After our adventure hike to the Cirque of The Towers, we spent the night in Pinedale, WY and drove to the Elkhart Park Trailhead for the final destination of our trip: Island Lake and the Titcomb Basin.

Day 1: Elkhart Trailhead to Little Seneca Lake

Distance: 9.9 miles

Elevation Range: 9,398 to 10,398 feet

The first thing we noticed at the Elkhart Trailhead was the high number of cars in the parking lot. We quickly realized that the Island Lake area is more heavily used than the trails around the Cirque of the Towers. With that being said, it was inspiring to meet backpackers with varying experience levels. On the trail, we saw dads hiking with kids, groups of young (20-something) backpackers, as well as older folks (including a 65-year old woman who was on her first backpacking trip!). Several people carried fly fishing rods with hopes of catching their dinner!

We had intended to hike to Island Lake on our first day; however, we started our day later than expected and the majority of the day’s hike was uphill. Therefore, we adjusted our plans to camp near Little Seneca Lake and the view from the site was simply stunning!

(Click on any picture to open the gallery and read the captions)

Day 2: Little Seneca Lake to the Titcomb Basin

Distance: 12.2 miles

Elevation Range: 10,366 to 10,732 feet

We were up early and finished the final two mile hike to Island Lake. After setting up our tents, we embarked on our hike along the Titcomb Basin Trail.

The Titcomb Basin Trail is an out-and-back trail that begins at Island Lake. We passed a waterfall, enjoyed a beach, watched several people fishing, and admired many beautiful small lakes along our hike. The view was spectacular and, of course, pictures don’t do it justice. You can watch a video of the Titcomb Basin scenery (including a cameo of Anandhi) on our You Tube Channel. We camped at Island Lake for our second night in the northern part of the Wind River Range.

Day 3: Island Lake to Elkhart Trailhead

Distance: 10.9 miles

Elevation Range: 9,404 to 10,660 feet

We had planned another hike on Day 3 (with a hike out on Day 4); however, the forecast called for overnight thunderstorms. After enjoying another beautiful sunrise, we decided to pack up camp and hike out. The hike from Island Lake to the Elkhart Trailhead was mostly downhill and we encountered a bit of hail, saw lightning and heard thunder when we were two miles from Elkhart. We were fortunate to experience 10 days of [nearly] perfect weather and I am grateful that we were prepared for rain and cold in this unpredictable environment. It helped us to stay safe and (mostly) dry on our return hike to the trailhead.

After exiting the trail, we found ourselves in Pinedale once again. We visited the Museum of the Mountain Men and learned about the fur trapping era before dropping Anandhi off in Jackson. We had a wonderful adventure and are already studying maps to planning our next hike in this wild area.

Our travels continue in Wyoming, including visits to Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park! Stay tuned for pictures from our adventures! We love to read your comments – feel free to post below! Have a great day, friends! 😘