Road Trip: Mountain Biking in Lander, Wyoming

It had been ten years since the last time I blasted through Lander, Wyoming. During that period of my life, I was all over Wyoming. To be honest, I felt the best part of Lander was seeing it in my rearview mirror. I never thought that Lander, Wyoming would become a mountain biking destination… let alone that I would be willing to make a four hour drive to get there.

This was great news because I planned on hitting a few new festivals that year. Being based in Salt Lake City, Lander was definitely close enough for me to make it a weekend road trip. Before long I would come to know that Lander had some of the best mountain biking in Wyoming.

Getting There

Nobody flies to Lander. Nobody takes a train. Lander is literally in the middle of Wyoming…the least populated state in America.

Wyoming is big and the people and towns are sparse. You can drive for hours, seeing nothing but high plains terrain, distant peaks, some natural gas wells. If you’re lucky, you may see a few fleeting pronghorn antelope.

The drive from Billings or Jackson is a bit more scenic and takes you all along the Wind River Range. Much of the drive from Denver and Salt Lake is high plains.

When you live in the Intermountain West, you tend to drive a lot. A four or five hour drive is nothing. So if you live in Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana of Colorado, Lander is definitely worth the drive.

Drive Times to Lander, Wyoming:

Denver, CO: 5-1/2 hours

Jackson, WY: 2-3/4 hours

Billings, MT: 4-1/2 hours

Salt Lake City, UT: 4-1/4 hour

My Strange Drive form Salt Lake

After leaving the Salt Lake and the Wasatch mountains behind, I beelined for Evanston, Wyo. on I-80. I really didn’t see any significant mountains until I got closer to Lander. That’s when I spotted the south end of the Wind River Range.

On hour two, I blasted my turn off. Instead of backtracking, I used Google maps to plot a new route that kept me moving forward. That’s when things got weird.

I used Google maps to plot a new route that kept me moving forward. That’s when things got weird.

I was on a small road in the middle of nowhere and feeling a bit lost and out of sorts. Next thing I know, I’m driving on a dirt road through some sort of restricted mining area.

Gone Bike

Suddenly, a big gust of wind hits me and the folded-up tonneau cover on my pickup blew off.

All I see is something flying put of the back of my pickup. I had no idea what was happening. One minute I’m looking at my Santa Cruz Tall Boy in my rear view mirror. The next minute, I hear a big “thump, thump” and my bike is gone.

I’d been on the road for a few hours at this point. My first thought was “this trip is over.” Fortunately, I had secured my bike with a long cable. After pulling over, I looked down the road expecting to see my bike. Nothing.

As I ran around the back of my truck, I found my poor bike hanging behind the tailgate. The was dangling by the cable and the handlebars had been dragging on the road. The tonneau cover was gone, about a quarter mile down the road. My hand grips and brake handles were a mess, but my mountain bike survived and my trip was salvaged.

Lander: First Impression

After driving alone for hours across the state, I was a bit lonely. As I reached the outskirts of town, I began to relax and take notice of my surroundings. The foothills outside of town and thought, “okay, there must be some good MTB trails up on them there hills.”

Rolling in to town was like walking out of the desert and stumbling on to an oasis. I was so happy to be back amongst people.

First thing I did was cruise the main drag (see photo above) identifying where all the important places were. You know…places to buy food, beer and coffee.

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The town had two bike bike shops: Gannett Peak Sports and the Bike Mill. The next day, I would meet guys from both shops. Turns out they were providing demo bikes for the Jurassic Classic up in Sinks Canyon State Park.

After I had the lay of the land, I located Lander City Park on my map. I liked the free camping provided at the park, which was also the site of the main festival venue.

After I got my camp site squared away, I drove back to town to stock up on supplies. For my main meals, I was planning on food trucks and event-provided meals. But a man’s gotta have some essential on hand: beer, water, jerky, chips, some fruit, more water.

Mountain Bike Trails of Lander

Lander technically has four main trail networks situated close to town. (here’s a link to maps of the four). I’m including a fifth trail network, which is close by if you’re driving in from Salt Lake City or Denver. As always, check with the local bike shops for additional guidance and trail conditions before you head out.

Sinks Canyon Trails

This trail network is a bit more alpine than most Lander trails, and sits about 15 minutes south and west of town. I parked at Bruces Picnic area where the Jurassic Classic MTB Festival had set up a venue for the day.

Organizers provided shuttles and demo bikes, so I grabbed a Specialized Stumpjumper 29er (see above) and spent the day shuttling up to the Fossil Hill parking area for some nice long downhill runs on the Middle Brewers’ trail back to Bruce’s.

After a couple downhill shuttle runs, I decided to explore the Lower Middle Fork. I had been warned it was a multi-hour loop but I wanted to take a look. After about 30 minuets of fairly technical climbing, I retreated to Bruce’s and did one last shuttle run.

There are plenty of beginner trails from the picnic area parking lot and you can also climb middle Brewer’s for a good out and back ride. I you don’t want to grind, drive up the road and park up at the Fossil Hill parking area and ride from there.

Johnny Behind the Rocks Trails

This trail system us about 15 miles south of Lander. These trails are well-built, well-signed, and well worth a visit. Climbing through the red and green high-desert singletrack rewards you with great views and smooth descents. A great choice for early season riding when everywhere else is muddy.

The Bus Trails 

This is the e closest trail system to Lander, and another great early-season riding. Be sure to check out the Cactus Patch Downhill and play around on the slickrock.

Alpine Science Institute Trails

These trails are on the Central Wyoming College ASI Campus but open to the public. I warmed up on the Cottonwoods Jumps trail then met up with an organized group. We rode up the intermediate Sharknado and East Fenceline trails that offered great views of the canyon.

Once we got to the top, we met up with some folks from ASI to dig and buff out a new expert trail called Stop Drop & Roll (see above). I’m looking forward to riding that one when I get back to Lander.

After about an hour of trail work, we dropped down Rollercoaster for one last ride. Rollercoaster is a great flow trail with fast cornering and moderate jumping. After that last nit, we rolled into the ASI yard for a picnic lunch.

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Willow Creek Trails

About 40 minutes drive south of Lander, on the southern edge of the Winds, theres a nice little trail network called Willow Creek, with several short single track loops and a double track that acts as a connector.

It’s a bit of a haul for an out and back from Lander, but if you’re coming from Salt Lake, or even Denver, it’s worth a stop.

Things to Do Besides Mountain Biking in Lander, Wyoming

I don’t know about you, but only goof for a few hours of mountain biking a day. After riding though I have plenty of energy and ready for something else. At festivals, that usually means partying and shenanigans. But when I’m visiting a new town, I like to see the local sights.

Here are a few things in Lander, WY, that are nice diversions after or in-between your rides.

Sinks Canyon State Park

Sinks Canyon gets it’s name from a spot where the Popo Agie river drops into a cave hole then resurfaces farther down stream. There’s a visitor center there and its a cool way to spend an hor or less in between rides. Hit up the Sinks Canyon Visitors Center up on the way back from a ride at the Sinks Canyon trails.

Lander Art District

The Lander Art District is one-city block consisting of the 200 block of Main and Lincoln Streets and the 100 blocks of N 2nd and N 3rd Streets. The District includes art galleries, maker shops, an artist co-op, artist studio spaces, coffee shops, used clothing boutique, juicery, and bakeries. This is a great way to spend a hour before, after or in btween rides.

Wind River Range

Lander makes an excellent basecamp for checking out the Wind River Range, or the ‘Winds’ as the locals call them. There are plenty of trails you can ride on the way in or out of the area, but even a scenic drive with some wildlife viewing makes it a very worthy option for your road trip.

Clear Lake (above) is north of Lander and, if you’re coming down from Montana or the Jackson are, this would be a great stop.

The Continental Divide follows the crest of the range—and including Gannett Peak, which at 13,802 ft (4,207 m), is the highest peak in Wyoming. Two large national forests including three wilderness areas encompass most of the Winds, so the are unlimited opportunities to explore.

Lodging and Dining

If you’re a camper on a budget, Lander is awesome. The town’s City Park has free camping with seven RV sites and unlimited tent camping sites. I pitched my tent on some soft green grass (see below) and slept like a baby.

There is a 3-day limit but thats easy to work around. There are also several other campgrounds to choose from. Sinks Canyon State Park is a nice scenic campground. There are not hookups but there are bathrooms and potable water.

And last, there are several hotels of course with at least one classic bed and breakfast. B&Bs are great if you want to experience what live id like for locals. Of course, there are plenty of Airbnb/VRBO options. Here’s a map of lodging.

Best Breakfast in Town

I mentioned the food trucks and grub provided as part of the Jurassic Classic festival crew. I did wander out Saturday morning and stumbled onto Whitebark Cafe (above). What drew my eye was the number of locals gettin some. What a find. Nothing like a good cup of Joe with a fresh-baked croissant.

Things to Know About Lander

Best time to visit

Lander actually has groomed fat bike trails in the winter, but winters can be harsh. Besides, who wants to do a mountain bike road trip in the winter anyway? Leave the winter fat biking to the locals and go mountain biking in Lander, Wyoming from May through October.

Trail Conditions

Nobody knows the trail conditions better than bike shops. Drop in and say hi. Maybe they’ll hook you up with a locals group ride.

The Bike Mill, 109 Main St., 307-335-5435

Gannett Peak Sports, 371 Main, 307-332-2926

In closing, Lander Wyoming is a great mountain bike destination, with plenty of trails and plenty of community support. Definitely keep Lander on your radar.