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Home > The Drives > Circle the Continental Divide Driving Tour > Key Landmarks & Attractions > Sinks Canyon State Park
Sinks Canyon State Park
Sinks Canyon State park is located six miles south of Lander, on Highway 131. What are the Sinks and the Rise? Sinks Canyon is so named because the Middle Fork of the Popo Agie -- a rushing mountain river -- flows out of the Wind River Mountains and through the Canyon. Halfway down the canyon, the river abruptly turns into a large limestone cavern, and the crashing water "sinks" into fissures and cracks at the back of the cave. The river is underground for a 1/4 mile until it emerges down canyon in a large calm pool called "The Rise" and then continues its course into the valley below. Where the water goes while it is underground is unknown. The sinks narrow to small, unexplorable log- and rock-jammed fissures. The Sinks and Rise occur in the thick, easily eroded off-white Madison Limestone formation. The amount of water flowing into the Sinks varies with the season. The average amount of water in the river is 150 cubic feet per second. During high water and spring run-off, over 500 cubic feet of water per second roar down the rocky Popo Agie River channel. For many years, it was unproven that the water flowing into the Sinks was the same water flowing out at the Rise. Dye tests have proven it is the same water but have revealed another mystery: why it takes the water flowing into the Sinks over two hours to reappear at the Rise.
