A long-distance hiker's account of the Continental Divide Trail's Wyoming stretch shows just how wildly the state swings, from a bone-dry desert to alpine lake country to the geysers of Yellowstone.
The story picks up as the hiker and her companion JC cross into Wyoming and head for the Great Divide Basin: roughly 120 miles of flat sagebrush with no trees and almost no natural water. Resupply and rest happen in Rawlins, a cheaper stop than anything in Colorado, before the pair set out across the desert relying on water caches and planning their days around the heat — hiking early mornings and evenings, and rigging the tent as a shade shelter for midday siestas (one attempt famously collapsed on top of her in the wind). A cheap Walmart umbrella became the trip's prized possession. Three thunderstorms tested them near the end of the Basin, though the worst simply vanished when she peeked outside the tent.
The Basin ends at South Pass City, a Gold Rush-era ghost town where the pair chugged root beer at an old-fashioned candy store, then hitched a ride to Lander — the gateway to grizzly country, where they bought bear spray. From there comes the writer's favourite section of the entire trail: the Wind River Range, lush with wildflowers, lakes and big mountain views after the arid emptiness of New Mexico, Colorado and the Basin. The two split briefly over the Cirque of the Towers high-route alternate — JC tackled the steep passes, including Texas Pass, while she took a gentler low route past misty alpine lakes, a day she calls one of her best on trail. JC, for the record, was underwhelmed by the famous Cirque itself.
After a resupply stop in Pinedale, the pair took a couple of days off trail to rent a car and explore Grand Teton National Park — milder hiking, snacks beside Jackson Lake — before pushing into Yellowstone. There, they found geyser basins and rainbow-coloured boiling pools with quiet backcountry camps far from the park's crowds. A family emergency for JC forced a change of plan: instead of finishing Wyoming on foot, they drove from Yellowstone to Butte, Montana, hoping to reach Glacier National Park before snow closed it, and skipped ahead to the trail's final state.
For anyone considering a CDT section hike, Wyoming is the state that packs the most variety into the least mileage: desert endurance walking, world-class alpine scenery in the Winds, and two iconic national parks within reach. It rewards careful planning — water carries, heat management and bear spray are non-negotiable — but it's also where the writer says she fell back in love with hiking.
