Quick View Itinerary

Distance: 23.8 Miles, Out and Back

Highest Elevation:13,157'

Ascent: 4,414 ft

Descent: 4,423 ft

Time: 3 days, 2 nights (suggested)

Difficulty: Very Difficult (4.5/5)

Ascent: 4,414 ft

Descent: 4,423 ft

Day 1: West Tensleep Campground to Mistymoon Lake ~ 6.92 miles, 1,100 ft ascent

Day 2: Mistymoon Lake to Cloud Peak to Mistymoon Lake ~ 10 miles, 3,300 ft ascent

Day 3: Mistymoon Lake to West Tensleep Campground ~ 6.92 miles, 1,100 ft descent

Good to Know

Warning - this hike is not for the faint of heart. There is challenging boulder hopping involved throughout the duration of the hike, and conditions on the peak can go south in an instant. Plan your trek carefully according to your ability levels, brush up on your first aid skills, and if possible carry a satellite transmitter in case of emergency. Keep a close eye on weather conditions and don’t be afraid to call off the hike if necessary. Safety is always paramount.
You can do this hike in a single day, but that sets you up for a grueling 23 mile day over variable terrain. For maximum enjoyment you’ll want to start at the West Tensleep Lake Trailhead and hike out to Mistymoon Lake or the waterfall at the base of the peak on day 1, summit on day 2, and hike back out on day 3.
No permits are required - you can dispersed camp anywhere in the wilderness area. Make sure to Leave No Trace!
A lightweight day bag for the summit push is key. In it you’ll want to bring your water filtration device, snacks, extra winter clothes, and first aid supplies.
Since you will be staying overnight, you will need to load up with all of the standard gear that you would bring on a backpacking trip. Cooking utensils and food, water filtration devices, shelter, and warm clothes. In the summer temperatures in the area can drop below freezing - we were there at the end of August and it snowed on us. It’s also quite cold on the peak of the mountain. Come prepared for anything.
You’ll be out of the service of cell phone towers, so bring a map along with you. The trail out to the Mistymoon is well traveled and easy to to follow, but the path to Cloud Peak is much less so.

Cloud Peak is located in the Bighorn Mountains on the Eastern side of Wyoming, just to the west of the small town of Buffalo. The Bighorns are a 200 mile stretch of National Forest unit maintained by the US Government. While there are untold miles of hiking, mountain climbing, and other outdoor activities available in the area, we had our sights set on Cloud Peak. The mountain is the 4th highest in Wyoming at an elevation of 13,167 feet and is the highest peak in the Bighorn Mountains range.

For years, Cloud Peak had been like a bird flitting about at the periphery of my vision - always announcing its presence, asking for more attention to its overlooked beauty. We finally had the chance to head out to the Bighorns and summit the peak, and it was one of the most amazing, and challenging, hikes I have ever done in my life. The grandness and majesty of the mountain and its surrounding counterparts absolutely blew my mind and left me stunned throughout the entire quest.

Day 1 - West Tensleep to Mistymoon Lake

West Tensleep to Mistymoon lake was a beauty. Things were eventful from the start. An early stream crossing shocked our feet with its freezing cold water. About a mile later as we chatted about our location, we were surprised to see a female moose and her calf standing not 100 feet away from us, drinking from a small stream and munching on some grass near the water. For many of us, myself included, it was our first moose spotting. Summit or no, the trip was already a success!

Our crew made its way through beautiful pine forests and past pristine mountain lakes, the giants of the Bighorns stretching up to either side of us. One after another we passed Lake Helen and Marion Lake. Whenever I go on a backpacking trip I always think about the things that might be going on in the world that we would otherwise all be attuned to. Maybe the economy collapsed. Maybe Trump was finally impeached. Maybe something much worse happened. Then, I think about the things I would actually want to know about. How is my family doing? Did any of my friends do something fun with their day off? What new artwork was created while I’ve been out here? I try to remember the way I feel in those moments of isolation - completely content with my small universe - and do my best to bring it back out of the wilderness with me.

After about 8 miles of hiking we reached our destination - Mistymoon lake. The oval lake reflected jagged mountains on its clear surface perfectly. We were above the treeline, so nothing taller than a shrub stood out. The area was covered with a short, light green grass, and strewn with large grey boulders. We setup our camp among a rocky outcropping, then spent our night relaxing and scoping out our objective for the next day.

Day 2 - Summiting Cloud Peak

At 5 am the old, dark morning greeted us. Everyone grumbled as they rolled out of their warm sleeping bags. A few of us half jokingly discussed crawling back into our sleeping bags and seeing the others when they returned. With full bellies and a good night’s sleep, we set off towards the monstrous peak that we could see in the distance.

The hike started off in a beautiful way. The sun was rising above the mountains, giving a heavenly orange glow to the atmosphere. We made our way down into a valley where we could see a waterfall rumbling over the rocks and a stream cutting through the flat area. This part of the hike was wonderfully easy and enjoyable. We crossed the stream, following a well trodden trail marked with many cairns. At this pace, we figured, we would be done in no time.

Once we hit the boulder field, it was a different ball game. The nicely worn trail disappeared into a rock maze marked only by what seemed like randomly placed cairns. At this point the path up was simply marked by the ascent of least resistance. The boulder field extended all of the way to the peak. One wrong step could lead to a plunge into a rocky hole and a broken leg, or worse. There were several scares; you would hear the sliding of a boulder and a shout simultaneously. Everyone would stop and check on each other, then resume staring down at their own path, lost in concentration. So much time was spent looking down that we had to remind ourselves to look up and out and the incredible scenery that surround us. It was so massive that it was difficult for the brain to comprehend the enormity of what created these behemoths - it also gave a feeling of intimate insignificance.

We pushed our way through the thinning air boulder by boulder, step by step. After 4,000 feet of upward climbing and 5 hours of intense focus and physical exertion we reached our objective. The view from the top of the peak was absolutely stunning. Below us several thousand feet down the last glacier in the Bighorns, Cloud Peak Glacier, drained into the just as aptly named Glacier Lake. The glacier had clearly seen better days, but was still provided astounding views and contrast to the gray stone that surrounded it.

Day 3 - Mistymoon Lake to West Tensleep

After spending some time with the scenery and recovering from the hike up, we turned around and headed back down the way we came. For whatever reason the way down seemed easier - I think we were all too tired to think about being tired, if that makes sense - but everyone was incredibly grateful to have the hike wrapped up and collapse onto our partially deflated sleeping pads. Huge portions of food were whipped up to restore the calories we had burned, and bedtime followed not long after.

Summiting Cloud Peak offers a highly challenging, highly rewarding option for hikers looking to get out of their comfort zone and truly add a trek to their belt that is worth doing and worth bragging about. It takes preparation and determination, but the scenery and experience make it worth it.

There are lots of campsites in the area that you can stay at the night before or after your hike, but it’s always important to make sure that you set an itinerary for you and for your group that is reasonable and achievable. Pushing yourself is always worth it, but knowing exactly how far you can push yourself is critical as well.