Wind River Canyon Closes After Wet Weekend Rockslide

The Wind River Canyon was completely closed for a few hours on Saturday after the weekend’s winter weather caused a large landslide.

On Saturday, April 23, a significant rockslide occurred near the tunnels at the southern end of the Wind River Canyon around 6 p.m. The slide was large enough to close Wyoming Highway 120 for several hours.

Because of the rockslide, the entire Wind River Canyon was closed. As a result, many people traveling between Shoshoni and Thermopolis were trapped until the highway was cleared.

Thankfully, the slide was mainly blocking one lane. W.Y.D.O.T. personnel responded quickly to clear the fallen rock and allow traffic to resume.

Shortly after midnight on Sunday, April 24, W.Y.D.O.T. District 5 announced the canyon was reopened, and the rockslide cleared.

While rockfalls in the Wind River Canyon are common in spring, this is the first time one has been large enough to shut down the canyon. The last rockfall that closed the canyon occurred in 2019 when one massive boulder blocked both lanes of Wyoming Highway 20.