the Great Basin to the breathtaking Wind River Range to the iconic Yellowstone National Park, the first U.S. National Park, your Wyoming adventure is awaiting you. Rich in Native American history, as well as pioneering stories, and covered with evidence of earth’s mountain building episodes, Wyoming welcomes the CDT for nearly 550 miles through deep gorges, n craggy ice carved peaks, and across wide meadows and open desert plains.

The CDT travels through some of Wyoming’s most stunningly diverse landscapes: Yellowstone National Park, with steaming geysers and volcanic activity, the craggy Teton Wilderness and Absaroka Mountain Range, the geographic phenomenon of Two Ocean Pass, the Bridger Wilderness and Wind River Range boasting 1,300 lakes and some of the largest glaciers in the lower 48 states, the historic South Pass City, where hundreds of thousands of travelers passed on the Mormon, Oregon, and California Trails, the deserted mining town of Battle, and the Sierra Madre Mountains, and the unique endorheic Great Divide Basin – the only place that the Continental Divide splits and rejoins.

What You Should Know

Wyoming is home to a wide variety of terrains and conditions. The Great Divide Basin is a 120-mile stretch of high desert – be prepared to carry a lot of water and fill up every time you come across a water source, as they are few and far between. In the Wind River Range, snow can persist on the trail into July on many of the high passes, and the mosquitoes are legendary. Head to the Winds late in the summer (August-September) for the best chance at a snow- and mosquito-free trip full of breathtaking mountain vistas.

Permits are required for backcountry camping in Yellowstone National Park.

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The park is quite busy throughout the summer. Plan to visit some of the more popular spots, such as Old Faithful, early in the morning before the crowds arrive, and enjoy areas of the park infrequently visited by tourists along other stretches of the trail.

Anywhere north of the Great Basin on the CDT is grizzly bear country. Travel with bear spray, make noise, keep a clean camp, and store food and other “smellables” properly. CDTC recommends bringing a bear canister or an Ursack to store food, as a truly bear-proof food hang is difficult to execute in areas where trees are sparse. Be sure to check local bear canister requirements for the areas you plan to visit.

Learn More about Bear Safety from Glacier National Park