By Ray Sikorski

The founding of the National Outdoor Leadership School in 1965 brought to Lander, Wyo., an influx of young people more interested in bagging peaks than branding cattle. At first the newcomers caused a few raised eyebrows in this city of 7,000 on the southeast edge of the Wind River Range. But these days they’re a key ingredient in Lander’s zesty, friendly stew, which also includes cowboys, oil field workers, and artists. Nearby is the Wind River Indian Reservation, home to Shoshones and Arapaho. "It’s really hard to be in a hurry," says Emily Robins of Wild Iris Mountain Sports. "There’s nothing more pressing than stopping to say hi to someone."

The school lodges its students and instructors and maintains a museum in the recently renovated Noble Hotel at 288 Main Street. You can sit in comfy leather-and-wood chairs and admire its ornate 1919 lobby.

QUICK TIP The 114th Annual Pioneer Days Parade and Rodeo, July 3–4, features a half marathon, pancake breakfast, buffalo barbecue, music, fireworks, and the world’s oldest paid rodeo.

Sinks Canyon State Park just south of town is a don’t-miss place to spy climbers scaling cliffs of sandstone, dolomite, and granite high above the Middle Popo Agie (pronounced po-Po-shuh) River. The watercourse, which derives its name from a Crow Indian word meaning "gurgling river," is noted for disappearing into cracks at the aptly named Sinks Cave, only to reappear a quarter mile downstream at the Rise. There, trout relax in a pool, fed by children and protected from anglers. Farther up the road in Shoshone National Forest, hikers depart from Bruce’s Parking Area for the 1.5-mile walk to Popo Agie Falls.