Camille's Arches: July 2023

Friday, July 14, 2023

Red Canyon Arch

I asked an employee from the Wyoming State Lands office what the name of this little arch is, and he didn't even know it existed. So until I can find out its real name, I'm calling it Red Canyon Arch, because it's located in Red Canyon. I had heard rumors that there was a little arch in Red Canyon, but I didn't know where it was or much about it. We asked around and got very limited directions, so one day in 2020, my daughter Rebecca and her boyfriend Kaleb spent a day searching for it. They found a little window, and figured that must be it! So they took photos and came back home. A few years later, in May of 2023, I decided I wanted to see the little window they had found. So I asked for directions from Kaleb, who was serving a mission for our church in Guatemala at the time, and he gave me directions as best he could remember. I brought Rebecca and my son Teancum on the hunt. We parked in the pull-out right before the Red Canyon lookout (if you're coming from Lander), went through the state lands gate, and started following the path. Rebecca often said, "this looks familiar," or "I think we went this way." But she wasn't totally sure. At one point we ended up at a semi-cliff and Rebecca said, "I think Kaleb might have helped me climb over this." So, Teancum climbed over it and went exploring. Rebecca and I found another way up, walking along a small ledge and then up an incline to the top. Teancum had explored around enough that he had found a small arch. I am sure this is the small arch that we had heard about -- and it wasn't the window that Rebecca and Kaleb had found a few years earlier. The arch is only a few feet big. It is on the edge of the cliff and somewhat hidden, so I can see why Kaleb and Rebecca didn't find it. We explored some more, looking for the window that Rebecca and Kaleb had found, but we never found it. I want to go back and search for that as well. Several times Rebecca said, "I know I've been here before," and we even went back the way she and Kaleb had gone back -- along the fence line to our car. If I were to go back, I'm sure I could walk along the fence line, climb under the barbed wire fence where it appears lots of other people have climbed under it, ascend the hill to the edge of the cliff and find the little arch again. One thing to be warned about -- Ticks! Rebecca and Teancum both ended up with several ticks on them -- one was even crawling on Rebecca's arm on the drive home, which was pretty scary, since she was driving! So, if you're going to search for this little Red Canyon Arch, wear long pants and closed-toed shoes, keep your hair under a hat, and check thoroughly for ticks after you're done. We were walking through brush quite a bit of the time, because we only stayed on the established trail for the very beginning of the hike.

Rebecca and Teancum heading out on the trail

view of where we parked our car from the trail

These are the hills we are headed towards. The arch was up on top of the very highest red hill (not up on the green)

Teancum leading the way

Teancum by some tiny openings in the rocks

Teancum coming around the ledge to show us a possible way up

It was very hot!

Teancum climbed up onto the cliff, but Rebecca and I went the long way around

view of where we had come from

going around the ledge

Teancum is on the cliff-side of the small arch. You can barely see his head popping through the other side

That's Teancum peeking through the little arch

You can see why the view of the arch was obscured from the trail. We wouldn't have found it if Teancum hadn't explored as much as he did.

the arch from the cliff side (Teancum took this photo -- I didn't dare to go on the edge)

back side of the arch

front side of the arch

Rebecca climbing over to the arch

It wasn't too hard to get to - just a little bit of mild climbing

view of the highway from up on the cliff

there are very pretty views up there

there's a tiny little opening

hiking back to the car, a different way than we came

we found this marker, and Rebecca and Kaleb had found this same marker when they found the small window a few years earlier

looking back at the red mountains on our hike back

there was this little paved path for a very short distance of the hike along the fenceline, but it made me wonder if there used to be an established trail here

When I go back, I will walk along the fence line and then right up that top red mountain

The trail on the left is the one we followed when we first got there. Then when we were in parallel with those mountains, we took a right and started heading to the top.

view from the gate just before we went through it

there's just a chain on the gate - it isn't locked

this is our very squiggly route. The parts where we circle around a lot is where Teancum climbed up the cliff, and we decided to go around the ledge instead. Then the next little part with the little lasso is where the arch is.

our full route, starting at the green dot, and then the red dot was after we had started driving and I remembered to turn my tracker off :) The little part where we hike back in towards the hills is when we were trying to find the little window that Rebecca and Kaleb had found.

in total, almost a two mile hike counting all the searching around

these photos are from Rebecca and Kaleb's search for the arch in 2020

the same marker that we came across in 2023

they found a rattle snake on their hike

There's the little window that Rebecca and Kaleb found. You can see the highway from it! We never did find this formation or this little opening, but I am determined to go back and locate it!

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 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:

Johnny Behind the Rocks

The Popo Agie Falls

The Bus

Nature Trail

CWC Field Station biking area

Upper Brewers Trail

Middle Brewers Trail

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. And if you have a hard time finding somewhere to stay or somewhere to eat, Riverton is only a half hour away.