Back to the full Top 10
#9 on this list
Wind River Range
Wyoming
High passes open; some of the best backpacking in the Rockies.
- Price
- Check current price
- Reader rating
- No reader votes yet
- How we assessed it
- Specification researched
#10 on this list
Crater Lake National Park
Oregon
Full rim access; boat tours to Wizard Island run.
- Price
- Check current price
- Reader rating
- No reader votes yet
- How we assessed it
- Specification researched
Specs side by side
| Spec | Wind River Range | Crater Lake National Park |
|---|---|---|
| Managing Agency | Bridger-Teton and Shoshone National Forests | — |
| Highest Point | Gannett Peak (13,804 ft) | — |
| Permit Requirement | Free self-issue registration at USFS trailheads | — |
| Peak Season | Late July through Labor Day | — |
| Food Storage | Mandatory certified bear-resistant containers | — |
| Primary Gateways | Pinedale, Dubois, and Lander, Wyoming | — |
| Location | — | Southern Oregon Cascades |
| Max Lake Depth | — | 1,943 feet |
| Rim Elevation | — | 6,500 to 8,000 feet |
| Primary Access Window | — | July through September |
| Water Surface Temp | — | 55°F to 60°F in August |
| Sole Shore Access | — | Cleetwood Cove Trail |
What our reviewers liked and didn't
Wind River Range
- High alpine passes and technical routes are reliably snow-free
- No advance quota permits needed for standard national forest backcountry
- Phenomenal concentration of sheer granite walls and glaciated cirques
- World-class wilderness fly fishing for native cutthroat and golden trout
- Severe, daily afternoon lightning hazard above treeline
- Aggressive overcrowding at marquee southern and central trailheads
- Active grizzly bear population requires strict food security protocols
Crater Lake National Park
- Peak seasonal window with the complete 33-mile Rim Drive fully cleared and open
- Boat tours to Wizard Island operate regularly from the Cleetwood Cove dock
- Unmatched water clarity and intense cobalt coloration unique in North America
- High-elevation Cascade trails are entirely free of lingering winter snowpacks
- Regional forest fires can push heavy smoke into the basin and erase visibility
- Severe vehicular congestion and crowded parking lots throughout peak daylight hours
- Only one sanctioned trail exists to access the shoreline and water
Prices change constantly — the figure shown is the last verified catalog price, and the buy buttons always go to the current listing.