Soaring above Wyoming’s Wind River Valley and extending northward along the eastern boundary of Yellowstone National Park, the expansive Absaroka Range continues well into Montana on the east side of the “Paradise Valley” (of the Yellowstone River). The Absarokas are a volcanic highland, one of the most expansive ranges in the rocky Mountains. And they are every bit as magnificent as the nearby Wind Rivers or Tetons, but far less well-known — except to locals.
Formed by Eocene volcanic lava eruptions and flows, the Andesitic Absarokas are an alpine wonderland of rugged forested valleys and canyons flanked by sheer-walled volcanic plateaus topped by rolling tundra. Much of the range is above tree-line at altitudes over 11,000 feet! Franc’s Peak rises above the Absaroka plateaus, soaring to 13,153 feet. Yet despite the rarified high elevation atmosphere, our guided backpacking tours in the Wyoming Absarokas can vary from moderately easy to strenuous, due to the great variety of terrain, trails and trail-less routes available. Our annual scheduled Absaroka Range backpack trek is rated as “fairly strenuous”, and due to the altitude, we recommend (but we don’t require) that you get to Jackson Hole a couple of days before the trip to begin the acclimation process.
The Absarokas are full of wildlife. Grizzly and black bear abound. So do elk, bighorn sheep, mule deer pika, marmot and many other creatures of the high Rocky Mountains. Expect part of the trek to be off-trail or on unmaintained rarely-used trails that our guides know, but most backpackers don’t. This year’s trek is coming right up, from July 16-21, and we still have a few openings available. If you like dense coniferous forest, flower-strewn meadows, rugged cliffs and peaks, and Alaska-like expanses of rolling tundra — with big vistas almost continually — you’ll love our guided wilderness backpacking tours in the wild Wyoming Absarokas! And the southern Absarokas are part of one of the largest chunks of roadless wild country in the lower 48 states, with most of the area protected as designated Wilderness!
