Wilderness
The Bridger Wilderness and Gros Ventre Wilderness Areas of Wyoming
The Pinedale region includes two Wilderness areas, namely, the Bridger and Gros Ventre Wildernesses. Both Wildernesses belong to the Bridger-Teton National Forest, which encompasses three mountain ranges and boasts over 3.4 million acres for outdoor recreation, making the largest National Forest in the contingent United States. More than 1.2 million acres are designated as Wilderness areas!
A Wilderness classification applies to areas deemed "The most intact, undisturbed wild natural areas left on our planet - those last truly wild places that humans do not control."
Bridger Wilderness Area
The 428,000-acre Bridger Wilderness area is part of the western slopes of the Wind River Range. It is named after mountain man Jim Bridger, who was iconic in this area during the Fur Trade's Golden Era in the 1800s. Most of the Bridger Wilderness lies within Sublette County and is managed by the Pinedale Ranger District of the Bridger-Teton National Forest. The Wind River Range has over 1,300 lakes, hundreds of miles of streams and hiking trails.
Gros Ventre Wilderness Area
The Gros Ventre Mountains include 287,000-acres classified as Gros Ventre Wilderness. Its rough boundaries include the Gros Ventre River, the Green River, the Hoback River, and the National Elk Refuge and Snake River. Its forests, meadows, and peaks between 10-and 11,000' are home to elk, moose, mule deer, bighorn sheep, and bears. Granite Hot Springs and Granite Falls are a popular attraction to visitors in the area, as is the famous Gros Ventre Landslide from 1925.