We’ve made the 1.5-hour drive over to Wyoming’s Snowy Range a couple of times but on our latest visit we camped overnight and woke up early to tackle one of the hikes that’s been on Brian’s list – Medicine Bow Peak.

The summit sits at 12,018 feet and is accessible via a few different trails. We opted for a loop trail option that took us along Lake Marie and Mirror Lake, up a steep and rocky cliff to the peak, and then back a longer and meandering trail across the top of the mountains prior to winding back down toward the water.

We only had a couple of wildlife sightings this hike and two were right when we set off. At our final pit stop a chipmunk ran over to investigate my sister-in-law’s pack – we were able to shoo him off before he did any damage! Brian also spotted a marmot sunning himself on a rock near one of the rivers – as soon as he spotted us back, he flattened out like a pancake until we were no longer in range!

After we wound our way around several lakes we came to the rocky cliff of switchbacks taking us to the summit.

The trail would occasionally feature some packed dirt, but for the most part we were climbing over bigger rocks, carefully picking our way around the residual snow fields, and eventually crawling over massive boulders until we reached the top.

It was a little hazy in the distance but we had stunning views. I don’t mind admitting that I was frequently stopping to catch my breath during the climb – but that gave me an opportunity to look around and take a few pictures.

Although we’ve driven through the area a couple times, I hadn’t realized how many lakes are in this section of Medicine Bow National Forest. The greens and blues were beautiful.

We joined a handful of other people who had made it to the summit, and one friendly couple offered to take our picture. They had us take a nice one and then said to do something funny. Apparently Brian wasn’t listening – he’s the only one not following directions!

One older woman was having a snack and told us she has been summitting this peak for more than 25 years. So impressive – I hope I can keep taking on these difficult hikes as I get older.

Our descent took quite a while but we purposefully planned it that way to protect our knees. There were a few people passing us on their way to the top but I think most people simply go out and back from the campsite near the base of the climb versus the big loop we tackled.

One high point of the journey back was spotting several pikas. One paused with his mouth full of grass so I could snap his picture, featured below.

When all was said and done our hike clocked in at 7.07 miles with 1,602 feet of gain. This was definitely the highest peak I’ve summited, and I’m grateful the weather cooperated.

No matter how difficult the hike, it’s so rewarding to make it to the top and an extra incentive when it’s clear and you have such incredible views. Highly recommend hiking Medicine Bow Peak!