Cirque of the Towers Trail
The Big Sandy approach leads into one of the Wind River Range’s most celebrated granite cirques, passing forests, lakes, and Jackass Pass.
Artwork inspired by Neltje
Cirque of the Towers is a granite amphitheater in the Popo Agie Wilderness, reached from Big Sandy Trailhead through lodgepole forest, lake basins, and the steep crossing of Jackass Pass. Pingora Peak and the surrounding spires make the basin instantly recognizable, but the familiar photographs conceal a remote approach with no services, little cell coverage, and rapidly changing alpine weather.
It is best planned as a backcountry trip rather than a single landmark stop. Exact mileage varies with camp and route—Jackass Pass is the direct but strenuous approach, while longer loop itineraries add route-finding and creek crossings. Most visitors need at least one night; a day trip demands exceptional conditioning and a turnaround time that protects the long walk back to Big Sandy.
- Trailhead
- Big Sandy
- Pass
- Jackass Pass
- Allow
- 1–3 nights for most visitors
Quick guide
- Begin
- Most visitors need at least one night.
- Do not miss
- Jackass Pass is direct, steep, and weather-exposed.
Route logic for Cirque of the Towers Trail
- Fix the route and turnaround
- Look closely at the first stop inside Cirque of the Towers Trail.
- Read surface and exposure
- Compare that first impression with a second source of evidence.
- Check effort against distance
- Notice what changes when the route reaches the next evidence.
- Protect the return margin
- Check the practical constraint before completing the Cirque of the Towers Trail route.
Good to know
The long dirt approach to Big Sandy is slow, cell service is unreliable, and rescue is not immediate. Share an itinerary, confirm current fire and food-storage rules, and bring treatment, insulation, navigation, and emergency shelter.
Notice these
- Big Sandy
- Jackass Pass
- Carry paper or offline navigation.