Bridger Wilderness, Protected wilderness area in Wind River Range, Wyoming, US.
Bridger Wilderness is a federally protected wilderness area in the Wind River Range of Wyoming, covering deep valleys, conifer forests, and high alpine lakes. The terrain rises from wooded lower slopes to bare rock and tundra near the highest ridges.
The area was first set aside in 1931 as a primitive area, making it one of the earlier federally protected wild lands in the country. The Wilderness Act of 1964 gave it its current official status, and a later expansion in 1984 brought more land under protection.
The name honors Jim Bridger, a fur trader and mountain guide who crossed these passes and peaks in the 1800s as one of the first non-indigenous explorers of the range. Hikers today follow the same high routes he traveled on foot and horseback.
Backcountry camping and fishing both require permits, which are worth arranging before your trip. Motorized vehicles and bicycles are not allowed anywhere in the area, and the high passes are most accessible from mid-summer through early fall.
Bridger Wilderness contains the largest glaciers found within Bridger-Teton National Forest, left over from the last ice age and still slowly receding today. Some hiking routes pass close enough to these ice fields that visitors can see the fresh rock surfaces exposed as the ice pulls back.
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