Island Lake is one of the crown jewels of the Wind River Range, a large, deep alpine lake set at about 10,400 feet on the edge of the Bridger Wilderness in west-central Wyoming. Ringed by pale granite and dotted with the small rocky islands that give it its name, it sits directly beneath the soaring wall of the Titcomb Basin peaks, with Fremont Peak, Mount Sacagawea and Jackson Peak rising to the north and east. For most backpackers it is both a destination in its own right and the classic launching point for the final push into Titcomb Basin and Indian Basin.

The standard approach begins at the Elkhart Park (Pole Creek) Trailhead about 15 miles northeast of Pinedale, at roughly 9,300 feet. From there it is around 12 miles to the lake, following the Pole Creek and Seneca Lake trails past a string of gorgeous lakes. The trail gains a bit over 2,600 feet and gives some of it back along the way, so despite the distance the grade is forgiving, and Island Lake itself sits only about 1,000 feet higher than the trailhead.

The lake's northeast peninsula holds some of the most sought-after backcountry campsites in the entire range. From camp the layered granite towers reflect in the water at dawn and dusk, and waterfalls tumble in from the cliffs on the east shore. Above the lake the trail climbs into Titcomb Basin, a glacier-carved corridor of turquoise tarns beneath 13,000-foot summits, while Indian Basin branches off toward Indian Pass and the Continental Divide, putting a lifetime of alpine wandering within a day of the lakeshore.

This is high, exposed country shared by both black and grizzly bears. The season is short, roughly July through September; afternoon thunderstorms are common, nights are cold even in midsummer, and snow can linger on the passes well into July. Overnight travel in the Bridger Wilderness does not require a permit, but group-size and campsite-setback rules apply and proper bear-resistant food storage is essential. For a first trip into the high Winds, few places pack as much scenery into a single basecamp as Island Lake.