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Writer's pictureLiz Bowers

Wandering Wy: Summer Solstice in Sinks Canyon

I've been promising you this post since Monday 🤦‍♀️ Well the good news is my new job is keeping me very busy, but the better news is that I finally got some time to tell you about my weekend adventure in Sinks Canyon!


I think the Sinks Canyon area is quickly becoming my bestie and I's favorite spot to explore in Wyoming. As you may have seen, we visited there about a month or so ago before the restrictions were lifted on camping and some of the roads were still closed. We were looking for the Popo Agie Falls Trail but when we arrived we thought that the road was actually closed before the trailhead.



After this experience, I may never trust Google Maps again 🙄 This time we were able to follow the road up to where the map said the trail should begin... nope. It was alright though, my bestie knows when she adventures with me we only half know where we're going and we will always find something new!



It had also been our plan this weekend to go camping at Louis Lake but work interfered and as it turns out we wouldn't have been able to reach the campground anyway but more on that later.



We started our day by stopping to check out the Sinks themselves. During high water, we wouldn't be able to hike down into the cave itself as the Popo Agie would be flowing through it and sink into an underground river below.



It was amazing to look at all the different ways the water has chipped away at the cave over time. Some of the rocks being smooth and soft the touch and others being almost like a sponge in appearance.



As we drove up the road, locally known at the Loop, we came upon Worthen Reservoir. It was crazy beautiful! The temperature also dropped about 20 degrees from the luscious summer day we had been enjoying down in the canyon.



Wanting to show my bestie where we will be camping at some point this summer, we continued on down the road. Only 9 miles from the lake we were cut off by road construction!


Laughing at our own series of unfortunate events we turned off the main loop and followed the dirt road along the edge of the reservoir. We discovered more camping areas, another trailhead that definitely looked like it was made for the professionals, and a great place to float later.



Since the sun was going down we decided to leave the narrow dirt road and head back down into the Canyon. As we got to the bottom of the canyon we noticed a small faded sign on the side of the road. It was the trailhead for the Popo Agie Falls trail!


To finish off our Summer Solstice celebration we picked a private little spot in Bruce's picnic area to light a fire, roast our hot dogs, and toast marshmallows for s'mores.



Knowing the area a little better now. We're excited for the summer adventures we will have up here this year! It's going to be a couple of weeks before we try camping at Louis lake again because we are waiting for the road construction to finish but I will certainly keep you posted on all the crazy happenings as we explore the Canyon and the Shoshone National Forest beyond.


What summer adventures are you excited for? Have you visited Sinks Canyon State Park? What is your favorite place to explore?


Thank you, fellow adventurers! You can follow The Montana Bear Paw page on Facebook, Instagram, and on Twitter @lilmissbearpaw for sneak peeks into upcoming posts and my adventures. This will also be a great place to share your own adventures!

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