With its beautiful scenery, rugged outdoors and abundant recreation, Green River attracts thrill-seekers and nature-lovers of all types.
From world-class fishing and wildlife watching to family sporting complexes, river rafting, kayaking and mountain biking, you will find everything you need to enjoy this unique corner of Wyoming. Just a short drive from Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area, this small town is built around the Green River. During the summer, the river provides perfect rapids for opportunities for a river tubing float trip or kayaking trip. Green River’s downtown offers small-town charm with one-of-a-kind shops and eateries. Visit the Sweetwater County Museum to learn about Southwest Wyoming’s heritage and outlaws. If you’re searching for wildlife, enjoy a short drive between Green River and Rock Springs to see wild horses roaming the countryside or head north to the Seedskadee Wildlife Refuge. This small town holds lots of hidden adventures waiting to be explored.
Home to more than 40 peaks over 13,000 feet in elevation and seven of the largest glaciers in the Rocky Mountains, the Wind River Range offers endless opportunities to explore its majestic scenery through hiking trails of all skill levels. The Continental Divide National Scenic Trail, extending from Canada to Mexico, passes through the Wind River Range. Hiking to Popo Agie Falls in Sinks Canyon State Park is a memorable experience featuring a well-groomed, 3-mile trail and a natural waterslide. Other favorite hiking trails include Bear’s Ear Trail, Silas Canyon, Wind River Peak and Elkhart Park to Sacred Rim.
With a handful of trail systems that allow for ample mileage, the Wind River Range is also a popular backpacking destination. Hike Titcomb Basin out of Pinedale for a 30-mile out and back with stunning mountain views. Or choose, Cirque of the Towers, an equally scenic 24-mile trip. Glacier Trail is a 45-mile route to Wyoming’s highest peak, Gannett Peak, which stands at 13,804 feet and is flanked by five glaciers. Take a day hike or tackle the summit, one of the most remote and difficult mountaineering challenges for experienced climbers.
Whether you prefer commercial accommodations or remote camping, the Wind River Range has plenty to offer. Full-service campgrounds can be found in Dubois, Lander, Riverton and Shoshoni. Camp sites also are available on the national forests and in Sinks Canyon State Park and Boysen State Park. Along with tent sites and RV hookups, some campgrounds have cabins and yurts available for rent. Public lands also are open to dispersed camping.
The Wind River Range’s lakes, rivers and streams fed by snowmelt are ideal for fishing, with plenty of opportunities ranging from fly fishing and guided float trips to ice fishing. Popular destinations for anglers include the Green River, New Fork Lakes and Fremont Lake. Most of Wyoming’s golden trout fishing waters are in the Wind River Mountains. In fact, Cook Lake was the new inal golden trout brood stock for Wyoming until 1956. Brook, rainbow and cutthroat trout are abundant in the alpine lakes and ponds of the Wind River Range.
The Cirque of the Towers attracts experienced climbers to tackle its technically challenging granite walls and spires. Popular rock climbing sites for beginners include Stonehenge and Lizard Rocks near Pinedale. Titcomb Basin, accessible from the Elkhart Park trailhead has something for all skill levels. These areas featuring mainly bouldering and trad climbing routes. If you’re unfamiliar with these types of climbing, find a guide to provide instruction and equipment. If you’re more into sport climbing, Sinks Canyon State Park and Wild Iris offer plenty of world-class routes.
You might expect the Upper North Platte River to be too popular. Sure, it’s one of the most scenic freestone rivers in Wyoming, thriving with more than 4,000 catchable wild trout each mile. But rarely are your thoughts and experiences distracted. In fact, this inviting water is virtually uncrowded and fishes well year-round. It’s just a matter of knowing where and when to fish.
About the Upper North Platte River
The Upper North Platte River is among Wyoming’s best for fishing and scenic float trips or plunging through rapids. The river enters Wyoming through a deep, rocky canyon in the Platte River Wilderness of the Snowy Range. It meanders north through mountains, cottonwood-lined meadows of the Platte Valley and, finally, through majestic desert vistas. It encompasses over 150 miles of free flowing, undammed water. Whether you’re fishing from a raft or along a peaceful shoreline, chances are you’ll be bragging about your catch, the unforgettable scenery, and spectacular wildlife.
Few angling experiences offer such diverse natural fishing conditions as the Upper North Platte River. The river offers healthy populations of brown and rainbow trout and is considered a “Blue Ribbon” trout fishery with over 4,000 catchable fish per mile. You could fish a lifetime and still not uncover all that this river has to offer. Your arms will tire before you can cast to all the deep holes hiding those hungry lurkers.
Wildlife experiences are abundant on the Upper North Platte River. Bald eagle nests are numerous, and you are likely to see these giants gliding above, caring for eaglets in easily viewable nests, or perched, with fish in talon, on a sturdy cottonwood limb directly overhead. The melody of many songbirds and bouquet of ducks, geese, herons, cranes, shorebirds, and hawks will fill your mind and camera. Mule deer, moose, elk, bighorn sheep, river otters, mink, and beavers often share the hillsides, shoreline, and shallows with you.
There are 14 public access areas along the North Platte River from Colorado to Interstate 80. Many offer wade fishing, restrooms, picnic areas, camping and boat launch sites.
Adventurers often base out of Saratoga (population 1,655) as there are several places to stay, great places to eat, the Saratoga “Hobo” Hot Springs (which is open 24/7, free of charge), experienced fishing guides, and shuttle services.
