For backpackers who measure a range by its wildness, the Wind River Range has few equals in the Lower 48. Stretching across west-central Wyoming, the Winds hold the state's highest summit, Gannett Peak, along with dozens of glaciers and more than a thousand alpine lakes.

Unlike the roadside grandeur of the Tetons, the heart of the Winds must be earned on foot. Trailheads give way to long approaches, and the finest country lies deep in the backcountry, days from the nearest pavement. That remoteness keeps the crowds thin and the sense of solitude profound.

The rewards are immense. Basins ringed by granite spires cradle lakes of impossible blue, cutthroat trout rise in the evening calm, and the night sky blazes undimmed by any city glow. Climbers come for the walls of the Cirque of the Towers; anglers and wanderers come simply to disappear into the high country.

The range demands preparation. Weather turns violent without warning, trails are rugged, and help is far away. Grizzlies roam the northern reaches, and self-reliance is not optional. But for those with the legs and the will to go deep, the Wind River Range offers something increasingly rare: true wilderness on a grand and unforgiving scale.