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The Loop Road is a 70 mile scenic drive that begins and ends in Lander, Wyoming. We drove a portion of the road one late morning.
Shoshone National Forest
The drive started in Sinks Canyon State Park and into the Shoshone National Forest. After a series of switchback roads, we were at an elevation of 8,500 feet. We stopped a few times to take photos of the gorgeous landscape.
Lakes
The road turned into gravel after we reached the higher elevation. I wasn’t sure my car would make it but it survived the rest of the drive and about 18 miles of rough terrain. We passed Frye Lake and stopped at the lake with the highest elevation on the drive, Fiddler’s Lake at 9,400 feet. Both lakes have campgrounds and are popular for fishing.
Shortly after leaving Fiddler’s Lake, we crossed a narrow bridge over the Little Popo Agie River. We stopped for a few minutes to enjoy it.
Next, we passed Louis Lake, another lake with a campground and fishing, before driving through Grannier Meadows. The meadows are a large grassy area with lots of wildlife.
Red Canyon
We made it back down to the main highway and started our drive back to Lander. On the way, we stopped at a pullout to admire Red Canyon. Red Canyon is a protected wildlife habitat for elk, moose, mule deer, several species of birds, and other animals.
Conclusion
The drive was definitely scenic and worth the time, but we rushed it a bit because we were running behind schedule. I would like to have spent a night camping with some hiking at Sinks Canyon and a stop at the old mining town of South Pass City, a state historic site. The road was decent but the rough part would’ve been a lot better with a 4×4. It’s also narrow at points with traffic in both directions. I’d be happy to come back and do it again.
