#dogsoftheCDT: Dog-Friendly Hikes in Wyoming

August 1, 2018

Inside Backcountry Search and Rescue of Colorado

by By Anna DeBattiste for the Colorado Search and Rescue Association , Read by Jordan Williams, CDTC

by Rachel Brown
(Photo by Chris Hauser)

On August 1, we launched our #dogsoftheCDT photo contest. From now until August 25, 2018, we encourage you join us in celebrating the 40th anniversary of the CDT by submitting photos of your pup on the Trail! Four people will win prize packs including awesome gear like Altra running shoes, Zuke’s Natural Dog Treats, and an ENO CDT Doublenest hammock, while the grand prize winner will win a Wyoming getaway for two people and one pup!

Summer in Wyoming means beautiful sunny days and field full of wildflowers. What could be better? Enjoying the outdoors with your favorite hiking buddy, of course! To launch our #dogsoftheCDT photo contest, we’ve put together a list of a few of our favorite dog-friendly day hikes on the CDT in Wyoming. Grab your pack and your pup’s leash and hit the trail together at one of these awesome spots!

Bridger Peak

This 8-mile round-trip hike takes you to the summit of Bridger Peak, the highest peak on the Wyoming side of the Sierra Madre range. The summit is above timberline and has expansive views all around.

Getting There: Take Hwy WY-70 up to Battle Pass, west of Encampment. There is a parking area on the south side of the pass. Cross the road to the CDT on the north side of the pass and continue your hike from there.

Dog Safety: The CDT follows 4WD roads to the summit of Bridger Peak. Watch for vehicles on the route. The summit of Bridger Peak is above timberline, so keep an eye on the weather!

Huston Park Wilderness

The Huston Park Wilderness is quiet and perfect if you’re looking for solitude. The CDT runs through this Wilderness for about 45 miles, so you can make an out-and-back hike of any length! Head south from Battle Pass and follow the CDT as it skirts the side of Red Mountain and crosses the North Fork of the Encampment River. You’ll hit the Huston Park Wilderness boundary after a mile.

Getting There: Take Hwy 70 up to Battle Pass. There is a parking area on the south side of the pass. Head south from the parking area. The CDT through this Wilderness area is mainly marked with cairns and blazed trees.

Dog Safety: This hike enters a Wilderness area. Please obey all posted regulations. This is a popular area for elk hunting, so if you’re heading out during hunting season, keep your dog on a leash.

Green River Lakes

There are lots of opportunities for hikes of all lengths near Green River Lakes. Head north from the Green River Lake campground on the CDT to pass by some old homesteads. Want the best views by the lakes? Hike south on the CDT (called the Highline Trail in this area) as it traverses the western edge of the northern lake. After approximately 2.4 miles, turn off the CDT onto the Clear Creek Trail. Follow this trail for about a mile, past Clear Creek Falls, until you climb up onto a knoll. The view up Clear Creek valley is spectacular and well worth the 6.8 mile round trip!

Getting There: From Pinedale, take US-191 N, then follow WY-352 W for 25 miles. Continue onto Green River Lakes Road/Forest Road 650 until you reach the campground and trailhead.

Dog Safety: This hike is in grizzly territory! Keep your dog on a leash. This hike enters a wilderness area; please obey all posted regulations.

Union Pass/Lake of the Woods

Union Pass is a gentle, open pass with excellent views of the Wind River, Absaroka, and Gros Ventre mountain ranges. Nearby Lake of the Woods is a great spot for fishing or paddling. The CDT follows the south and west shores of Lake of the Woods. For a short hike, circumnavigate the lake. Or if you want a longer hike to tire out your pup, head south on the CDT towards Fish Creek Park.

Getting There: From Dubois, take Hwy 26/287 North. Turn left onto Union Pass Road. Follow Union Pass Rd. for approximately 13 miles, and then turn left onto Lake of the Woods Road. Lake of the Woods is about 2 miles ahead. Your vehicle should have good clearance, and AWD or 4WD are recommended, as the road to Lake of the Woods is rough.

Dog Safety: This is grizzly bear habitat! Keep your pup on a leash for their safety.

These are just a few of our favorite places to explore in beautiful Wyoming. Hit the trails, and don’t forget to submit your #dogsoftheCDT photo(s) by August 25 for a chance to win a trip to Wyoming with your canine companion!

Rachel Brown is CDTC’s Membership & Trail Information Specialist and objectively the most dog-loving person we’ve ever met.

If you are injured and have to wait hours for rescuers, do you have enough clothing and shelter to survive until they get to you? Remember, even in July, it will be cold in the Colorado mountains once nightfall descends. Colorado BSAR volunteers are not stationed in a firehouse waiting to slide down a pole when the 911 call goes out. They will be responding from their homes or places of work, and they must get to the trailhead and hike to where you are. Helicopter rescues are the exception rather than the rule, and we reserve them for cases in which life, limb, eyesight, or rescuer safety is at stake.

The BSAR community is the safety net for Colorado’s multi-billion-dollar outdoor recreation economy, an economy that continues to grow.

Wondering how you can support that safety net beyond staying safe on your hike?

You can donate to the Colorado Search and Rescue Association or a local team.

And you can volunteer if you live in Colorado!

Find contacts for your local team at www.coloradosar.org/

The Colorado Search and Rescue Association is a membership organization composed of volunteers from BSAR teams across the state. They bring organizations together to find, rescue, and recover those in need in the Colorado backcountry. They also assist and empower BSAR teams through public education, advocacy, coordination, collaboration, and continuous skill development.

How Can You Help backcountry Search and Rescue Volunteers?

First, be prepared for your hike, by considering the “Three Ts” of preparedness:

Number 1: Trip plan – Tell a reliable person back home where you’re going, what trailhead you’ll be parking at, what your intended route is, and when you expect to be back. Tell them how to call for help if you’re not back within a reasonable time of your intended plan. If they are in the same county you’re hiking in, they can simply call 911. If not, they need to know the county your route is located in so they can look up contact information for that county’s sheriff’s office.

Number 2: Training – Make sure you have the technical skills and physical conditioning for what you’re doing. Work your way up to the endurance needed for multi-day and high-elevation hikes. Don’t overestimate your abilities and do enough homework so you don’t underestimate the terrain. Use the resources on the Continental Divide Trail Coalition’s website to help you start your research.

Number 3: Take the essentials – Carry the ten essentials plus any terrain-specific gear you might need.

Photo credits:

Andy Novak

Heath Sample

Jack Hiskisch

Answering the Call | Inside Backcountry Search and Rescue of Colorado

May 19, 2025 | Blog

Melissa was just sitting down to dinner with her husband and two children when she heard the text message come in. She swore under her breath, knowing what it probably was. It was Sunday night, typically the busiest night for search and rescue incidents in her county,...

Where Art Meets Trail I 2025 Artist in Residence

May 8, 2025 | Blog

Where Art Meets Trail: Introducing CDTC's First Artist in Residence Born from a desire to experience and see the Continental Divide Trail through a new lens, the Continental Divide Trail Coalition’s inaugural Artist in Residence program invites creatives to...

Trail Days 2025: Celebrating Community Along the Divide

May 7, 2025 | Blog

Trail Days 2025: Celebrating Community Along the Divide By: Becca Olson, CDTC Community Engagement Coordinator Another Trail Days is in the books! After months of planning and coordinating with local partners, the weekend seemed to fly by in the blink of an...