Medicine Bow Peak Trail
Routes from Lake Marie and West Lake Marie climb talus and tundra to Medicine Bow Peak, with broad views across the Snowy Range.
Artwork inspired by Conrad Schwiering
Medicine Bow Peak rises to 12,013 feet above the high lakes and pale quartzite ridges of the Snowy Range. The classic loop links the Lakes Trail with the summit route, trading an easy roadside start for steep talus, exposed tundra, and a high ridge where Wyoming weather arrives without shelter.
The Forest Service’s Lakes Trailhead begins at about 11,800 feet and is generally accessible from June through October, depending on snow. The summit is close in horizontal distance but not casual: Loose rock, lingering snowfields, altitude, wind, and route-finding can slow every mile, particularly on descent.
- Summit
- 12,013 feet
- Setting
- Snowy Range
- Allow
- 4–6 hours
Quick guide
- Start dawn-early
- Be below the ridge before afternoon convection.
- Choose direction
- Expect talus, tundra, wind, and lingering snow.
Route logic for Medicine Bow Peak Trail
- Opening question
- Begin with plan to leave exposed terrain before afternoon storms.
- Start dawn-early
- Set beside it altitude begins at the trailhead, not the summit.
- System at work
- Read stay on durable trail and rock.
- Conditions check
- Check thunder or dark clouds end the summit plan.
Good to know
The trailhead itself is near 11,800 feet and the road is seasonal. The ridge has no storm shelter; lightning, altitude symptoms, high wind, or unstable snow are immediate reasons to turn around.
Notice these
- 12,013 feet
- Snowy Range
- Expect talus, tundra, wind, and lingering snow.