If you love pulling on limestone pockets, you have to make a trip to Lander, WY to check out the limestone mecca of Wild Iris climbing. With stellar rock and epic views, you won’t run out of routes at Wild Iris whether you stay for a couple days or a couple weeks.
Plus, Sinks Canyon is just down the hill near Lander, with even more limestone, along with some sandstone and granite for variety (and for the trad dads).
A Guide to Lander, Wyoming Climbing
Lander is a small mountain town that makes a great basecamp for outdoor adventures. The amazing rock in the area has attracted climbers for decades, and hikers and backpackers will love the trails, too.
Where is Lander, Wyoming?
Lander is located in western central Wyoming near the famous Wind River Range. It’s around 3 hours from Jackson, WY and 4 hours from Cheyenne.. It’s absolutely worth the 5.5-6 hour road trip for Colorado Front Range climbers – in fact, it’s a couple hours closer to Denver than the popular area of Ten Sleep.
Lander Climbing Guidebooks
Mountain Project has tons of info for routes in both Wild Iris and Sinks, but having a guidebook is always helpful, too. Lander Rock Climbs by local legend Steve Bechtel is the best (and really only guidebook) for Wild Iris, Sinks Canyon, and other nearby areas. The most recent edition is 2023, but used copies of older editions will do just fine, too.
Wild Iris Climbing
If you haven’t experienced Wild Iris climbing yet, you’re missing out! With endless walls of white dolomite in a beautiful higher elevation setting, Wild Iris is a sport climber’s paradise with a wide range of routes.
Best Season for Wild Iris Climbing
Given its elevation (around 8,600 feet), Wild Iris is definitely a summer destination. Escape the heat of lower elevation crags and come up to enjoy the Wild Iris climbing in July and August. Early fall is also great, but you never know when snow will start for the season up here.
Wild Iris Climbing Areas
This is just a sampling of crags to visit for classic Wild Iris climbing.
OK Corral
OK Corral is a great introduction to Wild Iris climbing. This area consists of several short walls with even shorter approaches. In fact, the trails to OK Corral start from the campsites at Wild Iris, so if you’re camping here, you can pretty much roll out of your tent and be at the base of the climbs in less than 5 minutes.
The Main Wall
As you might be able to tell by the name, the Main Wall is the core of Wild Iris climbing. This is the place that first put Lander on the map for climbers. Wild Horses Wall, Hot Tamale Wall, and Rode Hard Wall are crowd-pleasing crags full of fun routes on excellent rock.
Aspen Glade & The Erratic
This is the backside of Wild Iris and features more great rock and fun climbing. On especially hot days, The Erratic is the place to seek shade at Wild Iris, and you won’t often find many other people here so it’s good for a big group or if you’re seeking some solitude.
Zorro
A hidden gem of Wild Iris climbing, Zorro features a short approach, an incredible view, and some amazingly fun climbs. Zorro gets morning shade and afternoon sun, so you can find what you need here depending on the temps. The area isn’t big, but what it lacks in number of routes, it makes up for in quality climbing. Don’t miss Gaucho (10d) and Zorro (11c).
Sinks Canyon Climbing
While Wild Iris climbing specializes in limestone sport, Sinks Canyon offers a smorgasbord of rock with something to please everyone from granite to limestone to sandstone.
Best Season for Sinks Canyon Climbing
Almost all of the walls in Sinks Canyon face south, so Sinks is the perfect winter destination to soak in the sun. Plenty of climbers still come here in the summer, but you need to be strategic (and usually wake up early) to avoid the heat, especially since Sinks sits at lower elevation than Wild Iris.
Sinks Canyon Climbing Areas
Here are a few fun areas to hit up in Sinks Canyon depending on what you’re looking for.
The Main Wall
The main wall at Sinks is a long limestone band split up into multiple crags. For a bunch of excellent moderate sport routes, head to Scud Wall, and if you love the steep stuff, check out Killer Cave.
Fairfield Hill
Fairfield Hill offers another long section of limestone separate from the main wall. It’s an especially nice area for longer moderates like Blah, Blah, Blah (10+) and Chainsaw Willy (10d).
Shady Side
If you’re visiting Sinks Canyon in the summer, Shady Side provides the all day shade you’re looking for. The Aspen Glade area features a ton of climbing, with routes ranging all the way from 5.7 to 5.14 so everyone can enjoy the shade.
Sandstone Buttress
If you’re craving crack amid all the sport, Sandstone Buttress is the spot to bring your trad rack. Get on Gunky (5.8), an interesting two-pitch corner system and enjoy the other trad routes ranging from 5.6-5.11.
Camping in Lander
As an outdoor town, Lander is not lacking for camping options, and the best place to camp will really depend on what climbing area you want to be closest to. Be aware that this is bear country, so follow proper bear safety protocols and securely store your food and smellable items (some campsites have bear boxes you can use for this).
Wild Iris Camping
You can stay at one of two campgrounds right at Wild Iris – Wild Iris Campground and Aspen Glade Campground. If you’ll be primarily climbing at Wild Iris during your trip to Lander, you really can’t beat these campgrounds for convenient access to climbing, and you’ll mostly be surrounded by fellow climbers.
Note: The campgrounds at Wild Iris used to be free, but as of July 2024, the Shoshone National Forest is now charging fees of $10/night at Wild Iris Campground and $5/night at Aspen Glade.
Sinks Canyon Camping
There are three developed campgrounds located in Sinks Canyon. Sinks Canyon Campground is operated by Shoshone National Forest and is first-come/first-serve, while Sawmill and Popo Agie Campgrounds are run by Sinks Canyon State Park and require reservations.
Louis Lake Camping
Louis Lake is a beautiful area that is well-situated for accessing both Sinks Canyon and Wild Iris climbing. There is a developed campground and dispersed camping available here, and the Louis Lake Lodge also offers rustic cabin rentals.
Lander City Park Camping
You can also camp right in the town of Lander at the public campground in Lander City Park for free. There is a 3-night limit for camping here though, so if you’re planning a longer climbing trip, you’ll have to move to one of the areas.
Rest Days in Lander
When you’re ready for a rest day after Wild Iris climbing, head into Lander to grab a bite and a beer at Gannett Grill & Lander Bar. The tasty burgers, sandwiches, and pizza are perfect post-climb fare, and the locally brewed beer is thirst-quenching and cheap. Plus, there’s no better place than the communal picnic tables to have a meal al fresco and meet up with other climbers.
Just down the block you’ll find Wild Iris Mountain Sports, Lander’s quintessential outdoor gear shop. Beyond the guidebooks, maps, and climbing gear, the locals working here can give you all the insider beta for climbing around Lander.
Hope this guide to Wild Iris climbing and other climbing in Lander, WY helps you plan an awesome trip to this amazing climbing area!