Backpacking Cloud Peak Wilderness in Bighorn National Forest

Cloud Peak Wilderness

Cloud Peak Wilderness Area is located inside Bighorn National Forest, in Northern Wyoming.  The wilderness area covers 189,039 acres of the Bighorn Mountain Range, including the highest mountain (Cloud Peak).  Cloud Peak Wilderness Area gets its name from, well, Cloud Peak.  At 13,167 feet, Cloud Peak is the highest and most notable mountain in the Bighorn Range.  At 7,067 feet, the mountain also has the second highest topographic prominence in Wyoming. Cloud Peak Wilderness was officially created in 1984 by the Wyoming Wilderness Act, but it had been protected as a Primitive Area since 1932.  The wilderness area is known for it’s sheer cliff rock faces and glacier carved valleys.  In fact, you’ve probably seen pictures of Cloud Peak Wilderness Area without realizing where they were taken. Cloud Peak Glacier is contained in a deep cirque on the northeast side of Cloud Peak.  The glacier is the last remaining glacier in the Bighorn range. Cloud Peak Wilderness, and the Bighorn range are a great way to enjoy the Rockies and avoid the crowds of Grand Teton and Yellowstone.  Here are some of the highlights from our recent backpacking trip to Cloud Peak Wilderness.

West Tensleep, Misty Moon Trail
Aerial shot of the Misty Moon Trail leaving the campground

Backpacking Permits

Before you set out, it’s important to mention that you need a backpacking permit to enter Cloud Peak Wilderness.  You can self-register for permits on the Forest Service website HERE.  After you complete the form you will need two copies.  Keep one copy with you while you’re in the wilderness area and drop off the other in a registration box outside each ranger district office.  There’s no permit fee to hike in the wilderness area.  It’s very important that everyone fills out the permit registration form before entering Cloud Peak Wilderness area.  Not only is it illegal to not register, the permits will make you aware of the special rules for the wilderness area and it helps the forest service get funding for maintaining the area.  The permits provide the forest service with information about how utilized the wilderness area is, and this could affect their budget for upcoming years.  Here’s the regulations for what is prohibited as stated on the permits:

  • Entering or being in the Cloud Peak Wilderness without current required registration in possession
  • Open campfires above 9,200 feet elevations.  Chemical stoves are permitted.
  • Campfires below 9,200 feet must be on a fire blanket or within a fire pan.
  • No campfires within 300 feet of lakes, streams, or designated trails
  • Possessing any part of a tree above 9,200 feet elevation.
  • Camping within 100 feet of lakes and streams.
  • Hitching a horse/pack animal to a live tree, except while loading or unloading.
  • Hitching a horse/pack animal within 100 feet of lakes and streams.
  • Failure to dispose of garbage/waste.
  • No groups of more than 10 people or more than 15 pack animals.  You may have 12 people in a group if one person is trained in “Leave No Trace” and has their certificate with them.
  • Short cutting on trail switchbacks.
  • Using a cart, bicycle, or other vehicle.
  • Failure to dispose of solid human waste by packing it out.
  • Camping in violation of posted instructions.

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Mirror Lake, Cloud Peak Wilderness
They call it Mirror Lake for a reason

These rules help to keep Cloud Peak Wilderness great for everyone.

Cloud Peak WIlderness, Elk, Bighorn Mountains
Bull Elk standing in the morning sun

Trout Fishing

Cloud Peak Wilderness has some great Rocky Mountain alpine lake trout fishing.  Wyoming Game and Fish Department does a great job stocking these lakes every year with trout.  I began wondering how these lakes were stocked after I had caught several 15″ brook trout from Lower Lost Twin Lake.  So naturally, I took to youtube to see how it’s done.  If you’re like me, and are curious about the stocking program, check out this video I found on Youtube.

I can see why the fishing licenses here are so expensive now!  Fishing Lower Lost Twin Lakes produced multiple 15″+ trout.  I released all these fish so maybe you’ll catch one if you decide to make a trip! Mirror Lake also had some good sized trout but I didn’t have quite as much success as I did at Lower Lost Twin.  I used both a fly rod and a spinning rod. Most of my success came from using these spinning lures.

West Tensleep Trout, Fishing
Some healthy brook trout out of West Tensleep Lake

Backpacking Trails

Cloud Peak Wilderness contains several notable hiking trails.  Most recently, we backpacked the Lost Twin Lakes trail.  This is a great trail that ends with an incredible view of the lakes.  There are also several other great hiking trails within the wilderness area.  I’ll go over Lost Twin Lakes first.

Cloud Peak Wilderness, Lost Twin Lakes
Lost Twin Lakes trail at sunrise.

Lost Twin Lakes

I covered our backpacking trip to Lost Twin Lakes extensively in a previous post, but I’ll go over the highlights here as well.  Lost Twin Lakes is a fairly short hike for a multi-day backpacking trip, but the view and fishing at the lake is some of the best I’ve seen in Wyoming.  The trail begins at West Tensleep Campground parking lot.  It’s 6.1 miles and a 1,500 feet elevation gain from the parking lot trailhead to reach Lost Twin Lakes.  You’ll pass Mirror Lake at approximately the 3 mile mark.  We camped and fished near Mirror Lake when we backpacked here.  The lake is shielded from view along the trail by trees so you’ll have to keep an eye out if you want to stop here.  The lake will be to your left when you come to a meadow after about 3 miles.  You should also see a stream meandering through the meadow to your right, so be on the lookout if you want to see Mirror Lake.

Mirror Lake, Cloud Peak Wilderness
Mirror Lake at Sunset

 

From Mirror Lake, it’s about 3 miles to reach Lost Twin Lakes.  It’s hard to describe just how big some of the views here are.  A lot of these pictures don’t do it justice.  In this picture of Lost Twin Lakes there are actually people standing on the rock that juts out into the lake.

Lost Twin Lakes, Cloud Peak
Lost Twin Lakes below the huge cliffs
Lost Twin Lakes, Cloud Peak Wilderness, Bighorn Mountain
Sheer Cliff face above Lost Twin Lakes

Cloud Peak Summit

Disclaimer:  I haven’t had a chance to actually summit Cloud Peak yet, so this is just what I’ve heard from people who have.  As mentioned before, Cloud Peak is the highest mountain in the Bighorn range, and the fourth highest point in Wyoming. The least technical route, and the way most people go, starts on the Mistymoon Trail at West Tensleep Campground.  The Mistymoon trail is labeled as trail #63 on Forest Service maps.  Follow this trail for 7 miles and you will reach Mistymoon Lake.  You will pass Lake Helen at the 5 mile mark and Lake Marion at 6 before arriving at MIstymoon.  Follow the trail around the lake until you reach the Lake Solitude Trail.  This trail should be marked as #38 on Forest Service maps.  Stay on the Lake Solitude trail until you get to the Paint Rock Creek drainage.  From here until the summit you’ll have to follow the rock cairns to stay on the trail.  Rock cairns are stacks of rocks that are used to mark trails in areas where trails are hard to follow, such as exposed bedrock or marshes.  You can find the Cloud Peak summit at (44.382188, -107.173955) .  The total elevation of Cloud Peak is 13,167 feet and it’s one of the most prominent points in Wyoming, so make sure to take some pictures when you get there!  It’s about a 23 mile hike round trip to the summit, so the popular way to do this hike is to turn it into a three day backpacking trip.  Most people will hike to Mistymoon Lake on the first day and camp overnight there.  Then they’ll summit Cloud Peak and hike back down to Mistymoon on the second day.  On the third day they’ll hike back out of the wilderness area.  The total distance from West Tensleep to Cloud Peak’s summit is about 23 miles.

Bald Ridge, Bighorn National Forest
View of Cloud Peak and the Bighorn Range

Bomber Mountain

Bomber Mountain is an especially cool hike within Cloud Peak Wilderness.  The mountain got its name after a B-17 crashed into it near the summit in 1943.  The wreckage of the plane is still on the mountain and is accessible by hiking trail.  A B-17 nicknamed “Scharazad” was flying from Pendleton, Oregon to Grand Island, Nebraska on June 28, 1943 when it lost radio contact around midnight.  It had been scheduled to continue on to England where it would participate in bombing raids with the 383rd bomber group.  The army conducted two searches of the Bighorn area looking for the plane but they were unsuccessful.  The wreckage was not found until 1945 when two cowboys saw something shiny on the mountainside and made the climb to investigate.  There’s now a memorial plaque dedicated to the crew 1.5 miles away on the shore of Florence Lake.

Bomber Mountain has an elevation of about 12,840 feet and borders the south side of Cloud Peak.  Start this hike as if you were summiting Cloud Peak as described above.  Hike to Mistymoon Lake and then get onto Lake Solitude trail (#038).  The top of the mountain is a rock scramble above the treeline.  The wreckage is located directly above the northern shore of Florence Lake.  This hike is about 22 miles round trip from the trailhead at West Tensleep.

Cloud Peak Wilderness, Bighorn
Cloud Peak and Bighorn Range

What To Bring

There are several campfire restrictions in Cloud Peak Wilderness, so you’ll definitely need a backpacking stove.  The high elevation causes it to gets pretty chilly at night here, so extra layers and a warm sleeping bag are a must.  While I was here in late August it got down to as low as 39 degrees Fahrenheit at night.  There are lots of water sources in the lakes and streams but you’ll still want to make sure you bring a filter/purification tablets.  Here’s a list of some of the important things.  I’ve included some links to things that we used.

Cloud Peak Wilderness, Stream, Mirror Lake
Stream below the trail to Mirror Lake

The bighorn range is one of our favorite places in Wyoming.  Let us know how your trip goes in the comments below!

Lost Twin Lake, Cloud Peak Wilderness
The shore of Lower Lost Twin Lake in Cloud Peak Wilderness

Let us know what you think

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