Cloud Peak Wilderness
This area was managed as the Cloud Peak Primitive Area as far back as 1932 and runs for 27 miles along the spine of the Bighorn Mountain Range. Although rugged in appearance, the Bighorns are actually more gentle than other mountains in Wyoming. Cloud Peak Wilderness preserves many sharp summits and towering sheer rock faces standing above glacier-carved U-shaped valleys. Named for the tallest mountain in the Bighorn National Forest–Cloud Peak at 13,167 feet–the Wilderness is blanketed in snow for a large part of the year. Most of the higher ground is covered by snow until July. On the east side of Cloud Peak itself, a deeply inset cirque holds the last remaining glacier in this range.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Wyoming |
| Size | 191,914 acres |
| Designated | 1984, by Congress |
| Center point | 44.40° N, 107.21° W |
| Night sky | Very dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 27) |
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.
Where to camp
None of the 19 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
7 more within ten miles are not listed here.
Trails
44 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 196 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Solitude Loop ↗ | 55.2 | |
| Edelman ↗ | 10.6 | |
| Main Paintrock ↗ | 8.3 | |
| Sherd Lake Loop ↗ | 7.8 | |
| Misty Moon ↗ | 6.9 | |
| Lost Twin Lakes ↗ | 6.6 | |
| Middle Paintrock ↗ | 6.6 | |
| Shell Lakes ↗ | 6.1 | |
| Adelaide ↗ | 5.6 | |
| Seven Brothers ↗ | 5.5 |
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.
Fire nearby
- WildfireBorder
46 mi from the center point · 100 acres
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge, and is measured from the center of a boundary that may be many miles across. Check the agency page for closures.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- under 0.1 miSchunk Lodge ↗Big Horn, WY
- 4.7 miSaban, James T., Lookout ↗Ten Sleep, WY
- 11.3 miOdd Fellows Hall ↗Big Horn, WY
- 13.8 miEcs Bridge over Big Goose Creek ↗Sheridan, WY
- 15 miShell Community Hall ↗Shell, WY
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Guidebooks for Cloud Peak Wilderness and Wyoming
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Cloud Peak Wilderness?
191,914 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Cloud Peak Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Cloud Peak Wilderness in?
Wyoming.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Cloud Peak Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1984.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Cloud Peak 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 Cloud Peak Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 44.403° N, 107.208° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Cloud Peak Wilderness right now?
1 active incident within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Border at 46 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Are there historic places near Cloud Peak Wilderness?
The National Register has 5 listings within 15 miles, including Schunk Lodge and Saban, James T., Lookout.
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.