Downs Fork
- 4.5 mi
- round trip
- 315 ft
- climb
- 9,553 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Jun–Aug
- best months
Is Downs Fork open right now?
Alert in the area
The Forest Service lists an alert for Shoshone National Forest.
Morrison Jeep Trail
Agency alert covering Shoshone National Forest · USFS · Shoshone National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Shoshone National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Downs Fork is a 4.5-mile out-and-back hike in Wyoming's Fitzpatrick Wilderness, part of the Wind River Ranger District of Shoshone National Forest. The trail rises about 315 feet from a low point of 9,230 feet to a high of 9,553 feet, and it is rated moderate. The Forest Service manages the land, and the route is natural-surfaced and open year-round. Horses are allowed, but bikes are not. The trail sits within designated wilderness, so plan for a backcountry outing. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Darwin run to highs around 72°F in July, with lows near 35°F. That station sits well below the trail, so temperatures on the route run cooler. Ink Wells Cutoff and Dinwoody Falls are both within a mile, and Inkwells Lakes is about 2.4 miles away. Gannett Peak, a climbing area, lies roughly 8 miles off.
Local outfitters
- Yellowstone Trail RV Park33 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
- Ink Wells CutoffHiking0.7 mi
- Dinwoody FallsHiking0.9 mi
- Inkwells LakesHiking2.4 mi
- Ink WellsHiking2.5 mi
- Dinwoody CreekCanoeing3.2 mi
- Gannett PeakRock climbing8 mi
Dinwoody Glacier Area.Rock climbingPhoto: jfdervin, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)8.6 mi- Torrey CreekRiver fishing9.3 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
- Ink Wells CutoffHiking · ~1 min drive
- Dinwoody FallsHiking · ~2 min drive
- Gannett Peak TrailHiking · ~13 min drive
- Slide LakeHiking · ~22 min drive
- DinwoodyHiking · ~6 min drive
- Glacier TrailHiking · ~12 min drive
- Indian Pass TrailHiking · ~26 min drive
- Lost LakeHiking · ~25 min drive
- Glacier TrailHiking · ~7 min drive
- WHISKEY MOUNTAIN CUTOFFHiking · ~17 min drive
Also worth it near here
- Downs ForkCanoeing · ~2 min drive
- Bomber FallsWaterfall · ~12 min drive
Gannett PeakSummit · ~14 min drivePhoto: U.S. Forest Service, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)- Dinwoody Glacier Area.Rock climbing · ~15 min drivePhoto: jfdervin, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
- Torrey CreekRiver fishing · ~16 min drive
Best time to visit Downs Fork
Best months: June–August. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
26° / -6°
9 wet
Feb
29° / -4°
9 wet
Mar
36° / 5°
10 wet
Apr
43° / 16°
10 wet
May
54° / 26°
11 wet
Jun
64° / 32°
10 wet
Jul
72° / 35°
8 wet
Aug
71° / 34°
9 wet
Sep
62° / 28°
8 wet
Oct
48° / 19°
8 wet
Nov
35° / 6°
9 wet
Dec
25° / -5°
10 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Darwin Rch, WY, 31.5 mi away at 8,190 ft. The station sits about 1,400 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
