South Fork
- 3.5 mi
- round trip
- 18 ft
- climb
- 8,839 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Jun–Aug
- best months
Is South Fork open right now?
No closures listed
The Forest Service lists no closures for Bridger-Teton National Forest.
As of · Source: USFS · Bridger-Teton National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
South Fork is an easy out-and-back hike in Wyoming's Teton Wilderness, within the Blackrock Ranger District of the Bridger-Teton National Forest. The trail is managed by the Forest Service and runs about 3.5 miles, with a low point of 8,479 feet and a high of 8,839 feet. The climb is gentle, with an elevation gain of 18 feet one way. The route is on natural surface and allows horses, so it works well for riders. Bikes are not permitted. The trail is open from May 1 through October 31. 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 and 71°F in August, with lows in the mid-30s. That station sits about 650 feet lower than the trail's high point, so temperatures on the route run cooler. The South Fork Trail lies just 0.3 miles away, and Rainbow Lake Trail is about 2 miles off. Paddlers can head to South Buffalo Fork, about 4 miles away, and Pinnacles Campground offers camping roughly 4.4 miles from the trail.
- South Fork TrailHiking0.3 mi
- Rainbow Lake TrailHiking2.1 mi
- Bonneville CutoffHiking3.4 mi
- South Buffalo ForkCanoeing4.1 mi
- Pinnacles CampgroundCamping4.4 mi
Brooks Lake CampgroundCampingPhoto: Viplav Valluri, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)4.6 mi- Lake CreekCanoeing6.8 mi
- String Lake bouldersRock climbing9.5 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
- South Fork TrailHiking · Next door
- Sublette PassHiking · ~6 min drive
- Cub Creek Canyon TrailHiking · ~6 min drive
- Rainbow Lake TrailHiking · ~4 min drive
- Jade Lake TrailHiking · ~7 min drive
- Angles Lake Loop TrailHiking · ~7 min drive
- Bonneville CutoffHiking · ~6 min drive
- Wolf Creek TrailHiking · ~13 min drive
- Kisinger Lakes TrailHiking · ~7 min drive
- MURRAY LAKE CUTOFFHiking · ~7 min drive
Best time to visit South 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, 29.2 mi away at 8,190 ft. The station sits about 600 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.
