Sinks Canyon State Park
Sinks Canyon State Park | |
Wyoming State Park | |
The Sinks of the Popo Agie River | |
Country | United States |
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State | Wyoming |
County | Fremont |
Location | Lander |
- elevation | 6,854 ft (2,089 m) [1] |
- coordinates | 42°45′00″N 108°48′24″W / 42.75°N 108.806667°WCoordinates: 42°45′00″N 108°48′24″W / 42.75°N 108.806667°W |
Area | 600 acres (243 ha) |
Established | Unspecified |
Management | Wyoming Division of State Parks and Historic Sites |
IUCN category | V - Protected Landscape/Seascape |
Location in Wyoming
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Website: Sinks Canyon State Park | |
Sinks Canyon State Park is a publicly owned recreation area located in the Wind River Mountains, 6 miles southwest of Lander, Wyoming, on Wyoming Highway 131. The state park is named for a portion of the Middle Fork of the Popo Agie River where it flows into an underground limestone cavern, named "the Sinks," and emerges 1/4 mile down the canyon in a pool named "the Rise."[2]
The exact route of the passage is unknown, and dye tests have shown that the water takes over 2 hours to make its 1/4-mile underground journey. Additionally, more water flows from the Rise than enters the cavern at the Sink. The Crow Indian name of the river, "Popo Agie" (pronounced po-PO-shuh), is taken to mean "gurgling river."[3]
Geology
The Madison Limestone Formation was carved by glacial movement, leaving extensive underground fissures and steep cliff walls. The gradual recession of the ice left glacial moraines along the canyon floor.
Activities and amenities
A visitor's center is located at the Sinks, and an observation deck overlooks the Rise.[3] The park offers hiking trails and facilities for camping, picnicking, rock climbing, and fishing.[2]
Images
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The Sinks
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The Rise
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Canyon walls
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Source of the Popo Agie
References
- ↑ "Sinks Canyon Campground". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
- 1 2 "Sinks Canyon State Park". Wyoming State Parks, Historic Sites & Trails. State of Wyoming. Retrieved May 27, 2012.
- 1 2 "Sinks Canyon State Park Brochure" (PDF). Wyoming Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources. Retrieved November 19, 2015.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sinks Canyon State Park. |
- Sinks Canyon State Park Wyoming State Parks, Historic Sites & Trails
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