View from Kilgore Creek
Sublette County (county seat; Pinedale, Wyoming) is located in western WY approximately 70 miles south of Jackson Hole, Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. We are located at the base of the the Wind River and Wyoming Mountain Ranges, at the headwaters of the Green River and on the west side of the Continental Divide in the Rocky Mountains.
We are surrounded by three mountain ranges (Wind River, Gros Ventre, and Wyoming) that include two rugged wilderness areas. The spectacular Bridger Wilderness and Gros Ventre Wilderness are a pristine unspoiled places where man is only a visitor.
This rural setting has only about 6,000 residents. The county is 80% public land including Bureau of Land Management (BLM), State, and the Bridger-Teton National Forest. Deer and antelope outnumber the residents by 10 fold and are commonly seen year round. Elk, mule deer, antelope, wolves, moose, grizzly and black bear, and many other wild life species call Sublette County home. This high mountain valley setting at 7000′ elevation with rivers, over 1,300 lakes, wildlife and towering mountains is an undiscovered paradise.
We are excited to be participating with the National Geographic Society to develop a Geotourism MapGuide for the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Sublette County is a large and critical part of this region. Please visit www.yellowstonegeotourism.net for more information on this project and how you can help.
Communities
Sublette County encompasses over 5,000 square miles, with more antelope than people. The primary towns are Pinedale with an estimated population of 1,800, and the sister towns of Big Piney (500) and Marbleton (800). Rapid growth is occurring, due mostly to two large natural gas fields located in the interior of the county. The sudden influx of energy related workers is straining local housing and infrastructure while boosting the economy and causing the county to have the lowest unemployment rate in the nation. Interesting statistics can be found at www.sublette-se.org, including population growth estimates, housing and employment numbers.
Pinedale is the natural gateway to the Wind River Range and associated Bridger Wilderness, while Big Piney and Marbleton make great basecamps for those venturing into the beautiful and less-discovered Wyoming Range on the western side of the county. The entire county is over 80% federally owned, with large tracts of BLM and National Forest lands. While energy is the current primary economic engine, supplanting tourism in the last several years, ranching is the prevailing historic culture.