Lander Area Information
Enjoy Lander's bounty of great recreation areas!
Whether you're after mountain biking, road riding, gravel adventures, dirt jumping, nordic skiing, backcountry skiing, or cruising around a skate park, the Lander area has some great options for your next ride!
*See the "Resources" section at the bottom of this page for helpful links.
Local Mountain Bike Trail Systems
Overview Map:
Johnny Behind the Rocks - A mountain biking playground, about 15 miles south of Lander, WY. Thanks to the Lander Cycling Club & BLM, 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. Check out the new J-Line, built by Red Bull Rampage Digger award winner Alan Mandel!
The Bus - The closest trail system to Lander, and another great early-season riding choice as it is one of the first places to dry out each spring. Be sure to check out the Cactus Patch Downhill and play around on the slickrock.
Sinks Canyon - These alpine, forested trails are a great option to get out of the sun and heat or to supplement our high desert riding found at the trail systems above. Lander Cycling Club, in partnership with the USFS, completed the Brewer's trail over the course of the last few seasons, which meanders up & across the shady side of Sinks Canyon all the way up to Fossil Hill and then further on to Worthen Reservoir. Thanks to the efforts by the Lander Cycling Club we are now able to ride fatbikes on these trails that are groomed during the winter.
CWC Alpine Science Institute (ASI) "Sinks Canyon Center" - This area is on your way into Sinks Canyon and is owned and maintained by Central Wyoming College's ASI Campus, but open to the public. You must park in the first lot to the left, then bike over the bridge and along the river on the northern side of the campus to link up to the upper trails. You can tour some short trails above with great views of the canyon, then drop down for some cornering and jumping on the flow trail that leads you back toward the river, and/or get some practice time in their skills section in the meadow facing the buildings/housing. Please always be respectful and stay on the trails, as people live full-time on this property!
*See the "Resources" section below for some helpful links.
Annual Cycling Events
Jurassic Classic Mountain Bike Festival celebrate all things mountain biking — August 15-18, 2024!.
WYO 131 Gravel Race with new distances/routes — September 7, 2024! Click here for 2023 Results
Roll & Slide Poker Ride This winter fundraising event held it's inaugural run in 2021 and it was a huge success- you'll see it next year in late February or early March(TBD). Fat bike, ski, snowshoe, hike/run (whatever you like) to pull a poker card, eat and drink at each organization's tent located within Sinks Canyon. The last stop and winner announced (cash prize) is in town at the Lander Bar, followed by live music on the patio with heaters. Registration fees benefit the Lander Cycling Club, Lander Nordic Ski Association and LanderPresents.
Annual Events
- Run The Red — trail running event in the Red Desert
- Lander Brewfest — held each year on the second weekend of June
- International Climbers' Festival — July 11 -14, 2024
- LanderPresents Live Music Series — check back for 2024 schedule
Regional Cycling Events
- Fistful of Dirt — (gravel) Cody, WY
- Frosted Jackalope — (fat bike) Gillette, WY
- Borealis Fat Bike World Championships— (fat bike) Pinedale, WY
- Snow Dawg — (fat bike) Laramie, WY
- Chubby Chaser — (fat bike) Laramie, WY
- The Drift — (fat bike) Pinedale, WY
- Gowdy Grinder — (mtb) Curt Gowdy State Park, WY
- Laramie Range Epic — (endurance) Laramie, WY
- Pierre's Hole 50/100 — (NUE endurance & XC) Alta, WY
- Bearlodge Mountain Classic — (XC) Sundance, WY
- The LoToJa — (road) Jackson Hole, WY
Ride Safe
Shop rides and cycling events require a helmet. Not to mention, it's just smart to always wear one when you ride. We have a great selection of helmets to fit different heads and riding styles. Shop online and pickup your items for free on your next shop visit.
Resources
- Maps — We recommend using Trailforks or Mountain Bike Project for accessing great maps of each trail system.
- Trail Beta — Give us a call at 307.332.2926 for recommendations or conditions and look for the "Lander Trail Conditions" page on Facebook.
- Trail Stewardship — To find out more or to be added to the mailing list for the Lander Cycling Club, please contact landercycling@gmail.com.
- Nordic Ski Stewardship — For-up-to-date information on snow conditions, ways to get involved and local ski events look into the Lander Nordic Ski Association.
- Backcountry Shuttles — Whether planning to hike the Wind River High Route, traveling to Lander for a conference or simply shuttling your mountain biking friends down Brewers, we have a great local service called Wind River Shuttle.
- Togwotee Pass Avalanche Conditions — Consider taking an avalanche safety training course through us, (in partnership with NOLS), or AAA, and always know the conditions before you go.