Lander / South Pass City

Positioned around Wyoming’s beloved Wind River Mountain Range, you can find the dual CDT Gateway Community of Lander and South Pass City. The majestic Wind River Range is home to seven of the Rocky Mountain’s largest glaciers and is the headwaters for the Green River. The Wind River Range is also a prime outdoor recreation destination for activities including climbing, hiking, backpacking, and mountain biking.

Wyoming’s Wind River Country is home to the seventh largest Indian reservation in the country. Encompassing more than 2.2 million acres, the Wind River Indian Reservation is home to the Eastern Shoshone and the Northern Arapaho tribes. Visitors to the area can go to powwows and museums to learn more about the local culture, or can recreate on thousands of acres of reservation lands with a special permit.

Lander, which was incorporated in 1890, was named for Frederick W. Lander, the engineer responsible for a wagon road traveled by thousands who were traveling west called the Lander Trail. Lander was also the western terminus of the Cowboy Line Railway. Today, Lander is known for its recreational activities including hiking, biking, fishing, backpacking, and rock climbing.  South Pass City is a town chock-full of history. It was established in 1867 as a part of the gold mining boom happening across the western United States and is still a state historic site. Not only was South Pass City a prime mining town, it also played a critical role in the women’s suffrage movement and had the nation’s first female judge. Currently, South Pass City has several historic structures, room exhibits, natural trails, and more!