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37-622: Sinks Canyon State Park is a public recreation and nature preservation area located in the Wind River Mountains , six miles (9.7 km) southwest of Lander , Wyoming , on Wyoming Highway 131 . The state park is named for a portion of the Middle Fork of the Popo Agie River where it flows into an underground limestone cavern, named "the Sinks," and emerges a quarter-mile down the canyon in

74-570: A subalpine climate ( Köppen Dfc ), with long, cold winters and short, mild summers. Wind River Mountains The Wind River Range (or "Winds" for short) is a mountain range of the Rocky Mountains in western Wyoming in the United States . The range runs roughly NW–SE for approximately 100 mi (160 km). The Continental Divide follows the crest of the range and includes Gannett Peak , which at 13,802 ft (4,207 m),

111-410: A 150-kilowatt 3 phase 60 cycle alternating-current generator operating at 2,300 volts. The power was transmitted at 11,000 volts over a copper circuit suspended by cedar poles to Lander and South Pass City as well as some oil extraction projects in the area. The plant operated until around 1954 when it was shut down due to its age and cheaper sources of electricity becoming available. Large portions of

148-514: A local explorer named Finis Mitchell and his wife during the Great Depression. The forests are dominated by lodgepole pine , whitebark pine , subalpine fir , and Engelmann spruce . The range sits alongside many of the animal migration routes in the United States and contains several important passes, notably South Pass , 7,549 ft (2,301 m), at the south end of the range, which

185-612: A pool named "the Rise." The park is managed by the Wyoming Division of State Parks and Historic Sites . Human activity in Sinks Canyon goes back thousands of years. Archaeological digs have found hearths and tools carbon dated as far back as the last ice age . Since the late 19th century, the canyon and its river have been utilized for a variety of purposes. A saw mill, small hydroelectric dam and power plant, and ski area have all operated in

222-530: A popular recreation destination and the vast wilderness areas attract hikers, climbers and skiers. The Winds have many back country areas that see heavy use despite the relative remoteness of many of the trail-heads and the long approaches from those trail-heads to reach routes. Two of the more popular backpacking destinations are the Titcomb Basin (commonly accessed via the Elkhart Park Trailhead) and

259-469: A seriously injured backpacker being airlifted near SquareTop Mountain in 2005, and a fatal hiker incident (from an apparent accidental fall ) in 2006 that involved state search and rescue . The U.S. Forest Service does not offer updated aggregated records on the official number of fatalities in the Wind River Range. Worthen Meadow Reservoir Numerous trails and campsites are located near

296-474: A small grizzly bear population, primarily in the northernmost areas. Other mammals include the black bear , elk , moose , mule deer , pronghorn , bighorn sheep , mountain lion and wolverine . Bald eagles , falcons and hawks are just a few of the 300 species of birds known to inhabit the region. The streams and lakes are home to Yellowstone cutthroat , rainbow , brook , brown , lake , and golden trout —about 2.5 million of which were stocked by

333-594: A small stone-concrete dam standing 9 feet high and 60 feet wide built on the Popo Agie River a short distance upstream. The dam connected to the power house located at the Rise via a 3,145 foot long riveted-steel pipeline with a diameter of between 30 and 26 inches. The pipeline allowed water to flow at a rate of 17 feet per second until reaching the power house. The power house contained two 47 inch 250 horsepower hug impulse wheels , each spun by two 3 inch diameter water nozzles. The two wheels were controlled by two separate Lombard oil-pressure governors which were connected to

370-445: A wide variety of plant species which differ depending on elevation and location. Numerous types of grass, trees, shrubs and other species of plants grow throughout the canyon. The canyon's area is generally divided into two main ecological zones: a subarid environment that is mainly populated by sagebrush and a pine-fir montane forest zone. The timberline in the region is roughly between 7,217 and 8,530 feet above sea level. Most trees in

407-486: Is a concern in the Wind River Range. There are other concerns as well, including bugs , wildfires , adverse snow conditions and nighttime cold temperatures . Importantly, there have been notable incidents, including accidental deaths , due to falls from steep cliffs (a misstep could be fatal in this class 4/5 terrain ) and due to falling rocks , over the years, including 1993, 2007 (involving an experienced NOLS leader ), 2015 and 2018. Other incidents include

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444-530: Is now largely protected by three federal wilderness areas . These include the Bridger Wilderness on the western slope, designated in 1964, and the Fitzpatrick Wilderness and Popo Agie Wilderness on the eastern slope, designated in 1976 and 1984 respectively. Together these wilderness areas protect 728,020 acres (294,620 ha), making the Wind River Range one of the largest road-free areas in

481-634: Is the highest peak in Wyoming; and also Fremont Peak at 13,750 ft (4,191 m), the third highest peak in Wyoming. There are more than 40 other named peaks in excess of 12,999 ft (3,962 m). With the exception of the Grand Teton in the Teton Range , the next 19 highest peaks in Wyoming after Gannett are also in the Winds. Two large national forests including three wilderness areas encompass most of

518-711: Is the largest single glacier in the Rocky Mountains of the U.S., and is located in the Fitzpatrick Wilderness in Shoshone National Forest. Several major rivers have headwaters on either side of the range. The Green and Big Sandy rivers drain southward from the west side of the range, while the Wind River drains eastward through the Shoshone Basin . The Green is the largest fork of the Colorado River while

555-495: Is the second most southerly of the many canyons along the eastern slope of the Wind River Range. The exact route of the passage is unknown, and dye tests have shown that the water takes over 2 hours to make its 1/4-mile underground journey. Additionally, more water flows from the Rise than enters the cavern at the Sink. The Crow Indian name of the river, "Popo Agie" (pronounced po-PO-shuh), is taken to mean "gurgling river." The canyon has

592-664: The Cirque of the Towers (commonly accessed via the Big Sandy Trailhead). The exposed granite in the higher elevations of the range is particularly attractive to climbers and areas such as Cirque of the Towers in the southern portion of the range are facing overuse issues as a result. According to the White Pine Ski Resort website, the Winds are home to one ski area, White Pine, the only lift-accessible skiing and snowboarding in

629-771: The Wind River , after changing its name to the Bighorn River , is the largest fork of the Yellowstone River . The range includes several canyons on either side, including Silas Canyon and Sinks Canyon both on the eastern side. The canyons are carved by rivers such as the Middle Fork of the Popo Agie which feeds the Wind River. The Bridger Wilderness contains over 1,300 lakes. These lakes range in size from less than 3 acres (1 ha) to over 200 acres (81 ha), with an average size of about 10 acres (4 ha). Historically,

666-522: The Shoshones and Absarokas (Crow) Native Americans, lived in the range beginning 7000 and 9000 years ago. Villages as high as 10,000 ft (3,000 m) in elevation, dating from 700 to 2000 BC, have recently been studied by archaeologists. These villages were established by the Sheepeater band of Shoshone during pine nut harvesting season. One, dubbed "High Rise", has 60 lodges over a space of 26 acres and

703-420: The Towers , in the southern section of the range. Shoshone National Forest claims that there are 16 named and 140 unnamed glaciers just on the east side of the range for a total of 156, with another 27 reported by Bridger-Teton National Forest for the western slopes of the range. Several of these are the largest glaciers in the U.S. Rocky Mountains. Gannett Glacier which flows down the north slope of Gannett Peak,

740-471: The canyon grow on the north-facing wall, and the concentration of different species depends on the different ecological zones within the canyon. Common tree species include aspen , subalpine fir , Douglas fir , lodgepole pine , Engelmann spruce , and whitebark pine . Trees growing within the canyon can live for hundreds of years. Studies of tree rings conducted on Douglas fir in the canyon have found trees which started growing as early as 1649, though some of

777-407: The canyon were purchased by the state in 1939 and 1953 to be set aside as a wildlife habitat and to protect the fishery. In 1963, Pacific Power and Light Company donated the Rise and the seven acres surrounding it to the city of Lander for use as a park. In 1970, city and state officials working with the state legislature and private citizens created Sinks Canyon State Park, the first park created under

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814-484: The canyon. A hydroelectric dam and power plant were built in the canyon in the late 1910s by the Sinks Canyon Hydro Power Company and became operational by January 1920. The purpose of the plant was to supply nearby Lander with more reliable electricity. Power generation was possible most of the year except during winter months because water levels become too low. The design of the system consisted of

851-404: The canyon. A visitor's center is located at the Sinks, and an observation deck overlooks the Rise. The park offers hiking trails and facilities for camping, picnicking, rock climbing, and fishing. Above the canyon there are several lakes and other recreational areas such as Worthen Meadow Reservoir which offer access to trails and additional camping. The climate in the canyon is consistent with

888-523: The continental United States. Part of the eastern slope of the Wind River Range is also under the protection of the Wind River Indian Reservation . The Winds are composed primarily of a granitic batholith which is granite rock formed deep under the surface of the Earth , over one billion years ago. Over hundreds of millions of years, rocks that were once covering this batholith eroded away. As

925-714: The issue of the impacts to the canyon's overall ecological health. Between 2009 and 2019 visitation numbers more than doubled from 177,922 visitors counted in 2009 to 396,820 in 2019. Though the park is managed by the Wyoming State Parks Department, the US Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management, it is mostly owned by the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission. This creates a patchwork of rules and other requirements which govern tourism development and conservation in

962-453: The lakes and streams of the Bridger Wilderness were devoid of fish, as were most alpine lakes throughout the Rocky Mountains . The first known transplant of fish into the area took place in 1907 when Colorado River cutthroat trout were introduced into North Fork Lake. Considerable fish stocking by individuals, the U.S. Forest Service , and the Wyoming Game & Fish Department, occurred between 1924 and 1935. The Winds are known to have

999-456: The land continued to rise during the Laramide orogeny , further erosion occurred until all that remained were the granitic rocks. The ice ages beginning 500,000 years ago began carving the rocks into their present shapes. Within the Winds, numerous lakes were formed by the glaciers and numerous cirques , or circular valleys, were carved out of the rocks, the most well known being the Cirque of

1036-525: The mountain range. Shoshone National Forest is on the eastern side of the continental divide while Bridger-Teton National Forest is on the west. Both national forests and the entire mountain range are an integral part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem . Portions of the east side of the range are inside the Wind River Indian Reservation . Indigenous peoples of the Great Basin , such as

1073-404: The newly formed Wyoming Recreation Commission. The bill creating the park was signed in 1971. A new overlook was built at the Rise in 1972; the visitor center was completed in 1973. The Madison Limestone Formation was carved by glacial movement, leaving extensive underground fissures and steep cliff walls. The gradual recession of the ice left glacial moraines along the canyon floor. The canyon

1110-456: The range, the pass which marked the continental divide and crest of the Rocky Mountains and became an important portion of the Oregon Trail . Climbing was pursued in the mid to late 1800s by men such as John C. Fremont , typically for the purpose of surveying the region. Early climbers to come purely for recreation began arriving in the 1920s. Gannett Peak , the range and Wyoming's tallest,

1147-451: The range. Located near Pinedale, it is the oldest ski area in Wyoming. The Wind River Range has a number of trailheads for backpackers to explore, including: A longtime popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts, the Wind River Range has also played host to a number of wilderness and outdoor education programs. The number of trailheads and terrain variety have made it an ideal stage for learning and exploration. Encountering bears

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1184-507: The reservoir including Worthen Meadow Campground and trail-heads leading into the Wind River Range . The reservoir contains different species of fish including rainbow trout , brook trout and arctic grayling . The reservoir's upstream location 17 mi (27 km) from Lander creates a significant hazard to the city in the event of dam failure. However, the dam has been reinforced and maintained to avoid failure. Townsend Creek

1221-518: The surrounding area with warm dry summers and cold winters with snow. Summers in the canyon can be hot with temperatures above 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Winters can be cold to warm depending on the side of the canyon. Most precipitation falls in spring and fall, and the snow pack accumulates mostly on the north facing side of the canyon. Townsend Creek is a SNOTEL weather station located roughly halfway between Worthen Meadow Reservoir and Frye Lake at an altitude of 8700 feet (2652 m). Townsend Creek has

1258-427: The trees were deceased at the time of sampling. Wildlife, including prairie rattlesnakes, bull snakes, mule deer, and yellow-bellied marmots, is diverse and abundant in the area. Some 94 species of birds have been observed within the canyon including golden eagles and prairie falcons. Park visitation numbers have steady grown over time and have gone up significantly since 2018. Increasing tourism numbers has brought up

1295-432: Was first climbed by Arthur Tate and Floyd Stahlnaker in 1922. Most of the early climbing in the region focused around the Titcomb Basin, slowly radiating outwards. Today, the Titcomb Basin remains one of the area's busiest recreation attractions along with the Cirque of the Towers to the south. Much of the Wind River Range received federal protection as National Forest primitive areas during 1931–32. The Wind River Range

1332-454: Was one of the more important passes on the Oregon Trail as it passed through the Rockies. Aside from South Pass, which is at the southernmost tip of the range, no roads cross the mountains until Union Pass , 9,209 ft (2,807 m) at the northern terminus of the range. There are many passes between tall peaks across the continental divide, which runs through the entire range. The Winds are

1369-513: Was recently added to the National Register of Historic Places . One of the men from the Lewis and Clark expedition, John Colter , is thought to be the first European American person to view the range when he visited the area around 1807, though little is known about his travels through the area. In 1812, a party led by Wilson Price Hunt were the first to cross South Pass , at the southern end of

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