Wednesday, September 30, 2026

My Top Ten Favorite Arches

My Top Ten Favorite Arches

I absolutely love arches.  Ever since we lived in Moab, Utah -- years ago -- and spent many hours every week hiking to arches, I have loved finding them all over the world.  Whenever I drive back to Moab, as I approach the red cliffs that skirt the edges of the city, I feel like I'm coming home.  Whenever I think about Moab when I'm far away, I feel home sick.  Arches are definitely enchanting for me.

I have searched for arches all over the world.  I've traveled and hiked countless miles in search of arches, sometimes without much information beforehand.  People have asked me why I am so interested in arches.  I suppose the process of their creation is part of what captivates me -- the remaining pieces of rock that are forming the arch are the most resilient, as they have withstood weathering over the years.  Perhaps it is partly the knowledge that what stands before me -- this arch, is temporary, because at any time the remaining portions may give way and only a pile of boulders will remain.  I also believe that the notoriety and uniqueness of an arch is part of the draw for me, because hiking to beautiful destinations -- lakes, forests, views over valleys, etc., -- just are not as exciting to me as the final destination being an arch.  

Over the years I've selected several favorite arches.  This is my list of favorite arches, but yours may be different.  That's for you to decide as you also search for arches.

#10 - Arch Cape Arch

Arch Cape Arch, located in Arch Cape, Oregon, is in my top ten because it is not always accessible.  We visited in the morning at low tide so that we would be able to reach the arch, which is sometimes under water.  The northern Oregon coast houses a lot of sea arches.  We were able to see several in one day as we drove along the coast.  This arch was not listed on google maps, but I submitted the gps location to google maps.  The link to the location is below.  The hike to the arch is easy and short, and only requires walking through a creek during times of low tide.  There is plenty of evidence of the fact that it is normally under water.  Check the Northern Oregon Coast Tide Tables before visiting, so that you'll be sure to be able to see the arch.
Google maps location:  Arch Cape Arch

#9: Bleckwand Arch

Bleckwand Arch is located in Austria near Salzburg.  It is the most beautiful view through an arch that I have ever seen.  The arch perfectly frames the view of Lake Wolfgangsee and its bright blue waters down below.  When I first started doing research on Bleckwand Arch, it sounded very difficult to reach it.  But it was actually very simple.  We parked in a small parking lot and hiked a very well-marked trail to the arch.  There were pictures with the  Little Red Riding Hood story all along the path, making the hike much more interesting for my grandsons.  The hike was only a little over 2 miles each way, much easier than the several-mile hike I thought we'd have to attempt.  The arch is relatively small, and you can easily walk on top of it.  Even I, with my great fear of heights, climbed on top of the arch.  You can also easily stand underneath the arch.

Google maps location:  Bleckwand Route


#8: Delicate Arch

Delicate Arch is perhaps the most famous arch in the world.  Its unique shape makes it recognizable anywhere.  It graces many Utah license plates.  It is probably the most hiked trail inside Arches National Park and definitely the arch that is most often hiked to in the world.  The hike to Delicate Arch is 1 1/2 miles each way.  It is a pretty mild hike, although it does have a very long up-hill stretch over a slickrock slope with no shade.  There is one area at the very end of the hike that you walk along a ledge with a sheer drop-off, but this is a very short part of the hike.  I have never been alone at Delicate Arch, although I have been there many, many times.  It is always crowded with tourists.  Many people take photographs there, especially at sunset.  There is almost always someone standing underneath the arch.  There are always people sitting on the slopes and ledges around the arch to enjoy the view of the arch.  Bottom line is, Delicate Arch is worth visiting and enjoying, but you will never get it all to yourself.  

Google maps location:  Delicate Arch

#7: Corona Arch

The Corona Arch hike is the "twin" of the Delicate Arch hike because they are both the same distance, but I like it better than the hike to Delicate Arch because 1) it's not inside Arches National Park, so it's completely free to hike to this arch, and 2) it's not nearly as crowded as Delicate Arch.  It is still a very popular hike, perhaps the most popular hike in the Moab area that is not inside Arches National Park, but it doesn't get as much traffic as the constant flow of people on the trail to Delicate Arch.  When we first started hiking to Corona Arch, more than a quarter of a century ago, it took more navigating than it does now.  Cairns marked the trail, and it was easy enough to follow.  Now there is green paint in addition to the cairns that clearly mark the path to the arch.  There are steel ropes to help with steep parts, and even a ladder to help hikers climb up a ledge onto a higher level near the end of the hike.  Corona Arch is next door to Bowtie Arch, which you walk right past as you head to stand underneath Corona.  You can also take a little detour to visit Pinto Arch along the way.  It is possible to stand on top of Corona Arch.  My fear of heights has always kept me underneath it, but some of my kids have climbed up there.  People used to swing off the arch with bungee cords, but someone died doing that so they stopped.  Here is a video of someone swinging off Corona Arch:  Swinging Corona Arch  and here is a video of someone paragliding through the arch:  Flight through Corona Arch  Someone once flew an airplane through the arch as well.  If you're visiting Moab and haven't seen this arch yet, I'd list it as #2 in importance behind visiting Arches National Park as a whole.  It's only a mile and a half hike each way, just like Delicate Arch.  And it is well worth it!

Google maps location:  Corona Arch

#6: Holei Sea Arch

Holei Sea Arch is the most famous arch in Hawaii.  It is located on the big island of Hawaii inside Volcanoes National Park.  Surprisingly, you can enjoy this arch on your own because it's at the very end of Chain of Craters Road, and it seems that few people bother to drive all the way to the end.  We only saw a few other people when we visited the arch.  Because the arch has started crumbling into the sea and is very fragile, the viewpoint for the arch has been moved 1,000 feet down the road.  You used to be able to view the arch at a viewpoint right next to it, but it's now been roped off.  There isn't really a hike involved to view the arch, other than the walk to the viewpoint, so the majority of the effort in seeing this arch is paying the entrance fee to Volcanoes National Park and then driving all the way to the end of the Chain of Craters Road.  There are high winds up on the cliffs, and the sea looks pretty rough below the arch.  It's no wonder that the arch has started to succumb to the elements.  Someday we'll turn on the news to learn that the entire arch has collapsed into the sea.  
Google Maps location:  Holei Sea Arch



#5: Jeep Arch

My favorite arch in the Moab area is Jeep Arch.  Part of the reason I love this arch is because it really does look like a jeep.  I also enjoyed the trail, which I had never been on before 2023, despite living in Moab for 2 1/2 years.  The trail is 4.34 miles round-trip and is, at times, hard to follow.  The trailhead and parking area are very close to Corona Arch, along Potash Road.  At the beginning of the hike you walk through a culvert and then join the trail, which is marked with green paint.  When the trail forks, I recommend taking the fork to the left.  If you hike in this direction, when Jeep Arch comes into view, it will really look like a jeep.  From the other side, it looks slightly less like a jeep.  We did climb through the arch and continued our hike on the rest of the loop.  It took some scrambling and helping each other to get down the steep part after the arch.  But for the most part this is a relatively easy hike.

Google Maps location:  Jeep Arch

#4: Pravcicka Natural Bridge


Pravcicka Natural Bridge , or Pravcicka Gate, is located in Czechia (Czech Republic).  If you think it looks familiar, that's probably because you've seen the movie "Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe."  At just past 1 hour 5 minutes into the movie, you spot Peter, Susan, Lucy, and the beavers "crossing" this natural bridge.  They weren't really walking on it -- that would have been extremely dangerous, especially in the snow.  They were added onto the arch later.  Also, the view from the bridge that they show in the movie is not really the view from the arch.  There is a very beautiful view from the arch, but it isn't that one!  There is a very well established, sometimes paved, trail to the arch that is 2.2 miles long each way.  In order to stand under the arch you have to pay a small fee.  You can purchase water and food at the arch and you can also climb over to another viewpoint slightly higher than the arch.  People are not allowed to stand on top of the arch, because the arch is very delicate and may fall.

Google Maps location: Pravcicka Natural Bridge


#3: Durdle Door


Durdle Door is the most famous arch in England.  It is located in Dorset, England.  It has been featured in televisions shows, commercials, on YouTube, and in movies, such as the recent "Project Hail Mary" movie.  Durdle Door is relatively easy to visit because there is a large parking area, and a set of wooden stairs that lead down to the beach that houses Durdle Door and the much lesser-known arch Bat's Hole.  The beach does not consist of soft sand like you'd find on many other beaches, but instead it is countless tiny pebbles.  It isn't the kind of beach that you would relax at by laying in the soft sand.  And yet, the beautiful sea arch makes up for that -- totally worth the trip!  I'm not sure if the tide ever goes down enough that you can walk under Durdle Door, but I doubt it.  You could potentially swim under it, although when we visited England it was November and we didn't feel much like hopping in the water, other than feeling the waves lap over our feet.  If you're in England, don't miss taking a detour to visit this arch!
Google Maps location: Durdle Door

#2 - Rainbow Bridge

All my life I'd heard of Rainbow Bridge.  I had always wanted to see it.  But reaching Rainbow Bridge is not easy.  It requires either a 16 mile hike through the wilderness (not recommended!) or a 50+ mile boat ride through Lake Powell to Forbidding Canyon and then a mile or longer hike to the arch.  We completed this trip in 2023 and wow, was it amazing!  Lake Powell is very popular with tourists and completely full of boats.  But once we headed down Forbidding Canyon we actually saw very few boats or other people.  The main warning I would give is that if you hike to the arch during the summer months, as we did, bring plenty of water and wear a hat or bring an umbrella for shade.  When you're boating Lake Powell you don't realize exactly how hot it is until you get out of the boat and start walking in the burning-hot sun.  There are a couple canopies that you can stand under near the arch.  There is no water at the arch - it is very remote.  Just come prepared so that you can fully enjoy your visit to this amazing natural arch.  Views on both sides of the arch are spectacular.  It is definitely worth making the effort to see this arch at least once during your lifetime.

Google maps location: Rainbow Bridge

#1 - Blackwater Natural Bridge

The hike to Blackwater Natural Bridge in Cody, Wyoming was one that I will never do again.  It was the most physically exerting experience of my life.  In fact, I am confident that I wouldn't have made it if my husband and son hadn't helped me.  It was a 17.02 mile round-trip hike.  It was uphill almost the entire way there, especially at the end when we ascended approximately 1,000 feet in the final half mile.  We didn't realize how close grizzly bears were to us until we were on our hike back.  Few people have been to Blackwater Natural Bridge because of its extremely remote location.  There were few photographs of it.  Few people had even heard of it!  The arch has never been officially measured because of how difficult it is to get to it.  Because of the incredible amount of effort it took to get to Blackwater Natural Bridge, it is my very favorite arch.  I would love to one day be able to hike to the arch from the other side, which is on wilderness land.  I would love to see how it looks from the other side.  But I've never met anyone who knows how to get to it that way.  It will remain on my bucket list for now!

Google Maps location:  Blackwater Natural Bridge

I love arches and I'm so grateful when I am able to hike to one, to fully enjoy being near it.  I hope that people will respect nature's beauty and not attempt to destroy or deface the many beautiful natural destination throughout the world.  One thing that Europe does very well is to make beautiful sites like these accessible to the majority of the population, by building bridges, establishing trails, and marking routes to countless natural sites so that as many people as possible can enjoy them.  As a result, many people are out in the great outdoors - seeing beautiful sites, joining countless others as they also enjoy these spectacular places throughout the world.  I think that part of the reason these beautiful places are so protected is because so many people know about them and enjoy and respect them.  I am hopeful that more beautiful sites like these that exist in the United States will, over time, become more accessible to more people.  Sharing the beauty helps to protect it.  

As I continue to hike to more and more arches, I will have to update my list of top ten.  For now, these arches deserve to be in my Top Ten.  I have a couple of honorable mentions that didn't quite make my top ten list.  One is Looking Glass Rock where our family used to explore, and which served as the backdrop for 2 of our family Christmas cards over the years.  Another is Yellowstone Natural Bridge, which also serves as a beautiful photo location, and even reminds me of The Bridge of Terabithia.  Both of these arches are easy to access.  Looking Glass Rock is located near Moab, Utah, and you'll see a sign on the right side of the road as you're driving from Moab towards Monticello.  Drive on a dirt road until you park right next to the rock.  Yellowstone Natural Bridge involves entering Yellowstone National Park and watching for the small sign on the side of the road, parking, and walking a one mile paved trail to admire the arch from below.  You can hike a side trail up the mountain in order to stand on top of the arch.  Both of these arches are well worth the visit!  

Happy arch hunting!

Arches and Natural Bridges

These are some books that might interest you if you love arches and natural bridges as much as I do.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn on qualifying purchases.  This is at no additional cost to you.








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Sunday, September 27, 2026

Eye of the Sinks Arch

Eye of the Sinks Arch

Lander, Wyoming

Eye of the Sinks Arch, September 2026

Quick Stats:
   .43 miles each way
   372 foot elevation gain
7,211 maximum elevation
google maps location of parking lot:  Trailhead parking lot
google maps location of the arch:  Eye of the Sinks Arch

Some time in the summer of 2026 a friend of mine asked if I'd seen the arch up Sinks Canyon.  I had lived in Lander, Wyoming for 23 years and no one had ever told me there was an arch up Sinks Canyon!  I had driven Sinks Canyon Road thousands of times and had never noticed it there.  But there it is, right in plain sight if you're looking for it!  

One day in late September I talked my husband into going exploring with me to see how close we could get to the arch.  I had seen it once on my drive up the canyon, but hadn't remembered exactly where it was.  We drove up as far as Bruce's parking lot and then turned around because we hadn't seen it yet.  Then we called our friend and he gave much more specific directions.  Drive up Sinks Canyon Road until you are almost at the cattle guard, where the state park changes to national forest land.  There is a pull-out and a trailhead there.  We parked in the pull-out and started on the trail.  We could easily see the arch from the parking lot.  We decided to call it "Eye of the Sinks Arch" until we find out its official name.  You can watch a video of our visit to the arch here:  Eye of the Sinks Arch

This is where we parked:
The google maps location of the parking lot:  Parking Area and Trailhead

These are the coordinates of where we parked:  

42°44'21.2"N 108°49'48.8"W


My GPS app

This is the view from the parking lot and the trailhead.

That's our car in the parking lot with a view up Sinks Canyon Road

If you reach this sign on the left as you're headed up Sinks Canyon Road, you've gone too far

If you reach the cattle guard as you're headed up Sinks Canyon Road, you've gone too far.

Eye of the Sinks Arch

All of these photos were taken from the parking lot before we started hiking.  Some were taken with my zoom lens.  Obviously I didn't clean off my lens after our adventure to Bear Pass Arch in Dubois a couple weeks ago, so sorry about the smudge on my lens in some of these photos!


If you zoom into this photo you will see the arch in the little "V" area of the skyline



The arch is almost in the center along the sky-line of this photo

The arch is along the sky-line in the very center of this photo



This is to the left of the route to the arch.  A lot of people climb here.


Starting on the trail

This is posted in the parking lot.  You can see the arch in this photo, in the center along the skyline

This is where we parked.  Again, you can see the arch in this photo if you zoom in

the parking area

Sign at the trailhead




the trailhead and parking lot


I watched for snakes but didn't see any

the beginning of the trail

view of the arch from the established trail - this was taken with my zoom lens






We left the trail soon after this sign.  We only followed the trail for a very short time.  There are a lot of game trails on the mountain, which we were able to follow quite a bit of the time, but sometimes they were too steep. 


The arch is in the center of this photo along the sky-line

the trail, which runs parallel with the road



Veering off the trail

We only followed the established trail for a very short time, because it was running parallel with Sinks Canyon Road, and we needed to head towards the cliffs.  So pretty soon we left the trail and headed through the brush.

view of the arch once we veered off the trail.  Some of these photos are taken with my zoom lens


Unique rock amid the brush




view of where we are headed.  The arch is in the center of this photo along the sky-line


There's another opening farther up along the cliffs, but it isn't an arch -- it's a ledge, with a rock under it


the arch is in the "V" of the photo along the sky-line.  This is what our cross-country route looked like

at this point the opening in the arch was still visible, but pretty soon the opening disappeared as we got closer to the arch.  The best views of the arch opening are right next to the arch, and at the very beginning of the hike.  Most of the middle of the hike the arch is not visible.




another unique rock along the trail

The arch goes out of view as we continue our climb

The mountain was quite steep, so it was very hard not to slip or slide as we climbed.  The grass was actually the most slippery part of the climb, so we avoided hiking through the grass as much as possible.  There were also a lot of loose rocks -- whole sections of loose rocks -- and sometimes we had no choice but to hike through them.  Both of us slid pretty often.  James helped me quite a bit as we climbed, and I also found a short stick that I used as a walking stick once it got very steep.  If you attempt this climb, bring hiking poles and wear gloves.  Also, wear hiking pants rather than shorts or your legs will get pretty scratched up.  I wore hiking pants and my legs still got scraped up!


The arch went out of view as we got closer to it.  The other opening higher up is visible in this photo -- a ledge with a rock under it




These are all zoomed-in photos as we were climbing.  The arch is not in view



I kept taking zoomed-in photos of our goal destination, but could not see the arch until we were only feet away from it



view back down at Sinks Canyon Road from our hike up the mountain


continuing up

beautiful views along the hike up



continuing to climb








This gives you an idea of what the loose rocks sections were like, which was probably about half of the hike.  It was challenging to climb through them without starting a rock slide, but we also couldn't completely avoid them to be able to reach the arch.  I wouldn't recommend climbing this with several people, as one might start a rock slide and several others might get hurt.  James and I were very cautious while climbing through the rocks, and tried to stay parallel with each other rather than in front of or behind each other.  We also only hiked through these rock sections when we absolutely had to.  They were less slippery than hiking through the grass.

more of the terrain as we climbed

This electrical wire was mixed in with the brush along the route up the mountain.  This was our only human sign as we were climbing the mountain.  There was no trash, no foot prints, nothing to indicate that humans had ever climbed the mountain (although I'm sure they had).  I appreciated how natural the hike was, but at the same time I wouldn't mind it if an established trail was created someday so that others could more easily enjoy this arch.  I love preserving and respecting nature, but I also love having access to beautiful nature like this.

This gives you an idea of how steep it was.  James guessed that it was about a 75 - 80% grade.  It would have been easier to avoid the rock sections if the grassy sections hadn't been so much more slippery.

These are some of the photos James took with his phone as we hiked.  He took them before the arch disappeared from view along the hike.




Climbing over the ledge

We continued to climb towards the arch, and we had in our view a rock ledge that we knew we were going to need to climb over.  It didn't look like it would be too challenging, until we got right up next to it and realized just how high and how steep it was.

This is the ledge that we climbed up.  It was a lot more difficult once we got close to it, than it had appeared as we were approaching it.  There were a lot of loose rocks and it was quite a bit steeper, especially at the beginning, than we had been able to see from far away.

This is a close-up of the ledge that I took right before James helped me climb up it.  We did make it, but I was determined to find a different way down on our hike back (and we did).  We would have just slid down the whole thing and maybe taken a nasty fall off the edge of the ledge because of all the loose rocks and how steep it was.

view back down to the valley

view up the mountain



the view down to the road was getting farther and farther away

looking up towards our goal



The last of the ascent


The last part of the climb was the very most difficult - the most steep and the worst terrain

still, there were signs of game trails that we were often able to follow -- although they were definitely much more sure-footed on the steep mountain than we were!  We tried to follow the game trails as much as we could, because theoretically they should have been the best way up and down the mountain.

view over to the right near the very end of our ascent

view back down


that burnt log was one of very few signs of fire that we saw on the hike

unique tree near the end of the hike

view down when we were almost done with the climb

the arch was just about to come back into view!  We had to go around that one last rock outcropping that was blocking our view of the arch -- you can just barely see the arch opening beginning to appear in this photo!

The arch in view -- finally!

The arch didn't finally come back into view until we were only feet away from it.  The reward at the very end!  James and I guess that the arch is about 2 feet wide and maybe 3 or 4 feet high.  We were both surprised once we were standing so close to it that it wasn't bigger than it is.  Our view from the road made us think it would be about 6 feet tall, but it is actually pretty small.  It became too steep for us to get right under it, and there doesn't appear to be any way to climb inside it.  I was able to get within a few yards of the arch and take photos.







I took this photo from a rock that we sat down on, and then I decided to climb up to that other rock that is visible on the left in this photo, because I wanted to try to get a better view of the arch.  To get back down from the rock I had to sit down and slide on my bum - it was that steep.  Now that I'm home I wish I had crawled on my hands and knees and pulled myself up right next to the arch, but to be honest my fear of heights was definitely preventing me from doing that at the time!  I knew that any mis-steps would likely result in me rolling down the mountain and probably hurting myself.


beautiful Eye of the Sinks Arch

The google maps location of the arch is here:  Eye of the Sinks Arch

This is our distance and our route map from the time we started on the trailhead until we reached the arch.  It is under a half mile from the parking lot.

view down from the top





my husband stayed on this rock while I tried to venture higher.  He got photos of me while I got photos of him.





My husband caught this photo of the arch from the rock he was sitting on
James got this photo of me climbing to the higher rock - not very flattering, I know, but you get the idea of just how steep it was.  I had to slide down on my bum because I couldn't walk back down it.  I was grabbing grass, rocks -- anything I could use to pull myself up the steep mountain

He got this photo of me on the rock that I sat on a few yards from the arch

Our selfie at the arch
I took a few photos with my phone (most of the rest of my photos were taken with my camera)



my selfie at the arch








while sitting at the arch, this was the view over to the left

this was the view down the mountain into the valley


I thought this was an interesting plant, right next to the rock I was sitting on

one last view down onto Sinks Canyon Road
Next we had to figure out how we were going to get back down.

The hike back down the mountain

These photos don't really display exactly how steep the climb was.  It was actually easier to climb up than it was to climb down.  Every step on the way down the mountain we risked sliding.  I was so tense by the time I finally got back to the car because I was preparing with every step for the possibility that I might fall or slide down the mountain.  Luckily we were both safe.  We just took it slow and easy.  I don't have many photos from our trek back down the mountain because I put my camera away and used all of my attention to descending safely.  I was really dreading the part where we might have to go down off the ledge.  I was determined to find another way down because I was sure we would just slide right off the ledge and potentially injure ourselves.  When we got to the ledge, which I would guess is about halfway up/down the mountain, it was even steeper than I had realized while we were coming up it.  I am certain that if we had tried to climb down it, we would have slipped on all the loose rocks and slid right off the ledge, which would have only been several feet but still could have resulted in injury.  Luckily James noticed a game trail that ran across above the ledge, so we followed that.  It turns out animals are pretty smart, because the game trail took us to a much better place to climb down than the ledge would have been.  It still required some maneuvering, and I was very grateful that James was there to help me climb/slide down it.  It was a much better way to climb down than the ledge. 

If you zoom in you can see two deer that made their appearance as we were descending the mountain.  They were the only wildlife that we saw other than birds or an occasional spider.  We did spot several hikers over on the climbing trail, probably heading back from the Zozone climbing area


I took these photos with my zoom lens after we were back to the established trail at the bottom of the mountain.  The lighting was different than when we had started.






From this sign on the trail you can see the arch directly above





finishing off the trail




back to our car

one last look up at the arch

and one last look at the progress we made in reaching the arch

a selfie at the end of our hike.  I'm very glad we did it, and will definitely never do it again!


Stats of the hike


Ignore the red line on the road, I forgot to turn off my Map My Run app until almost a quarter a mile or so after our hike.  The green dot is where we started and finished the hike.  The highest point of the red line is where the arch is. 


As you can see, our hike down the mountain was a bit more direct than our switch-backs on the way up

It was definitely a very slow moving hike -- both up and down!  The red line at the end is when we started to drive and I forgot to turn off my running app

This has a bit of extra distance on it, probably a third of a mile or so.  The route up was .43 miles exactly.  The route down was less than that because we went more straight down rather than back and forth like we did on the way up.  

Looking at the location of the arch in comparison with the established roads above.  I would love to find the arch from above now that I've reached it from below.



This is a very zoomed-in view of the end of our hike.  That's as close-up a view as I can get.  I think I can see the arch opening in this zoomed-in view, but I can't really be sure.

The distance from the road above looks a little further than the distance from the Sinks Canyon Road below, although I would bet it is flat up there and not nearly as exhausting.

his distance includes about .3 miles of driving on the end when I forgot to turn off my app.

Other Arches in Wyoming


Things to do in the Lander Area:

If you want to experience some small-town life, there is no place better to try it than Lander, Wyoming! Lander is unique and iconic, and has only around 7,000 residents.  Lander houses NOLS, the National Outdoor Leadership School, so there are always adventurers in town, ready to take a NOLS course.  Lander is also home to the Catholic College, so students walk the streets -- especially Main Street and the surrounding streets.  Lander has a friendly, home-town feel.

The Fourth of July

The most note-worthy thing about Lander is the Fourth of July.  You have not really experienced the Fourth of July until you have experienced it in Lander Wyoming.  The small town surges in population as people come to town to celebrate the nation's birthday with a city-wide fireworks show that is like no other.

The day begins with the Challenge for Charities race, which starts and ends at Centennial Park on Main Street.  The Half Marathon is the longest distance offered in this race, with other races including a 5K and a kid's one mile race.  After the racing concludes, at 10 a.m. a parade travels down Main Street starting at the high school and concluding at 1st Street. It is a typical small-town parade that ends with fire trucks soaking the remaining crowd (many seek shelter when they see the fire trucks coming).  After the parade, visitors can head to City Park for the Rotary Club's annual Buffalo BBQ.

But the biggest event of the Fourth of July happens after dark, when the fireworks begin.  You can attend the rodeo and watch fireworks there, or you can drive or walk to any other location in Lander and still be treated to a fireworks show.  Be very careful, because the small town will be bursting at the seams, and that means a lot of traffic and unfortunately sometimes, traffic accidents.  One of our good friends was run over by a car on the Fourth of July one year.  Be aware of your surroundings while enjoying the show!  My favorite viewing area is the Mount Hope Cemetery, but I also enjoy watching the fireworks on the hill near the rodeo grounds, or even just in my own front yard.  I have laid on my sidewalk and looked up at the sky to watch the countless fireworks exploding above me, feeling soot land on my face the whole time.  Individuals from all over the city purchase their own fireworks and set them off, creating a collective fireworks show that is city-wide and nothing short of amazing!  The past couple years my family has gone on a two-mile walk through the city streets to see the fireworks from different views and experience some of the local excitement as people are setting off their own fireworks.  If you do plan to visit Lander for the Fourth of July, book your hotel room very early.  Or, if you can't find a place to stay, Riverton is only 30 minutes away.

The Falls

The most popular destination to visit in Lander is The Falls hike up Sinks Canyon Road.  Head up Sinks Canyon and park in the Bruce's Parking lot.  The hike is a little over 3 1/2 miles round-trip.  The reward at the end is viewing the beautiful Popo Agie Falls, and for those who are brave enough -- sliding down the falls.  This natural waterslide is quite safe, although usually VERY cold, so be prepared!  People slide down the falls and hit the cold water and are quite often so shocked that they lose their personal items in the water.  My son has dived down below the falls and found sunglasses, watches, and even go-pros.  If you don't feel like sliding off the falls, you can dip in the cold water before hiking back down.  People come from miles away to hike The Falls trail.

The Sinks & The Rise

You can visit The Rise and feed the fish up Sinks Canyon.  You can read about The Sinks and The Rise on this website:  Sinks Canyon State Park It is free to visit, unless you want to purchase some food for the fish at the fish food vending machine there.  The google maps location of The Rise is here:  The Rise and The Sinks is located here:  The Sinks  The reason these are such noteworthy places, is because the Popo Agie River disappears into the cave at The Sinks, travels through the rocks, and reappears a quarter mile down the highway at The Rise.  But it takes 2-4 hours for it to make it there.  It travels through the mountain in crevices that are too small for divers to travel through.  It is a mystery that scientists studied several decades ago, dying the water as it headed into the cave, and then timing how long the dyed water traveled before it reappeared at The Rise.  While visiting Sinks Canyon State Park you can walk on the nature trail, and you can walk across the swinging bridge.  There are a few campgrounds up Sinks Canyon, and a fun little park at Sawmill Campground.

Hiking & Biking

There are a lot of hiking trails in the Lander area.  Hiking to the Falls, as listed above, is probably the most popular.  Hiking "The Bus," where Elephant Arch is located, is another local favorite.  Many people enjoy hiking Brewer's Trail.  You can also bike Brewer's Trail. Many people enjoy hiking or biking at Johnny Behind the Rocks.  

Here are the locations of the trailheads of some of the most popular hiking & biking spots:


The Aliens

If you want to see something truly unique, head down highway 789 between Lander and Hudson and watch for the aliens sitting on their UFO's on the left side of the road.  They are located next to Elk Country Homes, right here:  Lander's resident aliens  Several years ago, one UFO appeared in Lander with one alien sitting on top of it.  Then a few years later a second UFO appeared with a second alien sitting on top of it.  Now these aliens have children as well.  It is a fun, quirky, unique tidbit about Lander.  

Where to Stay in Lander

There are a few small hotels in Lander, but the one I'd recommend the most is the Holiday Inn next to Safeway.  It is pretty new.  It is located here:  Holiday Inn Lander  There are also hotels such as The Inn at Lander and the Pronghorn Lodge.  There are also a few Airbnb's.  And a lot of people who visit Lander during the summer camp in the many campgrounds nearby.

There are a few restaurants that are quite popular in Lander -- Gannett Grill on Main Street is a favorite, as is El Sol.  There is a new place called Ella's Mediterranean Cuisine that is also very good.  And if you have a hard time finding somewhere to stay or somewhere to eat, Riverton is only a half hour away.

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