Winegar Hole Wilderness
The Winegar Hole Wilderness was designated specifically to provide high quality habitat for the grizzly bear. Part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, this Wilderness is located on the southern boundary of Yellowstone National Park in western Wyoming. The low rolling hills with numerous wetlands, meadows and streams is volcanic in origin. A forest of lodgepole pine, Douglas fir, subalpine fir, and Engelmann spruce covers much of the area. The area is managed as a trailless area to provide maximum security for the grizzly bear except for one short trail that provides access to Yellowstone National Park. A permit is required to camp overnight, and dogs are not allowed in Yellowstone National Park.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Wyoming |
| Size | 10,662 acres |
| Designated | 1984, by Congress |
| Center point | 44.11° N, 110.99° W |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 11) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees
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
No federal campground is within ten miles of the boundary in the Campsite Atlas index. Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from trails and water, with no facilities; the managing agency page has the permit and group-size rules.
Trails
1 named Forest Service trail enters this wilderness, 1 mile in all.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Fish Lake | 0.8 |
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
- 0.6 miSquirrel Meadows Guard Station ↗City Unavailable, 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 Winegar Hole Wilderness?
10,662 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Winegar Hole Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Winegar Hole Wilderness in?
Wyoming.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Winegar Hole Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1984.
Source: Wilderness Connect
How do I get to Winegar Hole Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 44.107° N, 110.992° W. Grand Teton National Park is 23 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Which national parks are near Winegar Hole Wilderness?
Grand Teton National Park (23 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near Winegar Hole Wilderness?
The National Register has 1 listing within 15 miles, including Squirrel Meadows Guard Station.
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.