Lander is blessed with a location that places it at the center of unlimited outdoor activities. By taking a short drive from Lander you can experience the serene, open beauty of the Red Desert or the majesty of the Wind River Mountain Range. Nowhere else can you experience such a rich diversity of topography and the wonders of the Wyoming outdoors.

Lander residents and visitors marvel at the unmatched variety of outdoor activities that enrich their lives in so many ways. The quality of life and outdoor experiences are unsurpassed. So many opportunities...so little time!

The Wind River Mountains offer more adventures than you can fit into a lifetime. With the great Continental Divide running right down the backbone of this majestic range, the high country south and west of Lander features Wyoming's highest peak, numerous glacier fields, hundreds of lakes and countless streams. It would be impossible to sample all of the waters fed by the snowpack deposited every winter but we invite you to give it a try!

The quality and variety of game fish species in the Lander area is unsurpassed. You'll find brook trout, brown trout, cutthroat trout, golden trout, grayling, lingcod, lake trout, rainbow trout, whitefish and many hybrids in our cold water fisheries. The warmer waters offer fishing for bass, catfish, crappie, perch, sauger and walleye. For more information on fishing in the Lander area contact: the Regional Wyoming Game and Fish Department office, 260 Buena Vista Drive; the Wind River Reservation Game and Fish Department - Fort Washakie; Popo Agie Angler's Club; Rocky Mountain Dubbing Company - 115 Poppy; The Good Place - 155 West Main; Wild Iris - 333 West Main or Mountain West Gifts and Sporting Goods - 605 West Main.

The wide range of hunting and wildlife watching opportunities in the Lander area seem endless. Scores of wildlife species can be found within a small radius of the city. Consider, for a moment, the list of wildlife species found in the Lander area. They include antelope, badger, bald eagle, beaver, bighorn sheep, black bear, blue grouse, bobcat, chipmunk, chukar, cottontail rabbit, coyote, ducks, elk, ermine, falcon, fisher, geese, golden eagle, grizzly bear, hawks, jackrabbit, marmot, marten, mink, moose, mountain lion, mourning dove, mule deer, muskrat, owls, partridge, pheasant, porcupine, prairie dog, raccoon, red fox, ruffed grouse, sage grouse, snowshoe hare, song birds, squirrels, striped skunk, swift fox, whitetail deer and wolves. Oh yes, there have also been reports of jackalope and Lander Tigers in the area as well. Additional information on these rare creatures is available at Shirts & More, 371 West Main and The Good Place, 155 West Main.

The world famous One Shot Antelope Hunt is a prime example of our hunting traditions and commitment to improving wildlife habitat. Celebrities from the sports, entertainment and business world participate in this hunt to raise money for a number of worthwhile causes. The One Shot Foundation provides funding for water wells and small reservoirs that benefit wildlife in arid regions. The organization also features a fine museum at 545 West Main.

We feature year-round recreational activities. The year begins in January with hunters pursuing a variety of ducks, geese and other game. The area offers numerous snowmobile and cross country ski trails. This is the time of the year when wildlife watchers and photographers find easy access to wildlife as the animals move to lower winter ranges. Deer and moose have even been known to make their home in downtown Lander in the winter months. Anglers are busy enjoying numerous ice fishing opportunities.

As the winter gives way to spring, sports enthusiasts take part in early season fishing and bear hunting. Wildflowers provide a carpet of bright colors in the foothills during may and June thus providing a virtual feast for the photographer.

By June, the Loop Road south of Lander opens with new recreational opportunities. Enjoy camping, boating, fishing and hiking at the various recreational sites along the road. With the Shoshone National Forest and Sinks Canyon State Park just minutes from Lander there are hundreds of recreational opportunities. Before summer comes to an end archery, muzzle loader and handgun hunters are already pursuing antelope in the open range around Lander. By Labor Day, archers are also pursuing bear, deer, elk and moose.

Fall brings the first blanket of white to the high country and the elk herds begin their annual migration to the lower ranges. The bugle of the bull elk is the song of fall in the crisp mountain air. The aspen trees display their golden glory and by mid-September the hunting seasons begin. As autumn gives way to winter, the trapping and migratory waterfowl seasons open and continue into the new year.

Other year round activities enjoyed by young and old alike are the shooting sports. You can take part in everything from shooting trap and sporting clays to cowboy action shooting. Both outdoor and indoor shooting activities are available to everyone. Information about the Lander Trap Club, the South Fork Vigilance Committee (local Single Action Shooting Society chapter), the Lander Valley Sportsmen's Association, the Fremont County 4-H Council, The National Rifle Association, and The Wyoming State Shooting Association may be obtained at the Good Place sporting goods store.

Our rich heritage of camping, fishing, hunting and other outdoor activities is celebrated, cherished and defended in Lander. When Lander residents are asked why they live here they may simply point at the Wind River Mountains to the south without a word being spoken. The old saying holds true in Lander - " A picture says a thousand words." Experience our wonderful Wyoming outdoors in Lander.