elkhart park trailhead

The scenery in the Bridger Wilderness is spectachular. However, if you like a little solitude with your backpacking experience, skip this trail and seek out another trailhead. I admit that the guide book mentioned the trail is very popular, but after hiking the Seirra Nevada Range in California for several years, I figured it couldn't be any worse. I was wrong. We started after labor day and the parking lot is huge and was mostly filled. I understand that it's even worse during peak season. We constantly saw other hikers on the trail the entire time, many had no concept of trail ettequitte,and the obvious camping spots were packed with tents. Crap and toilet paper under almost every rock. This trail is more crowded than the trail to Mount Whitney. I think before long Wyoming will be forced to enact a reservation system similar to the ones in the Seirras, just to keep this beautiful wilderness from becoming polluted and destroyed by the crowds. Talking to some of the locals, the Big Sandy trailhead is just as bad, but the other trails are very uncrowded. I'd suggest using one of the less used trail heads so you don't spoil your trip with hoards of people. This wilderness is beautiful and spectacular.

No trash cans at the trailhead. There are bathrooms and room for trailers for livestock. The worst part of the trail was the areas destroyed by the pack animals. Way too many of them. Rich people who don't want to carry their own stuff.