State Parks & Historic Sites
Boysen Reservoir State Park juxtaposes barren desert with hundreds of acres of deep blue water, creating a surreal landscape for boaters, anglers, picnickers and campers to enjoy. During the heat of the summer, there’s no place like the Boysen to cool off and enjoy the outdoors without succumbing to the heat. Plus the fishing is great all year round. Each winter, the town of Riverton holds an annual Wild West Winter Carnival that includes snowmachine races and a ice fishing derby out on the lake. You can find out about the carnival as well as about boat rentals and fishing guides through the Riverton Chamber of Commerce.
Sinks Canyon State Park is named for its disappearing river.
Halfway down the canyon, the Middle Fork of the Popo Agie plunges
underground into a great limestone cavern called the Sinks only to
bubble up into a calm pool a quarter mile downstream at the Rise. A
visitor’s center is located at the Sinks and offers you an introduction
to the natural history of the canyon. Bird feeders located around the
facility attract all sorts of local songbirds and at the Rise you can
feed giant brown trout languishing in the pool below. The park is also
a great place for hiking, trail running, climbing and picnicking or
camping.
South Pass State Historic Site
Gold fever struck Wind River Country in 1867 and thousands of people trekked from across the country over the plains to South Pass in search of their fortunes. They left their story behind in the ramshackle buildings, ghost towns and abandoned mines that can still be seen in Wind River Country today. South Pass City, the hub of mining activity, has been restored as a State Historic Site so visitors can step back in time and experience what life was like during those raucous “gold fever” days.
