       
 |
Lander began in 1869 when the army established a small military post, Camp Augur (later Camp Brown), to protect Shoshone Indians from attacks by the Sioux and Arapaho Indians. Settlers moved here in the late 1870s from the dying gold mines of South Pass, which is located to the south. Lander got its name from Col. Frederick W. Lander, who surveyed the Oregon Trails Lander Cutoff. One of the town's early residents was the outlaw Butch Cassidy, who frequented Lander's poker tables and dance halls. Once the railroad arrived in 1906, Lander became the last stop on the railroad for visitors traveling to Yellowstone and began its rapid growth. During the 1960s and 70s, Lander became a mining boomtown but the mine shut its doors in 1983. Today Modern day Lander is a bustling community. Its downtown area is lined with specialty shops, family owned restaurants and historic buildings. Each year, visitors enjoy world-class high mountain lake fishing, as well as mountain and rock climbing, snowmobiling, cross country skiing, and hiking. Sinks Canyon State Park
Sinks Canyon State park lies about 7 miles west of Lander on Wyoming Highway 131. There are 30 campsites located along the river amid jumbled granite boulders, pine and aspens. Some of the sites are accessible to RV's up to 40-feet long. There are displays about ecology, wildlife and the history of Sinks Canyon at the visitor center. You can take a short interpretive hike in the area, watch birds, climb rocks and look for wildlife.
A popular site to visit is "The Sinks". It is named "The Sinks" because the Middle Fork of the Popo Agie River disappears into a wall of limestone and it reappears a quarter-mile downstream in a large pool known as "The Rise." There is an interpretive center plus an observation deck. You are likely to see bighorn sheep in the area, so keep an eye out. For more information about Sinks Canyon State Park, visit http://wyoparks.state.wy.us/scslide.htm. Red Canyon
There is a stunning vista of iron-laden Triassic rock at this canyon about 15 miles south of Lander on Wyoming Highway 28. In the 19th Century settlers had fruit orchards and vegetable gardens in the warm valley and to day the area is part of Red Canyon Ranch, protected by The Nature Conservancy.
South Pass CitySouth Pass City began with a boom in 1867 with the discovery of gold on the southeastern end of the rugged Wind River Mountains. By 1868, Wyoming's City of Gold boasted over 250 buildings along the banks of Willow Creek and the surrounding hillsides. South Pass City hummed with excitement as numerous saloons, stamp mills, hotels, and businesses took advantage of the gold driven economy. Over 1000 people called South Pass City home during this raucous time. South Pass City was the first of three towns established due to the discovery of gold in what became the Sweetwater Mining District.Now a historic site, South Pass City has enjoyed 35 years of unprecedented notoriety as a result of the combined efforts of several state agencies. The last 35 years have seen South Pass City become one of the most accurately restored and authentically exhibited historic sites in the West. Seventeen of the site's 23 original structures have been restored and exhibited, with many of the site's 30,000 artifacts exhibited in their original buildings. Although visitors are welcome to South Pass City at any time during the year, many people frequent there for the most popular event of the Year - Gold Rush Days - which happens during the last weekend in July. Visit http://wyoparks.state.wy.us/spcslide.htm for more information. Loop Road TourIf you are dying to get up in the mountains, one of the best ways is to head west of Lander up Sinks Canyon for a tour of the southern Wind River Range via the Loop Road. This rugged dirt road will take you through forest of pine and spruce, with vistas of snow capped peaks. After 26 miles of dirt, you'll hit Highway 28 near South Pass. By the end of summer 2007, the loop road will be paved from Sink's Canyon up to 7 miles at the youth camp.Popular Events
Some images are courtesy of the Wind River Visitor's Council. Please visit them at www.wind-river.org. |
   |
||||||||||
