Thanks for checking out my post, glad you like the photos! What did you need to know about Bonneville Basin. Maybe I can still help out?

Good luck and have a safe fun trip!

Yeah I’d try for Mt Assiniboine and try my luck at Lake O’Hara in Yoho NP. I’m a little bummed because I’m anticipating frustration…looks like it will be Glacier National Park or Yellowstone NP. We’ll have 2 weeks so hopefully that is a lot of flexibility and chances to roll the dice a bunch of times for permits.

I wanted to add that in case the border opens and you get to Banff this year or next there are a few things you should be aware of. I don’t know if you’ve been there before but Banff and Jasper are extremely popular tourist destinations. Now, post-pandemic when the border opens, the Canadian Rockies are most likely going to be overwhelmed with record amounts of visitors. In a normal year you can expect difficulty in obtaining a backcountry permit similar to that of Glacier Park. However, there are tons of lesser known but equally spectacular destinations in the park and adjacent areas in which it may be easier to get permits. As always, do your research before you head out.

Hi Timothy. You’re correct about foliage and forests in the Winds. Most of the best hiking destinations there are at or above tree level. There are plenty of below tree level trails but they go to lakes for fishing and generally aren’t in view of the main peaks of the Continental Divide. You’re also correct about Glacier Park, permits can be very problematic. Last summer I was lucky in that all backcountry permits were on an in person only first come first served basis. All you had to do was get in line around 2:00am with a couple alternate locations. It will probably be much more difficult this year. As fotr the other locations you mentioned I don’t know too much about them to give advice. I also wouldn’t count on the Canadian border being open. I’m itching to do some trips in B.C. this summer, and I check on the border status every day, as of this morning it doesn’t look promising.

One area which may fit the bill for you is the Bob Marshall Wilderness just south of Glacier. It an enormous area with no rigid permit system and plenty of opportunities for multi-day trips with forested hiking. I may go there in August, most likely to the Chinese Wall. Be prepared though, it is grizzly country. A couple other areas are the Sawtooth Wilderness and the Boulder-White Clouds Wilderness in Central Idaho. Both offer spectacular backpacking opportunities, however the Sawtooths can be a bit crowded in summer.

If you really want some great forest and vegetation backpacking then the North Cascades would be the place to go, but that may be too far for you. The North Cascades forests are filled with huge trees, rugged mountains, and glaciers. But at a price, the trails are much steeper than those in the Rockies.

I hope this helps, feel free to reach out at any time, and thanks for reading my blog!

I’m hoping to go out west for some backpacking in August. I will be going out for 2 weeks. I prefer lakes and mountains with much more foliage….not 100% granite, which is the feeling I get from many pictures I see. I’d prefer the Banff area but the border / quarantining will be a hassle. My next choice would be Glacier National Park, but I did not make backcountry campsite reservations and it might be difficult to get anything but leftovers at the last minute. My next choice would be Yellowstone, preferably the Lamar River area or Slough Creek, perhaps pushing on to lower elevation Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness areas….then the Teton Wilderness portion of The Thorofare. And then lastly, the Absaroka / Beartooth Wilderness OR the Wind River Range….if it weren’t for so much rock and the seeming lack of vegetation these areas might be much higher on my list. Perhaps if I remain lower in elevation I will see more green in these areas. Any thoughts?

Thank you Larry, I’m glad you enjoyed reading my post! Although I’ve only made five trips to the Winds they are part of 40 years of backpacking and also hold some great memories for me. There are plenty of areas in the Winds I’d love to check out, hopefully I’ll be able to get back there again in the near future.