Wild Iris Mountain Sports History

It all began in a small house on the corner of Third and Lincoln streets in Lander, selling primarily used climbing equipment. In late 1991, the store moved to a Main Street location four times the size of the original house. Over the following years, the store continued to grow forcing an eventual move in 1998 to a second Main Street location at 333 Main Street. In early 2013, Wild Iris Mountain Sports moved the store to a larger space at 166 Main Street, in order to support the community’s growing needs.

Since 1991, Wild Iris Mountain Sports has been proud to provide the best outdoor gear and local recreation information. Initially, the business ran with two major tenets in mind: to employ climbers and to provide a source of equipment for those climbers. While the company’s climbing roots drive their passion, the business has become much, much more. Wild Iris has grown to include a large selection of men’s and women’s apparel, camping equipment, footwear and, of course, climbing equipment.

In more recent years, Wild Iris has reached out to the Lander community in significantly broader ways. Since its inception, Wild Iris has been a major sponsor of the International Climbers Festival, which draws people from all over the world to experience our beautiful climbing and outdoor opportunities. Wild Iris works annually with key vendors to bring the Wild and Scenic Film Festival to Lander. The shop has partnered with the Wind River Alliance, the Wyoming Outdoor Council, the Lander Care and Share Food Bank and the Lander Pet Connection to create fundraising opportunities for these key organizations in a retail setting. Designed with the environment in mind, Wild Iris’ Refuse a Bag program donated $715 in 2012 to a variety of local organizations that were suggested by its customers. Wild Iris manages and conducts fundraisers for the Bolt Anchor Replacement Fund, whose purpose is to maintain safe climbing anchors at our local areas.

Wild Iris is more than just a climbing shop – they believe they can make a positive impact in our community through programs that give back while also supporting our local economy.