Titcomb Basin via Elkhart Park and Island Lake

Bridger Wilderness, Bridger-Teton National Forest (Elkhart Park Trailhead near Pinedale)

Titcomb Basin is a long, treeless valley below Fremont Peak and the high peaks of the central Wind River Range. HikingWalking lists the wall at its head: Mount Woodrow Wilson (13,502 feet), the Sphinx, Twin Peaks, Bob’s Tower, and Miriam Peak, with Gannett Peak, Wyoming’s highest point at 13,804 feet, visible through the gap between Woodrow Wilson and the Sphinx.

The trip starts at Elkhart Park, about 15 miles northeast of Pinedale on a paved road, and reaches Island Lake and the basin on the Pole Creek and Seneca Lake Trails. Hiking Project lists it at 29 miles round trip.

The hike

Elkhart Park sits at about 9,280 feet, per Visit Pinedale, with Trail’s End Campground (8 sites), toilets, corrals, and a staffed Forest Service visitor center. The Pole Creek Trail climbs gently through lodgepole pine and meadows. Hiking Project says most day hikers stop at Photographer’s Point, about 4.5 miles in, where the first full view of the range opens up.

Past the viewpoint, HikingWalking’s mileage log (written in the opposite direction, from Island Lake out) passes the Sweeney Creek junction, the end of the Seneca Lake Trail near Eklund Lake, and then Barbara and Hobbs Lakes. HikingWalking says good campsites sit above Hobbs Lake’s southwestern and eastern shores. The trail then climbs to Seneca Lake, where it says “well-used campsites” cluster at the head of the lake and between Seneca and Little Seneca. The Seneca Lake outlet is a rock-hop or wade depending on the season. HikingWalking describes the whole stretch as having “a lot of up and down.”

Beyond Little Seneca Lake the trail joins the Highline and Continental Divide Trails, crosses a small saddle, and drops to Island Lake. Visit Pinedale puts Island Lake at about 10 miles from the trailhead and calls it “a fairly high use area.” Hiking Project mentions sandy beaches.

About a mile past Island Lake, stay left where the Indian Pass Trail splits right. HikingWalking puts the foot of the basin at 1.6 miles from Island Lake, the head of Lower Titcomb Lake at 3.3 miles, and the north end of Upper Titcomb Lake at 4.3 miles. A waterfall from Summer Ice Lake drops down the western wall across from the upper lake.

Visit Pinedale warns that this “is NOT a simple day trip,” and both it and Hiking Project note that the passes beyond the basin involve snow, scrambling, or glacier travel.

For another Wind River classic, see the Cirque of the Towers from Big Sandy.

Tips

Plan for the up and down. HikingWalking measured about 1,600 feet of gain and over 2,600 feet of loss between Island Lake and the trailhead.
Carry a bear canister for the basin. HikingWalking says hanging food is “problematic due to the lack of trees.”
Use a stove. No campfires at Island Lake or above, per Visit Pinedale and Hiking Project.
Acclimatize first. Visit Pinedale warns about altitude sickness.
Bring bug protection. Visit Pinedale lists mosquito nets and repellent.

Camping

Individual backpackers don’t need a permit; organized groups and overnight stock parties need a Bridger Wilderness permit. Bridger Wilderness order 04-03-312 bans camping within 200 feet of any lake or designated trail and within 100 feet of streams, creeks, or springs, and bans open fires above timberline and within those distances. Order GYCC-7 caps groups at 15 people and 25 head of stock, with a 16-day stay limit. The forest’s food storage order requires food to be hung 10 feet up and 4 feet out, or stored in an approved bear-resistant container, March 1 to December 1.

Hiking Project lists campsites at Hobbs Lake (southwest side), Seneca Lake (inlet or southwest corner), Island Lake, Mistake Lake, and along the trail to Indian Basin, and says most sites in Titcomb Basin itself are illegal.

Inside Intel: HikingWalking says backpackers who want to camp in Titcomb Basin “will find the best sites to the south of Lower Titcomb Lake,” while climbers usually camp in the upper basin. It suggests finding a large boulder to hang food or carrying a canister.

Trail facts

Distance: 29.0 miles round trip (Hiking Project); about 10 miles to Island Lake (Visit Pinedale)
Route type: Out and back
Difficulty: Strenuous
High point: About 10,630 feet (Hiking Project)
Campsites: Dispersed; Hobbs, Seneca, and Island Lakes; south of Lower Titcomb Lake
Water: Lakes and streams throughout; treat it
Permits: None for individuals; required for organized groups and stock
Fires: None at Island Lake and above; stoves only
Bears: Grizzly and black bears; food storage order in effect
Trailhead: Elkhart Park, about 15 miles northeast of Pinedale
Last verified: October 12, 2026

The Lowdown

Dinner on a boulder below Fremont Peak:

With no campfires at Island Lake and above, every hot meal in Titcomb Basin comes off a stove and out of a canister. See which trail meals reviewers rate for flavor and weight.

See the picks →

Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.