Wind River Canyon: Wind River Canyon offers visitors a chance to experience beauty as they travel through Wyoming. Canyon walls as high as 2,500 feet show off some of the oldest rock formations in the world. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Wind River: The Wind River flows through the canyon and offers a variety of outdoor opportunities. The Wind River Indian Reservation lies to the west of the canyon. The river changes names at the north end of the canyon at ‘The Wedding of the Waters’ when the river exits the reservation. From that point on the river is named the Bighorn River. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Burlington Northern: Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad tracks run through Wind River Canyon. The tracks run parallel to the river and scenic byway through the canyon. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
By GARY WARREN
Photographer
Formerly of Los Alamos
Wind River Canyon is a deep and narrow gorge between Shoshoni, Wyo. and Thermopolis, Wyo. Located in the center of the state, the canyon and Boysen Reservoir on the southern end of the canyon, offers a beautiful reprieve from the rolling plains of Wyoming.
Wind River Canyon Scenic Byway offers visitors a route to explore this magnificent canyon. Many scenic views along the road stretch from one end of the canyon to the other. Tracks of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad travels alongside of the Wind River in the floor of the canyon.
The Owl Creek Mountains rise to the west of Wind Canyon and the Bridger Mountains rise up on the eastern side of canyon. The Wind River Indian Reservation covers a large swatch of the area in the Owl Creek Mountains and beyond of the western side of the canyon.
The canyon offers geologists and visitors to view rocks from the Precambrian period which dates back over two billion years.
At the north end of the canyon is “The Wedding of the Waters” where the river exits the Wind River Indian Reservation and becomes known as the Bighorn River.
The Wind River Canyon Scenic Byway is only 32 miles long from Shoshoni to Thermopolis, Wyo. and the canyon covers about 20 miles of the byway. The amazing views of the canyon, mountains, river, and scenery makes this a must see drive while traveling Wyoming. This byway is also on a popular route to Yellowstone National Park when traveling from the south.
Editor’s note: Longtime Los Alamos photographer Gary Warren and his wife Marilyn are traveling around the country, and he shares his photographs, which appear in the “Posts from the Road” series published in the Sunday edition of the Los Alamos Daily Post.
Railroad Tunnel: A Burlington Northern train comes out of a tunnel in the Wind River Canyon. The rocks in the area of the tunnel are some of the oldest rocks in the world. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Scenic Byway: The Wind River Scenic Byway runs from Shoshoni to Thermopolis, Wyo. The byway is 32 miles long and the canyon makes up about 20 of those miles. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Boysen Reservoir: As Wind River opens up in the south, Boysen Reservoir occupies a large portion of the landscape. Shown is the reservoir just below the dam. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Reservoir and State Park: Boysen Reservoir and Boysen Reservoir State Park are to the south of Wind River Canyon. The state park offers a boat dock, camping, and a variety of water sports for visitors. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
