Posted 2008-01-18 10:00 PM (#74762) Subject: Green River Lakes In Wyoming
New User
Posts: 2
Location: KY
Anyone know how many trails out this area? Might possibly be going out west this year and was looking at this campground. Enough for two to three weeks? When is the best time to go? June, July or August? What is the campground like and can you horse camp there? What about the road going in there? I heard it is pretty riding up that way. Thanks, Dandy
Posted 2008-01-18 11:38 PM (#74769 - in reply to #74762) Subject: RE: Green River Lakes In Wyoming
Expert
Posts: 2453
Location: Northern Utah
There is a nice camp ground at Green River Lakes. It has 6-8 stalls at the trail head. You can park in the trail head and stall the horses or you can pull you trailer over into the RV campground where you have potable water, picnic table, firepit. (No horses allowed in Campground - leave horses in stalls). The road into Green River Lakes is 40 miles of gravel road. Depending on the season. It can be freshly graded or it can have some washboard.
There are basically two trails out of this trail head. One heads over to Roaring Fork. It's a nice day ride, Out and back on same trail.
The second trail goes up stream past the Green River Lakes. A mile or two up there are several trails that split off. One trail up Clear Creek ( out and back on same trail) and the opposite trail goes up Porcupine Creek. (Porcupine is a steep switch batch which can be made into a loop with the main trail) The main trail continues upstream past the Upper lake. This trail follows the river. It is a main thorough fare trail for people hiking the Wind Rivers. But unless you are going to camp overnight, it's kinda of limited. The trail follows the river up the bottom of the drainage. It's pretty, But you can't really get off the trail. Hill sides are steep and heavily forested.
So from Green River Lakes Campground, You could do 2-3 days worth of rides with out repeating. Any longer and you will have to repeat the main trail.
Below Green River Lakes are lots of open country. Ranchers have cattle on those hillside, and you could just wander. But you would just be following cow and game trails.
But there are NUMEROUS trail heads that lead into the Wind Rivers. You could easily spend 2-3 days at Green River lakes, then move down to New Fork and ride several days, then move down to ElkHart, then down to Boulder and finally to Big Sandy. You could easily spend several weeks with out riding the same trail twice.
This is high country. Depending on the winter, there can still be snow in June. Especially on shady north facing slopes. Rivers will be still have snowmelt in June and can be high and cold. July is probably a better choice. Grass will be up, so you can graze, Snow will be gone. But since everything has been wet, there will be more mosquitos. August can be wonderful. But it can also be the Monsoon season. Thunderstorms can roll across and soak you.
We are getting our feet wet crossing the river in August. You can imagine how deep it would be in June
This is 7 miles in from the Big Sandy Opening.
There is a LOT of country in that area, just don't be afraid to move your trailer every few days.