Brooks Lake

Brooks Lake covers a couple hundred acres of clear, cold water, held in a broad meadow basin ringed by mountains. What everyone remembers is the backdrop: the Pinnacle Buttes, a long line of gray volcanic spires and cliffs that climb well over eleven thousand feet. They were formed from layers of ancient volcanic rock, later carved and sharpened by ice, and they give the lake the kind of dramatic wall of stone you usually have to hike miles to find.

The water itself is the other draw. It is a popular spot for fly fishing and for paddling a canoe, kayak, or paddleboard, quiet enough that you can hear the wind in the spruce and, often, the calls of birds along the shore. Moose feed in the willows, and elk and other wildlife move through the meadows, so it pays to bring binoculars and to keep a respectful distance from any animal you see.

Brooks Lake is also a gateway to the mountains around it. Trails leave from near the lake and campground and climb into a scenic pocket of the forest dotted with smaller alpine lakes, including Upper Brooks Lake and a cluster of little lakes higher up. These are steady climbs into true high country, so they suit hikers ready for elevation, thin air, and quickly changing weather, but even a short walk along the shore delivers big views.

This is genuine bear and moose country, so it is smart to make noise on the trail, carry bear spray and know how to use it, and never get between a moose and its calf. The reward for the caution is a stretch of the northern Wind River and Absaroka high country that feels wild and uncrowded, the kind of place people drive a long way to find.

Brooks Lake lies northwest of Dubois, up a gravel forest road that climbs a few miles off U.S. Highway 26 and 287 on the way toward Togwotee Pass. The road is fine for most vehicles when it is dry but can turn slick and rutted when it is wet, and it is not plowed in winter, so the lake is really a warm-season stop from roughly late spring into early fall. Snow can linger up high well into the summer.

Give yourself time to slow down once you arrive. Fish or paddle the lake, walk a stretch of shoreline, watch for moose in the willows, or drive up simply to see the spires reflected in the water at first light. There are no services at the lake itself, so fuel up and pack water, food, layers, and sun protection in Dubois before you head up. It is a quiet, beautiful place, best enjoyed unhurried.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is a place we chose through independent editorial review, never a paid placement.

Brooks Lake, in the mountains near Dubois in west-central Wyoming, high in the Shoshone National Forest near Togwotee Pass, is a stunningly scenic alpine lake set beneath the dramatic Pinnacle Buttes and surrounding peaks. The beautiful lake, framed by towering rock formations, forests, and meadows, offers excellent fishing, boating, hiking, camping, and wildlife viewing amid spectacular high-country scenery, along with the historic Brooks Lake Lodge on its shore. A gorgeous and relatively remote destination, Brooks Lake is a favorite for those seeking mountain beauty, trout fishing, and outdoor recreation. With its dramatic setting, clear waters, and abundant recreation, Brooks Lake offers a magnificent alpine destination in the mountains near Dubois, Wyoming.

You can fish for trout in the clear alpine lake, boat, kayak, and paddle, hike the scenic trails through the forests, meadows, and beneath the dramatic Pinnacle Buttes, camp at the lakeside campground, watch for wildlife, stay at or dine at the historic Brooks Lake Lodge, and take in the spectacular high-country scenery. In winter, the area offers snowmobiling and snow sports. The stunning setting beneath the buttes is the highlight. With its trout fishing, boating, hiking, camping, and magnificent alpine scenery beneath the Pinnacle Buttes, Brooks Lake offers a gorgeous mountain destination near Dubois in west-central Wyoming.

Brooks Lake is at high elevation in a somewhat remote mountain setting reached by an unpaved road off the highway near Togwotee Pass, so the access road can be rough and is best in dry conditions, and the high country brings cool temperatures even in summer, thin air, and changeable mountain weather, so bring layers. The area is snowbound much of the year, accessible mainly in the warmer months. It is bear country, so take precautions with food. Being prepared for the access road, the high elevation, mountain weather, and wildlife ensures a safe visit to Brooks Lake.

Summer through early fall is the prime time for fishing, boating, hiking, and camping, when the access road and lake are open, the weather is mildest, and the high-country scenery is at its most accessible and beautiful, with wildflowers in summer and color in fall, while the area is snowbound and accessed for snowmobiling in winter. Even summer nights are cold at elevation. For warm-weather recreation and the best access, aim for summer through early fall, and for winter snow sports, visit in the snowy months, at Brooks Lake near Dubois, Wyoming.

Brooks Lake is in the mountains near Dubois in west-central Wyoming, near Togwotee Pass, the Shoshone National Forest, the Wind River Range, the Whiskey Basin bighorn sheep area, and within reach of Dubois, the route toward Grand Teton National Park, and the Wind River country. That makes Brooks Lake a magnificent alpine stop to combine with Dubois, Whiskey Basin, Togwotee Pass, and the other attractions of west-central Wyoming and the route to the Tetons on a visit to the state.