Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The nearest commercial airports are in Jackson (78 miles), Rock Springs (100 miles), Idaho
Falls, Idaho (190 miles), and Salt Lake City (250 miles). Private jets can be accommodated
at
Pinedale Wenz Field
(307/367-2290).
Rental cars are available in Jackson and Rock Springs. The closest Greyhound bus ser-
vice (
www.greyhound.com
)
is also in Rock Springs.
For shuttle service in Pinedale, the
Great Outdoor Transportation Company
(322 W.
Pine St., 307/367-2440) offers taxi service, gear drops, and fishing shuttles.
Tucked in the foothills of the Wind River Mountains on the banks of the Popo Agie (po-PO-
zhuh) River and adjacent to the Wind River Indian Reservation, Lander (population 7,571,
elevation 5,357 feet) is an outdoor lover's town and a vibrant, growing community. The area
was first visited by white fur trappers as early as 1811, and oil was discovered in 1824 but
not developed until the mid-1880s. The area was the home ground of Chief Washakie and
his Shoshone people. In 1869 a small military post was established here to protect the Shos-
hone from enemies that included the Sioux and Arapaho. The valley, once known by Native
Americans as Pushroot for its fertile soil, was farmed early on to great success thanks to the
soil, relatively mild winters, and little wind.
Not a large town by any stretch, Lander is a welcoming place with friendly people, a
decidedly outdoor-oriented culture, and immediate access to some of the most stunningly
rugged wilderness in the country.
Wind River Reservation
The
Wind River Reservation
(307/455-2466,
www.wind-river.org
) sits on 2.2 million
acres and is home to more than 5,000 Northern Arapaho Indians and 2,500 Eastern Shos-
hone tribal members. It surrounds the city of Riverton, with the towns of Lander, Shoshoni,
and Thermopolis close to its borders. There is not a lot of intermingling between the native
and nonnative communities, or between the Arapaho and Shoshone themselves, for that
matter; the arrangement to leave both tribes on the same reservation was decided by the
U.S. government without their consent. The western part of the reservation, including the
towns of Fort Washakie, Burris, and Crowheart, is occupied by the Shoshone, and the east-
