For years, visitors have been intrigued that the Popo Agie River disappears deep beneath the Sinks Canyon State Park.
It turns out that over the eons, the river had formed a network of caves through the Madison limestone that then lay undiscovered for hundreds of years and can now be explored by a lucky few.
“The state park staff actually discovered the cave system decades ago,” State Superintendent and Interpretive Ranger Jessica Moore said. “It was a fluke that one of the staff noticed some water coming out of the side of the hillside. They started poking around and found a hole in the ground.”
Curious, the employee squeezed into the hole and discovered an entire cave system that was beneath the canyon. Over the years, for safety, the entrance was gated and closed to public access. Visitors could only explore the cave system if they knew someone working at the state park and could arrange a tour.
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When Moore arrived in 2022, she said she was intrigued by the cave system and started working with Skylar Sargent, the primary cave guide, to build a safe public tour so that more people could experience the wonders that had been hidden beneath the earth.
Descending Into An Underground World
Moore had been hired specifically to create interpretive programs at the state park, and she saw the cave system as a perfect opportunity to build a unique experience for park visitors.
She soon discovered that September through April is the only time it is safe to explore the caves and planned accordingly since in early spring, the runoff fills the system with water. Once it is dry enough to descend into the cave, groups of 10 people, twice a month, are brought to a nearly hidden hole in the boulders.
“The cave is unique because the entrance to the cave is not a big gaping hole in the side of the cliff,” Moore said. “It’s called Boulder Choke Cave because the entrance is in a pile of boulders which comes to a choke point.”
Visitors first go through this small opening and then drop down a few feet to the first platform underground where the gate to the cave is located. From there, they drop down another eight feet and crawl over a big boulder on their hands and knees about twenty feet to the main cavern.
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“When you come into that first big room you can walk upright,” Moore said. “This is where the river channeled underwater and so it is essentially walking down a tube.”
The tour will take participants through various limestone caverns and Moore cautions that crawling is required as you maneuver through certain sections.
“For the most part, you can stand up and walk through,” Moore said. “We will stop in several different rooms to look at various features, whether it’s shell fossils from ancient oceans or the scalloping in the limestone from the water that scours through this channel every spring.”
One unique feature is the snottites dripping off the ceiling, a bacterial formation that resembles slime.
“The shining star to this cave experience is the underground river,” Moore said. “This gives us a little glimpse of where the river disappears to when it drops into the sinks.”
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In the back of the cave, fish swim in a pool of water and strange fungi grow. Visitors are often in awe of the opportunity to stand in the cave and soak in the surroundings, a balmy 57 degrees year-round.
Since opening these three-hour tours to visitors age 10 and older, hundreds of people have been able to experience the geology and hydrology in the park in a way that has never been offered before, Moore said.
The tours also give Moore an opportunity to talk about protecting both the participants and the cave.
“It is really important we follow decontamination protocols for protection against white-nose syndrome,” Moore said. “We want to make sure we’re not bringing anything into the cave, or bringing anything out of the cave that might impact our bat populations.”
Moore’s favorite activity is when they plunge the cavers into absolute darkness.
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“We do a little bit of sensory exploration and talk about how our brain works and how our brain fills in when we can’t see things and just give people that unique experience,” Moore said.
A popular interpretive program offered at the Wyoming State Parks statewide center on the black-footed ferret, a species that nearly went extinct and is being rescued through cloning. (Courtesy Sinks Canyon State Park)
A popular interpretive program offered at the Wyoming State Parks statewide center on the black-footed ferret, a species that nearly went extinct and is being rescued through cloning. (Courtesy Sinks Canyon State Park)
At the Sinks Canyon State Park, rattlesnake researchers and others have offered visitors an opportunity to meet and learn about the parks many reptiles lurking about. Right, a whole other world of life grows under Sinks Canyon. (Courtesy Sinks Canyon State Park)
At the Sinks Canyon State Park, rattlesnake researchers and others have offered visitors an opportunity to meet and learn about the parks many reptiles lurking about. (Courtesy Sinks Canyon State Park)
Keeping Sinks Park Dark, Wild And Accessible
For those who are unable to join in the cave explorations, Moore offers other programming to celebrate the unique features of Sinks Canyon State Park. Another program she is passionate about is the dark skies.
In 2023, Sinks Canyon was designated as the first international dark sky site in the state of Wyoming. To keep that status, Moore offers at least four different dark sky programs each year, from photography to astronomy.
“We have this amazing natural resource above the canyon,” Moore said. “And we want to make sure people are doing what they can in their own personal lives to protect the dark skies around them, as well as enjoying the dark sky within Sinks Canyon.”
A local group called Sinks Canyon Wild has teamed up with the state park to protect the resources and still develop ways for people to be able to enjoy the park.
“It’s our vision to make sure that we are providing for the users, but also protecting the space,” Moore said. “Having well-planned recreation experiences for guests is one of the ways to do that.”
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From Snakes to Ferrets
Deputy Director Nick Neylon said that five years ago there were no interpretive programs at any of the parks and that has changed drastically.
“Just this summer alone, we held almost 400 interpretive programs across the state,” Neylon said. “Last year, we saw roughly 25,000 people attend our programs so it’s having a big impact.”
Neylon said that programs like the cave exploration and dark sky programs are the main ways that the park staff can interact with visitors.
“You can go to a state park and walk down a trail on your own,” Neylon said. “But by taking part in an interpretive program, you are taking the opportunity to interpret the landscape on a completely different level.”
Moore is currently working on new programs including bringing back a rattlesnake expert.
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“One of the things that I’m working on right now is having someone come in and talk about the peregrine falcons that nest in the canyon,” Moore said. “They’re a great success story of recovery of endangered species.”
Another crowd favorite is the programs on the black-footed ferret which had almost gone extinct before being discovered in the wild.
“We’ve had an amazingly positive reaction to the programs,” Neylon said. “Our interpretive rangers are also people who help build community.”
Five years ago, Wyoming State Parks started offering interpretive programs and one such opportunity is a cave tour at the Sinks Canyon State Park. Cavers are each given their own equipment and escorted through a network of caves, sometimes on their hands and knees, to view the rare sight of an underground river. (Courtesy Sinks Canyon State Park)
Five years ago, Wyoming State Parks started offering interpretive programs and one such opportunity is a cave tour at the Sinks Canyon State Park. Cavers are each given their own equipment and escorted through a network of caves, sometimes on their hands and knees, to view the rare sight of an underground river. (Courtesy Sinks Canyon State Park)
The Future
To help build this community, the state parks are looking beyond just offering programs and are planning to build up the infrastructure of the parks. Two projects under consideration are new visitor centers, one at Sinks Canyon and the other at Keyhole State Park.
“We get a lot of visitations at Sinks Canyon,” Deputy Director of State Parks Chris Floyd said. “The current visitor center is rather small, and so it’s difficult to get a school group in there, especially in the wintertime, to do educational programs.”
Floyd said that a community town hall will be held on December 1 to hear the thoughts of the Lander community on what their needs are. He said that the Keyhole State Park doesn’t even have a visitor center currently and its town hall will be in January.
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As Floyd considers the logistics of providing adequate bathrooms and parking, Moore is excited for the opportunity to offer more programs such as a video tour of the caves for visitors who cannot visit in person.
“Wyoming can be a little bit brutal in the winter,” Moore said. “So, I’m really excited about the opportunity to have usable teaching space inside.”
“Our mission is to improve communities and enrich lives throughout the state of Wyoming,” Neylon said. “Our focus is on trying to find ways to make it easier and more enjoyable for people to experience our parks, historic sites and trails.”
Moore said that she is just grateful to be entrusted with this unique and special place and can’t wait to get more visitors both underground and beneath the dark skies.
Jackie Dorothy can be reached at jackie@cowboystatedaily.com.
This month, between Thanksgiving and Christmas, is a fitting time for reflection. Our focus turns toward family and community, and the changing weather causes us to slow down. It is a good time to take stock of the society around us. The Thanksgiving holiday naturally turns our minds to what we are grateful for — what already exists that we cherish. Christmas is a holiday of hope, focused on the promise of what is yet to come. With these holidays in mind, let us reflect on what parts of our state we are thankful for and hopeful about.
Perhaps the thing Wyomingites hold most dear is our heritage. Culturally, we are descended from pioneers and settlers — or from those who came before — and we take that frontier heritage to heart. We value independence, community and overcoming challenges. We are willing to endure hardship to build a life that we want, and we are closely attuned to the natural world and the benefits that it provides. Above all else, we know that our perch in this place is still precarious. These are perspectives that are hard to find elsewhere. They set us apart. By embracing these values, we create a society that fits our circumstances. These ideas would not fit in other places, but they fit here, and for that I am grateful.
I am also thankful for the good stewardship of our forefathers. Wyoming is a harsh place and it’s challenging to thrive here. Most of our land is arid and inhospitable, our physical conditions are difficult, and we are remote from most modern conveniences and luxuries. With poor planning or shortsighted leadership, this place could easily fall into decline.
Fortunately, we have been blessed with the opposite. The state’s early settlers understood the importance of building the infrastructure that would allow for growth. When it became clear that natural resources would power our economy, our leaders decided to set aside large portions of the state’s mineral revenue to support us in perpetuity. The easy decision — the short-sighted decision — would have been to spend those dollars on the needs of the day. They certainly could have built some nice things, and those projects would have been popular. They also would have been fleeting. Because of wise leadership and decisions that focused on the long-term, we all benefit from our state’s bounty.
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Just as we are grateful for the good decisions of the past, we should be hopeful for the future. Despite our state’s challenges, there are many good reasons to have hope. First, our state is full of opportunity. We have space, natural resources, and the ability to be nimble when it comes to building regulatory structures that can support new industries. Our people are hard-working and determined. We have existing expertise in manufacturing and mining that is missing in many other parts of the country. Our climate and location give Wyoming an advantage in attracting computing facilities to locate here. If we take advantage of the opportunities in front of us, Wyoming is poised to thrive, and that gives me hope.
I am also hopeful because there appears to be a growing consensus on the issues we face, which allows us to better meet these challenges. In surveys and conversations about Wyoming’s future, the challenges of economic diversification and talent retention quickly rise to the top. We recognize where our weaknesses are, which is a significant part of the battle. Once we agree on the problem, we can work to find solutions.
Finding a fix is often an easier undertaking than identifying the problem itself. Already, drilling into these challenges has helped us recognize the underlying problems connected to affordable housing, livable spaces, health care access and education. Understanding how these fit together and how improvements in one area can lead to improvements in others puts us on a much more manageable path. It will still not be easy to overcome our hurdles, but the fact that we must wrestle with difficult problems is not unusual or unique. We have answered big questions before. Now that we have a growing consensus on what those problems are, I am far more hopeful about our ability to move forward.
In this holiday season, we should take the time to contemplate the world around us. Self-reflection is important. We should look both behind us and ahead of us, toward the past and gratitude and the future and hope. Our state gives us plenty to consider on both accounts.
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — The Wyoming Department of Transportation has reported that the ongoing high wind speeds throughout the state have caused 39 vehicles to crash on Wyoming highways so far this week, primarily between Dec. 9 and Dec. 11.
According to a report from WYDOT, most of the crashes occurred on Interstate 80 near Cooper Cove west of Laramie, on I-25 on Wyo Hill south of Cheyenne and along I-25 near Wheatland at Bordeaux. Many blown-over vehicles were underweight, and some trailers were even empty.
WYDOT updates the minimum weights listed on overhead digital messaging signs based on real-time wind speeds. Drivers are encouraged to check weight-based wind closure information often to ensure travel is permitted.
It’s not just commercial vehicles that are at risk, either; the department reports that campers, toy-haulers and other large trailers are also susceptible to blowing over in strong winds.
June skiing and pond-skimming at Arapahoe Basin in Colorado
Skiers and snowboarders soak in the sun and attempt to make it across a pond on a June day at Arapahoe Basin in Colorado
Snowy Range ski area is scheduled to open for the season on Dec. 12.
Daily lift ticket prices range from $40 for children to $69 for adults.
Snowy Range, one of the closest ski areas to Fort Collins, is scheduled to open for the season Dec. 12 and remain open through April 12, 2026.
The ski area had a snow depth of about 30 inches on Dec. 9, spokesperson Kate Lessman told the Coloradoan in an email.
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Daily lift tickets range in price from $59-$69 purchased onsite for adults, $52-$62 for teenagers ages 13-17 and $40-$50 for children ages 5-12. Children age 4 and younger and senior citizens age 70 and older can ski for free. Tickets purchased in advance online are discounted $5.
More: Complete Colorado ski resort guide
Snowy Range Ski and Recreation Area is located about 100 miles northwest of Fort Collins and 36 miles west of Laramie, Wyoming.
For additional information, visit the ski area’s website.
Coloradoan reporter Kelly Lyell can be reached at KellyLyell@coloradoan.com. Follow him on x.com/KellyLyell, threads.net/KellyLyell and facebook.com/KellyLyell.news.
