Back in 2009 Kurt (Cruiseroutfitters) posted up an article and trip report by kcwyo (Expeditionportal member) on Kirwin, Wyoming. The article and trip report got me interested in the area heck in ghost towns in general and that year I made my first trip to Ouray, Colorado to check out that area. Fast forward to 2013 and I’m now in Wyoming for a job assignment. With it being Memorial Day weekend being a three day weekend I started to make some plans on where to go. The original plan was to hit up Kirwin and Morrison Jeep trail over by Cody Wyoming but due to the recent weather I wasn’t sure either route would be open.

So I made alternate plans to hit up Atlantic City and South Pass City just south of Lander Wyoming. A couple of days before the trip I made a call to the forest service to see if the route back to Kirwin was open and to my delight it was. So my plans changed and morfied into a combination of the two plans, I would hit up Kirwin and the Sinks Canyon State Park on Saturday then on Sunday hit up Atlantic City and South Pass city before heading on back.

Saturday morning came with an early wake-up call to finish packing and letting my parents know where I was heading in case things went sour on the trip. Yes, I’ll admit that I’m 31 and still report back to my parents where I’m at since I do a lot of solo trips and really have no one to let know where I’m at in case something happens. The trip to the trail head at Kirwin was uneventful minus seeing a moose and saying screw it to Mapquest directions since they were way off.

The view at the beginning of the trial.



The road back to Kirwin starts as a dirt/gravel road than shown enters a old glacier moraine (I believe that’s the right term)/creek bed with three separate crossings with the third crossing being the deepest. There is a forth crossing later on but it’s minor.



Kirwin in the back ground tucked within the trees.




As you near the end of the trail to pass a couple of old structures and the forest service kiosk and outhouse. The trail ends shortly after at a gate that is for forest service use only and access to four different hiking trails further up. After crossing a small bridge you enter a meadow and into the Kirwin townsite. Most of the remaining structures are boarded off or locked to prevent entry, however there are a few structures that you are still able to enter.

Old equipement






The old mill is still one of the few structures that you can enter and explore.

Old lift mechanism on the second floor of the mill.













Just past the structure above the road/trail continues on down for a ways probable a 1/2 mile or so to a few other structures that are visible from the road.







This is one of the reasons that I’m assuming that the forest service has a number of the structures blocked off.











This is the final structure in this portion of Kirwin. There is the remains of another structure further past this but it’s more or less a pile of lumber now.

Heading on back to the trail head.



After spending a little over an hour exploring this portion of Kirwin I had debated to just go ahead and grab lunch and head on out or to explore down one of the hiking trails to see where it lead. Needless, to say I chose the latter and I’m glad I did otherwise I would’ve missed out on two more structures.

I’ll make a return trip to explore these trails some more



















Looking up though the tower section of the building.


The creek crossing outside.







The final view as I headed back to my car to grab some lunch.



After having my fill of exploring Kirwin I headed on back to my car to grab some lunch. I had debated to just stay in the area to check out the hiking trails and camp for the night or to go ahead a stick to my original plan and head south to The Sinks Canyon State Park two hours away to camp for the night. I decided to go ahead and head south and leave the hiking trails to another time.

‘The Sinks Canyon State Park, Miners Delight, Atlantic City, South Pass City and Somewhere in between still to come.’

Wow looks like a great time.

Maybe, I should finish this report.

Before leaving on this trip I had checked out the available campsites in the State Park and the dispersed camping areas up FS Road 300 and around Atlantic City and South Pass City areas. Utlimately, though I decided I would head to the State Park for the night. I later found out in the morning that FS Road 300 was still closed for the season and the dispersed camping areas just outside the park where a rocky mess.

Once setting up camp in one of the few remaining campsites I head down to the check out the visitor center and to hike one of the trails in the area. Bedtime came early than normal due to the days activities but that didn’t bother as I had planned an early morning start to check the Sink and to make the hike to the falls which feeds the Sink.
Hiking around the State Park





This photo kind of reminded me of an owl for some reason.




After an early morning wake-up call I headed out to see the Sink and the Rise before the other visitors came.

The Sink








The Rise – from what I understand this is where the water from the Sink remerges downstream.


Water bubbling back up

After making visiting the two main features of the park I make the hike to the falls and to the eventual loose of camera lens cap; one thing to the note was at the trail the park service noted that there is a dead animal in the area and that predators maybe present. Well, isn’t that comforting.







The falls








Right before I took this photo I went to pull my camera out of the case and upon doing so the cap to my camera lens came off bounced off a rock and into water. Oh, well live and learn I guess, at least it wasn’t my camera, wallet or car keys.


Tee-Pee at the end of the trail




Heading on back to my car.


While planning my route the night before down to the Atlantic and South Pass City areas, I noticed on my map that FS Road 300 came out near the South Pass city exit and I figured that it would be a bit more scenic than taking the highway. However, I learned that the road still wasn’t opened and I would have to take the highway. From the State Park South Pass city is 28 miles via FSR 300 while it was 46 miles via the highway.

After another scenic drive though some red rock country and some green rolling mountains. I was back on dirt and it was off to my first stop along this portion of the trip; Miner’s Delight.



The route on back




The graveyard at the start of the hiking trial for ‘Miners Delight’

The old stamp mill




After touring around Miner’s Delight I headed off to my next stop ‘Atlantic City’. For one reason or another I was hoping for a little more in this area even though I did my research on the area before coming I was still a little disappointed. There are some neat old structures in the area but most are on peoples propertry or they living in them so I really didn’t explore to much.








The only building in the area that I did explore

After spending a brief time in Altantic City I could have either headed to South Pass City or take a slight detour and head to the ‘Wille Handcart Site’, a part of my churches history (yes, I’m LDS). Needless, to say I chose the latter and headed off to the church history site.



Monument and plague






Unmarked graves






After touring the site and grabbing some lunch I was faced with another decision. According to map I had I was just a short distance from the ‘Strawberry Creek Pony Express Station’ and I could either head there and find the marker or head to South Pass City. Being me I chose to head out to Pony Express Station. Unfortunately, though I never did find the marker. The two tracks split at one point, the route to the left headed though a fence and down in a small gulch or the route to the right which faded off then remerging going up a hill then vanishing again. Not wanting to trespass though a fence or get off the track I turned around and headed back.




I was kind of out there




After making it back to the main road I headed on off to ‘South Pass City’.

Somewhere about mid-way between Atlantic City and South Pass City I came across another old abandoned mine site. I didn’t explore past the road since there were ‘No Tresspassing’ signs posted up on the buildings.











The Carisse Mine site just above South Pass City







An old structure on the way in

South Pass City



















A couple of displays in one of the buildings

A piece of old mill equipment












The old school house








Ester Hobart Morris Homesite








The old paper press




More displays in another building

Inside the old Inn








Upstairs










Another old Saloon and make shift barber shop










The old town jail house








South Pass City end up being the more touristy portion of the trip with the most people around and to tell you the truth I kind of prefer the less touristy areas. Regardless, I still enjoyed the visit.

After making my final rounds I headed on back home to relax before heading back to work on Tuesday and to get cleaned up. Overall, I coverd approximately 708 miles mostly on pavement. Next time around I wouldn't mind trying to make the journey on dirt.