Sinks Canyon History

Early Human & Natural History

From the time the Ice Age glaciers retreated about 10,000 years ago people have journeyed into Sinks Canyon, a natural pathway into the Wind River Mountains. Carved by ice and shaped by meltwater over millions of years, it became a key travel corridor for wildlife and people. Archaeological evidence shows humans camped here 9,000 years ago, hunting bighorn sheep, gathering berries, and quarrying chert for tools.

Indigenous Use & Cultural Significance

For thousands of years, Indigenous peoples including the Shoshone, Crow, and Arapaho have used and continue to use the canyon for travel, hunting, and gathering. The name Popo Agie is a Crow word, which most people agree means “gurgling river.” This name reflects the unique hydrology of the Sinks and Rise. Rock art, tools, and campsites remain as evidence of long-term use, while berry picking—especially chokecherries—continues as a cultural tradition today.

Settlement & Early Industry

In the late 1800s, European explorers, fur trappers, cattlemen, and settlers entered the canyon. Beaver trapping, lumber mills, and stone quarries supported the growth of nearby Lander, founded in 1875. Sam Fairfield built the first sawmill using logs from Table Mountain, then in 1876 constructed a rough road into the canyon and relocated his mill to Fairfield Hill. In 1883, Ace Wilson opened another mill in Sinks Canyon. These early mills supplied timber for Lander, Milford, and surrounding ranches. As nearby timber was depleted, mills moved deeper into the mountains—at Sawmill Creek, Fry Meadows, Neff Park, and Warthen Meadows. Logs from Warthen’s mill helped supply railroad ties for the Casper–Lander line in 1904. Today, Warthen Meadows lies beneath the Worthen Reservoir.

Early on, cattle and sheep were driven through the canyon to high mountain pastures along the “Shoshone Stock Driveway,” the main cattle route into the southern Wind River Mountains. Its gentle grade, reliable water, and easy crossings made it ideal—and it remains in use today.

From Lander’s earliest days, people also came to sightsee, fish, and camp. Reaching the canyon meant a full day’s journey by wagon, but families regularly made the trip to visit the Sinks and Rise. A popular stop was Bruce’s Campground, named for early forest ranger John Bruce.

In 1895, W.O. Owens wrote: “The natural bridge of Virginia is quite insignificant in comparison with the great Sinks of the Popo Agie and no one visiting Lander should fail to see this great freak of nature.”

As roads improved, visitation increased. The Rise became such an attraction that Mountain States Power Company built an overlook in 1947. Outfitters also used the canyon as a base for fishing and hunting trips into the mountains.

By the 1930s, the area became widely known as Sinks Canyon, though earlier names included Big Popo Agie Canyon or simply “the Canyon”—names some locals felt were more fitting.

Hydroelectric Power

The hydroelectric plant at the Rise, along with a dam and pipeline above the Sinks, provided a steady source of power for Lander. While the town had electricity as early as 1893 from a coal- and oil-powered plant, the Sinks Canyon plant was cheaper, stronger, and more reliable. Its original redwood pipeline carried water to two Pelton turbines, generating 500 horsepower. The pipeline was later replaced with steel, and sections can still be seen today. The plant also enabled one of Fremont County’s first radios—E.D. Edwards ran an antenna to the sandstone cliffs above the Rise, picking up stations from Denver and Omaha.

The system was sold to Mountain States Power in 1928, which raised the dam and added a third turbine. Pacific Power and Light took over in 1954, but the plant soon closed as it aged and cheaper power became available from Boysen Dam.

Today, the old stone powerhouse sits at the edge of the Rise, Edwards’ former log home serves as the park superintendent’s residence, and remnants of the dam and pipeline remain visible in the landscape.

Forest Service & Ranger Presence

The upper canyon became part of the National Forest system in 1891, with the U.S. Forest Service established in 1908 to manage these lands. In 1909, the Middle Fork Ranger Station was built to support forest management and backcountry access. Early structures included log buildings, a river bridge, and a flag system indicating the ranger’s presence. In 1936, the station was rebuilt with frame buildings, though most were removed by 1947, leaving only a single structure in use.

Creation of Sinks Canyon State Park

Efforts to protect Sinks Canyon grew throughout the 20th century as its beauty and value became widely recognized. Wyoming Game and Fish acquired land in 1939 and 1953 to preserve wildlife habitat, and in 1963 Pacific Power donated the Rise area to the city of Lander. In 1970, collaboration between state leaders, local citizens, and legislators led to the creation of Sinks Canyon State Park, with the bill signed in 1971. Early development emphasized preserving the canyon’s natural character rather than overbuilding.

University of Missouri Geologic Camp

The University of Missouri Geology Camp has been part of Sinks Canyon since 1911. Founder Edwin Branson first visited in 1904 and recognized the area’s rich geology and fossil record. That year, he brought 11 students by train to Lander and then on horseback into the canyon, establishing the first camp near present-day Sawmill Campground. By 1929, the camp moved to a permanent site along the river and became Camp Lander, later renamed the Branson Field Laboratory in 1948. Built largely by students, the camp continues today, attracting learners from around the world.

Civilian Conservation Corps & Road Building

During the Great Depression, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) established Camp F9 in Sinks Canyon in 1933. About 200 young men arrived by train and worked with hand tools and dynamite to improve the canyon road. They widened and graded the route from the Rise to Bruce’s Campground, built bridges, and pushed the road up Fossil Hill. Continued work in 1934 eventually connected with roads from the South Pass side, completing the Loop Road by 1940.

Ski Area & Local Recreation

In the 1950s, local residents developed a small ski area at the base of Fossil Hill. By 1958, volunteers had cleared runs, installed a rope tow, and built a warming hut, with nearly all labor and materials donated. Over the next two decades, improvements continued, including additional runs and facilities—one warming hut even repurposed from a former ranger station building. Despite its popularity in snowy years, inconsistent snowfall, financial challenges, and liability concerns led to the ski area’s closure in the 1970s.

NOLS & Outdoor Leadership

Sinks Canyon played a key role in the early years of the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), founded by Paul Petzold in 1965. The program moved operations to the canyon in 1966, using buildings near the Rise for storage, classrooms, and housing. Students lived in tents across the river, often crossing by ford or Tyrolean traverse. As the program grew, NOLS relocated to Lander in 1970, where it continues today as a globally recognized leader in outdoor education.

Sinks Canyon Today

Today, Sinks Canyon State Park welcomes visitors from around the world. Hiking, fishing, climbing, and camping remain central experiences, while the canyon’s defining features—the mountains, river, wildlife, and quiet landscape—continue to reflect its long history. Though some changes have occurred, the canyon’s sense of beauty, mystery, and wildness remains largely unchanged.