(Fremont County, WY) – A local effort has been underway with the Wind River Visitor’s Council (WRVC) and three University of Wyoming seniors to designate Lander-South Pass City and Dubois as Continental Divide Trail Gateway Communities.
Both locations garnered a total of 31 letters of support (17 for Dubois and 14 for Lander-South Pass City) from local businesses and organizations. The Fremont County Commissioners and the City of Lander also supplied letters of support.
The Continental Divide Trail stretches over 3,000 miles and spans from the southern border of New Mexico to the northern border of Montana.
Gateway Communities are towns and cities in close proximity to the Continental Divide Trail. These communities are recognized by the Continental Divide Trail Coalition as places that serve those using the Trail and provide necessary amenities to hikers such as lodging, food, internet, laundry services, and showers.
The applications for the designations were submitted at the end of March to the Continental Divide Trail Coalition (CDTC). A letter of support from the Town of Dubois is still needed in order to move forward with its possible designation. They plan to have it as an action item at their next council meeting on April 13th, according to WRVC Executive Director Helen Wilson.
She also shared some statistics from a CDTC survey conducted in 2020 that examined the economic impact of trail visitors in Colorado. Wyoming has not had a survey.
“The survey found that on average, section hikers spent $180 on overnight accommodations, $116 on travel expenses and $116 on restaurants and bars per trip. Thru-hikers spent an average of $254 on overnight accommodations, $106 on travel expenses and $166 on restaurants and bars during their trip.”
Pending application approval, a May 3rd dedication celebration is planned in both Dubois and Lander. County 10 will share the details once things are finalized.