It went great! We camped at Lower Titcomb Lake, in the Titcomb Basin in the Wind Rivers. We started in the late morning at the Elkhart Park Trailhead, joining with the Highline Trail, and getting to camp just before dark that day.
Elkhart Park to Titcomb BasinDistance: 15.6 miles on way
Elevation Gain/Loss: 2,550 feet
Trailhead Elevation: 9,350 feet
Maximum Elevation: 10,650 feet
Key Points:0.0 Elkhart Park Trailhead
3.3 Junction with trail to Miller Lake in Miller Park; bear left
5.1 Junction with south-bound trail to Sweeny Lakes; stay left
5.5 Junction with Pole Creek Trail; turn left (northwest)
5.8 Barbara Lake
7.0 Hobbs Lake
7.5 Ford Seneca Lake’s outlet creek
8.8 Surmount 10,400-foot ridge west of Seneca Lake
9.5 Junction with unmaintained trail to Lost Lake at north end of Seneca Lake; bear right
10.4 Junction with Highline Trail above Little Seneca Lake
11.6 Island Lake
12.6 Junction of Indian Pass and Titcomb Basin trails; go left
15.6 Reach north end of upper Titcomb Lake
Elkhart Park to Highline Trail JunctionThe trail begins behind the information sign at the northeast corner of the parking lot. The initial 3.3 miles of the trail are uneventful, beginning beneath a shady canopy of lodgepole pine and heading north from the trailhead over smooth tread. Soon the trail curves southeast into the headwaters draw of Faler Creek, where the tread becomes rocky and the forest is dominated by Engelmann spruce. Small meadows open up periodically in the draw, watered by Faler Creek.
Beyond the head of the draw, continue climbing at a gentle to moderate grade, curving north through a heavy, viewless forest of lodgepole and spruce. The trail crosses the signed Bridger Wilderness boundary after 2.8 miles, at 10,050 feet. From there the genly inclined trail bends northeast and traverses the upper reaches of Miller Park, a sloping subalpine meadow.
The forested fringes of this broad spread offer the first views of the bold, serrated northern peaks of the range, including the broad dome of 13,745-foot Fremont Peak, the Wind River’s second highest summit. On the southeastern edge of Miller Park, ignore the signed, east-bound trail leading 0.3 miles to Miller Lake. The main trail curves northeast, climbing gently back into the forest for 0.5 miles to another drier meadow. From this opening enjoy views southeast along the face of the range.
The trail ahead proceeds through a high landscape of bare, ice-polished granite, scattered subalpine forest, and small meadows. Numerous tarns line the way, the only source of water until Eklund Lake at 5.5 miles.
After 4.5 miles, round a prominent bend in the trail above Photographers Point, at 10,350 feet, where suddenly a grand panorama unfolds. The glacier-gouged canyon of Fremont Creek lies far below, and beyond it, the high terrace. The trail ahead winds among the spruce and whitebark pine forest, soon reaching the signed, south-bound trail leading to Sweeny Lake in 0.9 miles. From that junction, in a broad saddle next to a shallow tarn, quickly mount a forested rise and descend briefly to the junction with the Pole Creek Trail. The Pole Creek Trail heads southeast toward the shores of Eklund Lake, visible through the forest below.
Instead, bear left on the Seneca Lake Trail and head northwest along the forest’s edge above 10,250-foot Eklund Lake. The trail descends steadily to small but inviting Barbara Lake, at 10,200 feet. Fair campsites can be found above the east shore. Hop across Barbara Lake’s small outlet and continue around the west shore before beginning a steady, 200-foot descent via switchbacks. En route the forest opens up enough at times to allow distant views of the broad upper Green River basin. With the deep gorge of Fremont Creek canyon in the foreground, the Wyoming Range rims the western horizon.
Emerging into a meadow-floored basin rimmed by granite knolls at the bottom of the descent, head past a grass-fringed tarn and then ascend 150 feet in 0.2 miles through a scattered spruce and whitebark pine forest. The trail opens up on grassy slopes near the top of the grade. A minor descent ensues, leading to the shores of 10,070-foot Hobbs Lake. Trailside cliffs funnel the trail nearly into the lake’s water midway around it. Good camping areas lie on benches and in the small basin lying east of the long, narrow lake.
Hobbs Lake outlet is an easy rock hop. A gentle, forested descent of 0.3 miles beyond the lake leads to the banks of the tumultuous outlet creek of Seneca Lake, which lies less than 0.5 miles to the east. There may be poles in place to afford a dry crossing. If not, wade the swift creek (which may be knee-deep before August) between tumbling cascades. The trail doesn’t follow this stream, as might be expected, but instead takes a roundabout route to Seneca Lake.
Begin climbing again, gaining 150 feet in 0.3 miles, past a tarn to a narrow saddle. Then descend 200 feet north and past another tarn, after which the trail curves northeast just before reaching another granite-rimmed basin. The rocks trail then begins a moderate to steep 400-foot ascent over the following 0.6 miles. The trail heads for the smooth granite ridge rising on the eastern skyline, ascending a narrow draw amid thinning forest and bare granite. At length the trail reaches the narrow crest of the bedrock ridge at 10,400 feet, and sprawling 1.4-mile-long Seneca Lake spreads out 100 feet below.
From the ridge descend steadily north down steep slopes to the lake’s west shore. Just like the trail around Hobbs Lake, portion of this trail may be submerged when the lake’s waters are high. Proceed on an undulating course around Seneca’s west shore, reaching a signed, northwest-bound trail to Lost Lake above Seneca’s north shore. Despite Seneca Lake’s great size, camping areas are scarce and most of the shoreline is inaccessible. Nevertheless, many travelers choose the lake for their first night’s stay on the trail.
A short distance east and southeast of the junction with the Lost Lake Trail, at the lake’s north end, is one of the few possible camping areas at the lake. Although the campsites are scenic, located among granite knobs, stunted trees, and meadows, too many people camp here and signs of overuse are apparent. Travelers seeking solitude will seldom find it here.
Beyond Seneca Lake, amble through rocky terrain, curve around a group of tarns, then follow the west and north shores of Little Seneca Lake on rocky tread. Little Seneca also supports a rainbow trout fishery, but the nearby steep, rocky slopes offer no opportunities for camping.
Just beyond and east of Little Seneca Lake the trail meets the Highline trail, branching right and left. The nearest camping areas lie more than 0.5 miles away, either in the alpine lake basin beneath Lester Pass to the southeast, or near the junction of the Highline and Indian Pass trails to the north.
From Highline Trail Junction to Titcomb BasinCamping areas are widely available along this trail, but only Island Lake offers a modicum of shelter among stunted conifers. Titcomb and Indian basin lie above timberline, and though the basins are likely to be dotted with backpacker’s tents, the terrain is variable enough to allow private camping spots among the bedrock knolls and meadows.
From its junction with the Highline Trail just below and northeast of a 10,600-foot saddle, the well-worn Indian Pass Trail descends gently northeast onto the floor of a shallow basin. It crosses a small stream, then inclines – gradually at first, moderately later on – as it ascends toward another saddle. The grade levels off in another 10,600-foot saddle, passes to the right of a tarn, then proceeds past a scattering of krummholz whitebark pine and spruce into another saddle just beyond, flanked by ice-scoured knobs to the west and a tall, broken cliff to the east. From that notch Island Lake sprawls out below, with views of the majestic ice-clad spires that enclose Titcomb Basin.
The trail is rocky northeast of the saddle as it steadily descends nearly 300 feet in 0.4 miles. The grade levels off around the boulder-dotted, grassy southeast shore of 10,346-foot Island Lake. Curve around the east shore of the lake, then ascend 200 feet via a north-east-trending draw to surmount another broad saddle. A gently descending traverse leads another 0.2 miles to a junction above the inlet of Pothole Lake (10,467 ft). Here the Indian Pass Trail branches right and the Titcomb Basin Trail continues straight ahead to the north.
Travelers bound for Titcomb Basin quickly reach a ford of Indian Basin’s creek. You may need to search upstream for a dry crossing via boulders. The trail ahead skirts the east shore of a tarn, mounts yet another 10,600-foot notch, then leads past the east shores of Lake 10,548 before briefly ascending to one final saddle next to a shallow tarn. The trail then descends gently via alpine slopes to the east shore of Lower Titcomb Lake, the largest in the Titcomb chain. Follow the east shore to the upper lake at 10,598 feet. The trail continues around the east shore and into the alpine meadows beyond, where the tread becomes more obscure.
Good camping areas can be found between Pothole Lake and lower Titcomb Lake, and the diligent traveler will find many other possible camping areas.
**Great trip report put together by my brother**
The bells on the bags was a smart idea though! Well actually maybe not if there were little mice and things running around in the night and ringing the bells... that might give you a fright!