Community Profile
• Sublette County population estimated by the US. Census Bureau 2020 – 9,865.
• Total Area – 4,936 square miles.
• 1 percent or 49 square miles is made up of water
• Residential Units: 6054
• Median age of residents: 39.7
* Median household income: $78,655
* Percentage of households with retirement and Social Security Income: 61.3%
* Percentage of houses that are seasonal homes: 26.8%
Top 3 Job Sectors
(Percentage of jobs 2020)
1. Government ................................................. 18%
2. Mining (including fossil fuels......................12%
3. Construction..................................................10%
Household Income 2020
Less than $25K................................................13%
$25K - $100K...................................................51%
More than $100K.............................................36%
* Wyoming is the least populated state in the nation. Sublette Count is the 8th least-populated county in Wyoming
* More than 62% of Sublette County's population lives outside of municipalities, making Sublette County Wyoming's most rural county.
* More than 80% of the land in Sublette County is owned by government (towns, county, state and federal).
* More than 30% of the federal land in Sublette County is in protected status such as wilderness areas, wilderness study areas, or inventoried roadless areas. Another 2.7;5% of lands in Sublette County are private lands protected by conservation easements.
Pinedale - All The Civilization You Need
In route to Jackson, Grand Teton National Park, and Yellowstone is Pinedale, Wyoming on Wyoming Centennial Scenic Byway/US Hwy 191. It's a true western town and a must for adventurous travelers who want to experience the vast expanses of three mountain ranges with the Wind River Mountains boasting Wyoming's highest summit, Gannett Peak. The scenic drive opens the door to a destination rich in historic pioneer trails and cultural attractions such as the Museum of the Moutain Man, phenomenal outdoor recreation with unique natural surroundings where wildlife outnumber the residents by 10 fold, incredible fly fishing on the Green and New Fork Rivers, and most popular, Fremont Lake, Wyoming's second largest lake is a mere four miles from town. Throughout the year, Pinedale always has something going on in town to celebrate its western culture and love for the great outdoors.
Big Piney / Marbleton
Big Piney is the oldest settlement in Sublette County and was named by Dan B. Budd for the Piney Creeks. In 1879, Daniel B. Budd and his partner Hugh McKay brought a thousand head of cattle from Nevada hoping to ship them at Point of Rocks, but winter caught up to them here in the Green River Valley. The following year Dan Budd moved his family here and that is how the settlement of this town began. Big Piney was called "Ice Box of the Nation" when it was officially made a weather station in 1930. Big Piney had the coldest year round average temperature of any place nationally.
It's a curiosity, considering most Wyoming towns are few and far between, that Big Piney and Marbleton would only be a mile apart. They have separate post offices and town governments. Big Piney was incorporated on July 5, 1913. In the early days there was a lot of drainage problems with the site on which Big Piney was built. So Charles Budd, eldest son to Dan B Budd had hope to build the town up on the bench to alleviate this problem. Charles did establish Marbleton on the bench, in late 1913, but it never replaced Big Piney. Any attempts to combine the two towns has been unsuccessful. The truth is people here kinda' like it that way. Both towns cooperate with each other. The citizens of these two towns take a lot of pride in the growth of their little metropolis over the past years and think the founders would be proud too.
Daniel
The town of Daniel located in the Green River Valley was settled in 1899 by Thomas Pixley Daniel, although it was not incorporated until Feb. 1, 1900. Just west of Daniel at the confluence of the Green River and Horse Creek is one of the original sites of the fur trader and Indian rendezvous. Beginning in the 1930's, the reenactments of the Green River Rendezvous were held at this site. Now the pageants are held annually in Pinedale the second week in July. The old Daniel School house, which is registered as a national historic landmark, is now the Daniel Community Center. This is an area rich with history and the community club has recently published a book "Daniel, Wyoming - The first Hundred Years" to commemorate their centennial. The Community Center also sponsors such events as the Aniel Daniel Chili Cook-Off in April as well as the Old Timer's Picnic in July. The Green River Library, registered as an official library in the Library of Congress, is located in the Green River Bar.
Cora
The Wind River Mountain Range provides a spectacular backdrop for Cora, Wyoming. Located approximately 10 miles northwest of Pinedale, it was named after Cora House. The Cora post office was first established in the 1890's. The building is made of hand-hewn logs transported from the Upper Green River. It contains historic memorabilia of the area and serves as a central meeting place for the area residents. At one time, Cora boasted a saloon, blacksmith shop, dance hall and newspaper.
Population: 300
Elevation: 7,396 ft.
Boulder
Boulder is a small community located 12 miles south of Pinedale, in the New Fork River Valley. It has a population of approximately 75 people and was originally a ranching community. The Boulder School was consolidated in with the Pinedale schools in the mid-60's. The old Boulder School became the Boulder Community Center in the mid-70's. The Cowbelles Harvest Ball and the Pinedale Fine Arts Council Black Tie & Blues are held here.
BONDURANT
This small community is named for B.F Bondurant who established his ranch in the Hoback Canyon in 1900 and later he built a store and post office. Bondurant is a small ranch community located in the mountains of the scenic Hoback Canyon on US Highway 191 between Pinedale and Jackson Hole. It sits at 6,588 feet elevation and is bordered by the scenic Gros Ventre Wilderness area and the Hoback River. Many of the residents live here only in the warmer summer months and "snowbird" out during the winter due to the deep snow the valley tends to get in the winter months.
Population for the town proper is officially about 100 people. The town has an elementary school for the kindergarten through fifth grades. Older students are bussed 43 miles to the middle and high schools in Pinedale. The town has a post office, but it is located several miles to the south of the actual town of Bondurant.
One of the big events in this community is the Annual Bondurant BBQ held the last Sunday in June at St. Hubert the Hunter Church. For this community social gathering, local ranchers donate two whole beef which are barbecued in an open pit. This tradition began on August 3, 1941 at the dedication of this little country church. This event usually draws around 800 people. The money raised helps to maintain the little log church, which was enrolled in the National Register of Historic Places on January 24, 2002. Money from the annual Bondurant BBQ also helps support the community hall and some local services.
In addition to its ranching heritage, the area also is significant historically and has many unique recreational opportunities nearby. The are many outdoor recreational activities to enjoy in Bondurant including fishing, hunting, snowmobiling and horseback riding. The nearby Gros Ventre Wilderness Area is remote and relatively unknown, offering spectactular scenic views for hiking and hunting. Granite Hot Springs makes a great destination both summer and winter to enjoy the uncrowded thermal pool and nearby campground.
Bondurant and HobackArea History
On Sept. 26 1811, the Astor party with William Price Hunt, 61 people and 118 horses entered the Hoback Canyon near Bondurant while making their way westward to the Pacific Ocean. The basin was known then as Jackson's Little Hole. The three legendary trappers, Hoback Reznor and Robinson, guided the party. These were the first known white men to pass through the Upper Green River Valley. From that time on, the stream and canyon became known as The Hoback.
The oldest carving date found in Sublette County is located on the Ferris Ranch near Dell Creek, in the Hoback Basin near Bondurant. Don Ferris found this on a rock covered with shrubs, near his home, where he had lived since about 1919. He found it in 1961. the carving is M A. 1791. It could be an M P. The A or P is indistinct. It is considered to be the oldest carved date in the county.