The Long Way
Fremont County

Sinks to Rise Trailhead

Lander, Fremont County, Wyoming. Trail; year-round.

Details

Map. Lander, Fremont County, Wyoming. Larger map
Where
3079 Sinks Canyon Rd, Lander, WY 82520. Directions
When
Facilities are open to the public from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. year-round. The Visitor Center is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 22 through September 7.
Getting there
Sinks Canyon State Park is located in west central Wyoming just south of Lander. The park is situated in the Wind River Mountains on the middle fork of the Popo Agie River.
Fees
No day use fee required.
Access
All campsites and the Sawmill Shelter are now first-come, first-served through April 30th, 2027.
Phone
307-332-6333
Website
wyoparks.wyo.gov
Managed by
Wyoming State Parks, Historic Sites, & Trails.

The Sinks To Rise Trail is an ADA accessible, paved Braille Trail that offers a guide rope and accessible interpretive graphics for the visually impaired.

Notable Events

  1. 1919E.D. Edwards organized the Sinks Canyon Hydro Electric Company and built the power plant at the Rise, and the dam and pipeline above the Sinks. sinkscanyonstatepark.com
  2. 1928Sinks Canyon Hydro Electric was sold to Mountain States Power in 1928. sinkscanyonstatepark.com
  3. 1939The Wyoming Game and Fish Department bought large portions of the canyon in 1939 and 1953 to be set aside a wildlife habitat and protect the fishery. sinkscanyonstatepark.com
  4. 1947The Rise and its fish became such an attraction that the Mountain States Power Company built an overlook above the pool in 1947 so sightseers could safely see it. sinkscanyonstatepark.com
  5. 1954Pacific Power and Light Company took over operation of the plant in 1954 and soon after the Sinks Canyon operation was shut down. sinkscanyonstatepark.com
  6. 1963Pacific Power and Light Company donated the Rise and the seven acres surrounding it to the city of Lander for use as a park. sinkscanyonstatepark.com
  7. 1966In 1966 the school leased the buildings around the Rise from the city of Lander and moved its operations to Sinks Canyon. sinkscanyonstatepark.com
  8. 1970The school operated out of the canyon until 1970, when it had outgrown the limited facilities available in the canyon. sinkscanyonstatepark.com
  9. 1971The bill creating the park was signed in 1971 and the W.R.C. set out to protect the park and enhance some facilities. sinkscanyonstatepark.com
  10. 1972A new overlook was built at the Rise in 1972. sinkscanyonstatepark.com
  11. 1973The Visitor Center was completed in 1973. sinkscanyonstatepark.com
  12. 1983The first official dye test was conducted in 1983 by the United States Geologic Service. Harmless florescent dye was poured in above the Sinks, and testing with a flourometer began simultaneously at the Rise. sinkscanyonstatepark.com

People

  • E.D. Edwards, organized the Sinks Canyon Hydro Electric Company and built the power plant at the Rise (1919).
  • Governor Hathaway, signed the bill creating Sinks Canyon State Park.
  • Harold Meier, Lander State Representative who sponsored the bill creating the park.
  • Hazel Spriggs, Lander Mayor who strongly supported the bill creating the park.
  • Paul Petzold, world class mountaineer who started the National Outdoor Leadership School (1965).
  • Randy Wagner, WRC Commissioner who strongly supported the bill creating the park.

Sources

  1. wyoparks.wyo.gov/index.php/places-to-go/sinks-canyon
  2. wyoparks.wyo.gov/index.php/cat-list-sphst/389-state-parks/sinks-canyon-state-park/activities-amenities-content-sinks-canyon/860-content-hiking-sinks-canyon
  3. sinkscanyonstatepark.com/history/history.html
  4. wyoparks.wyo.gov/index.php/about-sinks-canyon
  5. sinkscanyonstatepark.com/nature/sinks-and-rise/sinks.html
  6. sinkscanyonstatepark.com/nature/sinks-and-rise/dye-tests.html
  7. pubs.usgs.gov/publication/wri964122