Get Outside in Wind River Country

In the shadow of the Wind River Range, towns like Riverton, Lander, Dubois and the 2.2 million-acre Wind River Indian Reservation offer incredible outdoor recreation and the history of Wyoming from the Mountain Man to wild mustangs. Spend time exploring these four communities on the way to Yellowstone.

Riverton

Fly into Riverton on daily United flights from Denver to get to central Wyoming quicker. The cute downtown has a great shopping and dining scene and is a short drive to some of Wyoming’s earliest history at Castle Gardens Petroglyph Site. View the rock art along a crushed-gravel trail. The road to the site can be rough, so a high-clearance vehicle is recommended.

Tip: Riverton was home to the 1838 Mountain Man Rendezvous and holds a celebration each summer to commemorate the traders, Jim Bridger and Kit Carson among them. The reenactment includes costumed participants, homemade crafts and more.

Lander

Home to NOLS (previously the National Outdoor Leadership School), Lander is the heart of Wyoming’s outdoor community. Don’t miss a drive up to beautiful Sinks Canyon State Park where mystery shrouds the Popo Agie River as it disappears underground. The water takes several hours to reappear a quarter of a mile later. For more water fun, head to the Popo Agie Falls Trailhead where you can hike a moderate 1.5 miles to a beautiful series of waterfalls emptying into freezing cold swimming holes. The falls create natural waterslides that locals and tourists alike take advantage of on hot summer days.

Those looking for longer hikes or backpacking trips into the gorgeous Wind River Range should visit Gannett Peak Sports, an outdoor store that has all the gear you’ll need and also offers guiding services and great local beta.

Tip: After a day exploring, grab dinner at the Gannett Grill, a casual spot for pizza and burgers, or Cowfish, a high-end steakhouse. Owned by the same folks as Lander Brewing Company, you’ll find the beers on tap.

Wind River Indian Reservation

The seventh largest reservation in the country, this 2.2 million-acre area is home to the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes. Visit the Wind River Wild Horse Sanctuary where you can learn about wild mustangs at a beautiful visitor center and by a tour on an ATV. It’s a truly special experience to feel the prairie vibrating as wild horses run around you. All visits are by appointment only at windriverwildhorses.com.

Tip: The gravesite of Sacajawea, the famous Shoshone woman who guided Lewis and Clark, is also on the reservation near Fort Washakie.

Dubois

This town is home to three very different museums, all worth a visit. At the National Museum of Military Vehicles, you’ll find a massive collection dating from 1897 to the present. See combat vehicles from WWII, amphibious vehicles from the Korean War and more. Then, switch gears to natural history at the National Bighorn Sheep Center in town where you’ll learn about the Whiskey Mountain herd of Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep. Finally, head over to the Dubois Museum which collects, preserves and interprets artifacts and other materials, including those of geologic importance, beginning with the Precambrian Era and extending through the end of the timber industry in the 1980s. Dubois is also the home of many hiking and snowmobiling trails.

Tip: Book a guided tour of the sheep habitat area through the center.

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Learn more at WindRiver.org.