596 miles. That’s the distance between Paris and Berlin. 959 kilometers. That’s how many miles of trails you have when snowmobiling the Northern Continental Divide Trail on top of Togwotee Pass. Think of that; throttle wide open as you and your machine hurtle across some of the most vast, the most beautiful, the most wild country in the American West.
Open, endless fun.
Located to the west of Dubois, Wyoming, Togwotee Pass has become synonymous with the idea of a Winter Wonderland.
To say this is a local secret would be to ignore the fact that thousands of both national and international travelers come to this unique area of the Rocky Mountains to rocket across the rampant amount of snow that Togwotee gets every year.
Known as the Valley Of The Warm Winds, Dubois, and the surrounding valleys and plateaus that make up the greater Dubois outdoor playground gets an average of 46 inches of snow per year with an average 235 days of sunshine.
If you are having trouble seeing the math, it breaks down like this. Dubois has lots of snow and lots of sunshine. Meaning no matter where you are traveling from, it’s not going to be a question of
whether you get to sled, the only question is going to be
where you are going to sled.
Where The Pros Go
Togwotee Pass proper, that is, the area that starts about 15 miles to the west of Dubois, is a well traveled, well mapped area. This area in the northern part of the CDT offers the best high-elevation riding in the in the West. The pass, at elevations ranging from 6,000 to over 10,000 feet, spans two national forests and a number of lodges and amenities.
Not only will you get the best of well-groomed trails, this where the pros ride, and there are plenty opportunities to get that machine revved up a little bit.
Looking for a more wilderness type ride? Dubois has you covered there too.
The Solitude of Union Pass
Union Pass, located more to the south and west of Dubois and the Togwotee Pass area, has more solitude and less tracked trails.
At 9,200 feet in elevation, Union Pass is a high plateau where the three great mountain ranges of Wyoming, the Wind Rivers, the Absarokas and the Gros Ventre all come together.
Where Togwotee is the busy highway, Union Pass is the country lane.
Whatever kind of sledding you are looking for the Dubois area has it.
Rustic Cabins and Family-Owned Comfort
And that includes many different places to lay your head at night.
While you can stay in lodges in the pass, we would recommend you stay in Dubois itself. You will be closer to town and all the amenities and restaurants that Dubois has to offer. Staying in town is by far the easier option with the typical industry-standard rates. Dubois boasts a number of great motels and family-owned guest-houses. The
Rocky Mountain Lodge is an economically-friendly place with great amenities like kitchenettes, high speed wifi and considerable mountain views. The Branding Iron, the Stagecoach Inn and the Twin Pines Lodge and Cabins are great too. Each of these clean, simple and affordable rooms have great standard amenities. They are easy on the pocketbook and have high-speed wifi. They all have charming little differences which makes each stay unique and memorable in their own way.
The Crooked Creek Guest Ranch is another great option, with the added bonus of being able to rent snowmobiles directly from the property.
Speaking of renting snowmobiles, we know they can be kind of hard to pack on an airplane. No worries, Dubois has your back.
Full Throttle Powersports in Dubois has a full line of rentals available. Their knowledgable staff will help you get the perfect sled for your skill level. You’ll be on the powder in no time, like a modern day cowboy riding an iron horse.
The Dubois area is a snowmobile mecca. We guarantee you have never run a sled in such splendor, in such great company or solitude, with the throttle open, powder under your runners and that great blue Wyoming Sky.
So c’mon SledDog. What are you waiting for?
