Bridger Wilderness
Jim Bridger, certainly one of the most famous mountain men in American history, is memorialized by this popular Wilderness in the Wind River Range of western Wyoming. This rugged piece of the Rocky Mountains, extending for approximately 80 miles along the western slope of the Continental Divide, contains a unique combination of jagged granite rock, alpine forest, and open alpine meadows. Gannett Peak, located on the shared boundary of the Fitzpatrick Wilderness, is the highest point in Wyoming at 13,804 feet, towering above a vast area of stark granite summits that were once thrust violently into the sky by enormous compressional forces within the earth.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Wyoming |
| Size | 426,751 acres |
| Designated | 1964, by Congress |
| Center point | 43.00° N, 109.58° W |
| Night sky | Very dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 25) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground
The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.
Weather by month
Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.
Where to camp
None of the 20 federal campgrounds within ten miles sit inside the boundary. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Show 4 moreHide
8 more within ten miles are not listed here.
Trails
67 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 494 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Highline ↗ | 119.3 | |
| Fremont ↗ | 36.4 | |
| New Fork/Porcupine ↗ | 18.4 | |
| Middle Fork ↗ | 16 | |
| Lowline ↗ | 15.9 | |
| Summit Lake ↗ | 13.6 | |
| CDT Segment B ↗ | 13.5 | |
| Doubletop ↗ | 12.1 | |
| Cottonwood ↗ | 10.6 | |
| Timico ↗ | 10 |
Lengths and allowed uses come from the Forest Service trail layer by way of Trailhead Atlas. This trail list was copied from Trailhead Atlas on November 1, 2026 and is copied again on each weekly run. Trails in plain text have no page there yet.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- 7.2 mi
- 7.6 miDdz Bridge over New Fork River ↗Boulder, WY
- 7.8 miCora Townsite ↗Cora, WY
- 10.9 miLog Cabin Motel ↗Pinedale, WY
- 11.6 miTwin Pines Lodge and Cabin Camp ↗Dubois, WY
- 11.6 miWelty's General Store ↗Dubois, WY
- 11.6 miAmoretti, Welty, Helmer & Co Bank ↗Dubois, WY
- 12.3 miEls Bridge over Big Wind River ↗Dubois, WY
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Guidebooks for Wyoming
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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Bridger Wilderness?
426,751 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Bridger Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Bridger Wilderness in?
Wyoming.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Bridger Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1964.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Bridger Wilderness?
Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities, and the managing agency page has the permit rules. The federal campgrounds within ten miles are listed under Where to camp.
Source: Where to camp
How do I get to Bridger Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 42.999° N, 109.580° W. California National Historic Trail is 21 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Which national parks are near Bridger Wilderness?
California National Historic Trail (21 mi) and Pony Express National Historic Trail (26 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near Bridger Wilderness?
The National Register has 9 listings within 15 miles, including Union Pass and Ddz Bridge over New Fork River.
Source: Register Atlas
Sources
- Boundary, name, acreage, designation year, states and description: Wilderness Connect.
- Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
- Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, points inside the boundary.
- Trails: the Trailhead Atlas open-data file of Forest Service trails, matched on the wilderness each trail enters.
- Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
- Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.