Camping along the Continental Divide Trail
The first time I drove the rig up five miles of narrow road to reach Brooks Lake, I was a little ill at ease pulling the ORV, hoping that there would be a campsite vacancy and that no one had started the drive out from the Forest Service campground before we got past the worse part of the climb. It is theoretically possible that two rigs could pass one another, but it would not be possible in some places.
The Princess and I have camped in some beautiful locations. None of them have been as dramatically stunning as this little Forest Service campground. The lake sits in a depression between two high escarpments along the Continental Divide Trail at 9100 feet above sea level. It takes quite a while for the sun to rise over the eastern rock wall but sets early behind the western wall.
The first night I tried to photograph the Milky Way, we crawled out of bed at 2:40 to be in place at 3:30, at which time the plan would come together. I looked out the door to find a clear sky; it looked perfect. Using a small red flashlight to help guide our steps, we walked a short distance, set up the camera, and noticed that fog had started forming over the lake and soon filled the valley. Light from the moon was to illuminate the rock wall but instead created a glow in the fog. Not part of the plan. We moved higher up the valley the next night, hoping to get above the fog layer. The sky was visible but with clouds. I didn’t get the photos I had planned, but the moon rising through the clouds was not bad.
Moonrise over the Pinnacles
We spent five nights at Brooks Lake, using this as a base to explore the DuBois and the Grand Teton NP. Following US 26, it was 30 miles to the park and 24 miles to town. There is a second campground located on the lake, Pinnacles. It is larger but more suitable for small rigs and tents. It does have a few spots we could have fit into, but not easily. Also, the Falls Campground is across the highway from Brooks Lake Road; rigs of all sizes can fit in.
Dennis
The Continental Divide Trail enters the valley from the north and follows the lake above the high-water line to the FS campground. I was told that some hikers use the nearby Brooks Lake Lodge as a resupply point.
