The 9-mile hike into Lonesome Lake at the southern end of the Wind River Range Mountains is a workout, but hikers say it’s well worth the effort, ending at the foot of the magnificent Cirque of Towers.
However, there’s a catch. Like many places across Wyoming and the West, it’s been discovered and could be getting loved to death.
It’s the double-edge sword of sharing images and tales of amazing places in the age of social media, seasoned hiker Conor Raney of Pinedale told Cowboy State Daily.
“I think it’s irresponsible to invite the whole world, and then the whole world shows up,” he said.
Noted Wyoming outdoor photographer Dave Bell of Pinedale agreed.
He said the trail to the roughly halfway point at Big Sandy Lake, and then on to Lonesome Lake, has gotten crowded.
The name Lonesome Lake “is an oxymoron” now, because it draws so many hikers, he said. There are also lots of rock climbers who show up to scale the Cirque of Towers.
That's a collection of bare, sharp rock peaks not unlike the Teton Range.
Some of the people who show up are slobs as well, who can ruin things for everybody else, Raney said.
“I’ve walked around up there with a garbage can picking up garbage and human feces,” he said, adding that because of so much careless outdoor pooping, feces has contaminated the water in Lonesome Lake.
The trail into Lonesome Lake is accessible at the Big Sandy Trailhead, which is about 57 miles from Pinedale, or 77 miles from Lander.
The trailhead is at the end of the Big Sandy Opening Road (Forest Service Road 370850).
The last 10 miles are on a dirt road. It’s listed as being accessible by two-wheel-drive vehicles. However, Bell recommends taking a high-clearance four-wheel-drive.
Some of the best views during the hike into Lonesome Lake are along the Big Sandy River, at the southern end of the Wind River Range mountains. (Courtesy Dave Bell) 
Lonesome Lake is one of Wyoming’s premiere hiking destinations, at the foot of the Cirque of Towers, at the southern end of the Wind River Range mountains. (Courtesy Dave Bell)
Elevation Changes
The hike in is listed as “strenuous.” The first stage is roughly 5 miles into Big Sandy Lake. Then it’s about another 4 miles to Lonesome Lake, including going over Jackass Pass.
The elevation is 9,085 feet at the trailhead. The highest elevation is 10,790 feet at the top of Jackass Pass, roughly 8 miles in. Lonesome Lake sits at 10,166 feet.
The most trying part of the journey is getting up over Jackass Pass, Bell said.
“It’s one of those passes with a number of false summits. You’ll think you’re there, but you’re not,” he said.
There’s a huge payoff for traversing all that elevation and rugged trails. The landscape at Lonesome Lake is “stunning, absolutely stunning,” Bell said.
“You’re right there in the middle of the Cirque of Towers, with peaks all around.”
For those who don’t want to trek all the way into Lonesome Lake, the hike to Big Sandy Lake and back is a great alternative, Bell said.
“It’s a beautiful walk,” he said. “The views along the river on the way are breathtaking.”
The fishing in the river is also good, he added.
Veteran hikers say Wyoming's Lonesome Lake isn't that lonesome anymore. They say the 9-mile journey to the foot of the magnificent Cirque of Towers is worth the effort but it's turned into a mob scene and it's getting "loved to death." (Don Geyer, via Alamy) 
Veteran hikers say Wyoming's Lonesome Lake isn't that lonesome anymore. They say the 9-mile journey to the foot of the magnificent Cirque of Towers is worth the effort but it's turned into a mob scene and it's getting "loved to death." (Don Geyer, via Alamy)
Bear Aware
The southern part of the Wind River Range has a healthy population of black bears, but grizzlies are rare there, Bell said.
“There’s reports of grizzlies down there,” he said."Every now and then, you’ll hear of somebody saying they saw a grizzly. Maybe they did, maybe not.”
Raney agreed that the northern end of the Wind River Range is grizzly country, but the southern end is almost all black bears.
Irresponsible hikers can still cause trouble with black bears, he said. People carelessly leaving food out or garbage scattered around attracts bears and can cause conflicts.
Some of the best views during the hike into Lonesome Lake are along the Big Sandy River, at the southern end of the Wind River Range mountains. (Courtesy Dave Bell) 
Some of the best views during the hike into Lonesome Lake are along the Big Sandy River, at the southern end of the Wind River Range mountains. (Courtesy Dave Bell)
‘It Travels At The Speed Of Light’
The growing crowds on the Lonesome Lake Trail encapsulate a quandary that plays out across Wyoming and the West, Raney said.
It’s great that more people are getting outside and taking up healthy habits like hiking, but it leads to areas like Lonesome Lake being “loved to death,” he said.
He’s been hiking into Lonesome Lake for 30 years, and said the crowds started to surge with the advent of the Internet and social media.
“It (the Internet) travels at the speed of light, whereas word-of-mouth travels at the speed of sound,” he said.
He worries that the U.S. Forest Service and locals who care about the conditions of the trails and the health of the environment could be overwhelmed by the crowds.
“Who is bearing the burden of so many people showing up? Who is taking care of the problems?” he said.
Maps and trail signs clearly state the rules for keeping the area clean and safe, Raney said.
“You go up there and people are just ignoring the rules. It’s either because you read the rules and think you’re above them,” he said. "Or you just didn’t read the rules. And neither one is acceptable.”
Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.
