Popo Agie River Canyon Road

The Popo Agie River Canyon Road cuts deep into the southeastern edge of the Wind River Range, following ancient Native American hunting routes that are still marked by petroglyphs carved into red sandstone cliffs. This scenic dirt road hugs the Popo Agie River (pronounced po-PO-zha) as it winds through increasingly narrow canyon walls, past natural hot springs that bubble up from limestone formations, and around massive granite boulders that make world-class bouldering problems. The road ends at a trailhead that accesses the Cirque of the Towers, but the drive itself is the real attraction — especially the section known as Sinks Canyon where the river literally disappears underground for half a mile.

Easy to moderate difficulty suitable for any high-clearance vehicle, though stock SUVs should take it slow on the rockier sections near the canyon mouth. Road is typically open May through October, with the best conditions in summer and early fall. No permits required for driving, but camping in designated areas only. Lander has full services 15 miles away. What makes this special isn’t the challenge — it’s the accessibility to genuinely wild country and the chance to see 1,000-year-old rock art while following a route that Native peoples have traveled for millennia.