Pinedale History and Wind River Views
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With a full day in Pinedale ahead of us, we started the morning with a peaceful walk around the CCC Ponds near our campground. The ponds were created in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps, who transformed swampy overflow from Pine Creek into a network of ponds and walking paths. It is now a perfect place for an easy stroll. Sandpipers worked the shoreline while yellow warblers flitted through the brush, refusing to stay still long enough for a decent photo.
Deer at Fremont Lake
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Later that morning we headed into town to visit the Museum of the Mountain Man. It is an impressive museum that dives into the fur trade era of the early 1800s, when trappers came west in search of beaver. Many traded with Native tribes and often married Native women to build relationships and survive in the frontier. The exhibits cover everything from weapons and gear to the famous rendezvous gatherings where trappers and Native tribes met to trade and celebrate. The Rocky Mountain fur trade lasted roughly from 1820 to 1840 before collapsing when European fashion shifted from beaver felt hats to silk hats.
After the museum we stopped by the Pinedale Visitor Center to ask about nearby hiking options. The ranger there recommended the trail at Half Moon Lake, so we pointed the truck toward the Wind River Range to check it out.
The hike around Half Moon Lake turned out to be a nice, easy stroll along the shoreline with early summer wildflowers beginning to bloom. We did wander onto a few of the smaller wildlife paths that hugged the water for even better views of the lake.
From there we continued up the road for some scenic overlooks of the Wind River Range. Several pullouts along the drive offered sweeping views of Fremont Lake stretching out below and the jagged peaks of the Winds rising in the distance.
After the museum we stopped by the Pinedale Visitor Center to ask about nearby hiking options. The ranger there recommended the trail at Half Moon Lake, so we pointed the truck toward the Wind River Range to check it out.
The hike around Half Moon Lake turned out to be a nice, easy stroll along the shoreline with early summer wildflowers beginning to bloom. We did wander onto a few of the smaller wildlife paths that hugged the water for even better views of the lake.
From there we continued up the road for some scenic overlooks of the Wind River Range. Several pullouts along the drive offered sweeping views of Fremont Lake stretching out below and the jagged peaks of the Winds rising in the distance.