Pinedale is a town in and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

of Sublette County,

Wyoming Wyoming () is a U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the south ...

, United States. The population was 2,030 at the 2010 census. Pinedale is an important hunting outfitting town and a gateway to the

Wind River Mountains The Wind River Range (or "Winds" for short) is a mountain range of the Rocky Mountains in western Wyoming in the United States. The range runs roughly NW–SE for approximately . The Continental Divide follows the crest of the range and incl ...

. It is also a major gateway to the Jackson Hole area in Wyoming. Additionally, Pinedale is near several large natural gas fields, including the Pinedale Anticline and Jonah Field. Attractions include the

Museum of the Mountain Man Museum of the Mountain Man is a museum located in Pinedale, Wyoming, US that exhibits western historical pieces relating to the mountain men A mountain man is an explorer who lives in the wilderness. Mountain men were most common in the North A ...

, Green River Rendezvous Days, White Pine Ski Area, the Pinedale Aquatic Center and the Town Park System along the Pine Creek Corridor in the middle of town. The mayor is Matt Murdock, who was elected in 2018.

Geography and climate

Pinedale is located at (42.866162, −109.864622) and sits at an elevation of 7,175 feet above sea level. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the town has a total area of , all land. There are 1,300 lakes around the Pinedale area. Fremont Lake, four miles from Pinedale, is the most commonly used lake, and Wyoming's second largest natural lake. Pine Creek flows from nearby Fremont Lake through the town on its way to the

Green River Green River may refer to: Rivers Canada * Green River (British Columbia), a tributary of the Lillooet River *Green River, a tributary of the Saint John River, also known by its French name of Rivière Verte *Green River (Ontario), a tributary of ...

. Pinedale has a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...

''Dfb'') with summers featuring warm afternoons and cold mornings, plus very cold, dry winters. The average January low is , on average 46.3 mornings fall to or below and between 1991 and 2020, the temperature will drop to in an average year. The coldest temperature on record since records started in 1948 is during the bitter cold wave of December 1990. Although the winters are dry, there is enough moisture in the cold air for of snow during a typical winter, with the range being from between July 2016 and June 2017 to between July 1962 and June 1963.

Wildlife

Pinedale and the surrounding area are home to a large population of wildlife including both grizzly and black bear, moose, elk, pronghorn, mule deer, whitetail deer, bighorn sheep, and mountain lions. Over seven species of trout, including rainbow and brown can be found in the area lakes.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2010, there were 2,030 people, 847 households, and 484 families residing in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was . There were 1,080 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 90.5%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 0.7%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.6% Native American, 1.3%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 4.8% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 2.0% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

people of any race were 9.9% of the population. There were 847 households, of which 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.9% were married couples living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 42.9% were non-families. 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.96. The median age in the town was 33.5 years. 23.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 33.2% were from 25 to 44; 24.9% were from 45 to 64; and 9.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 54.8% male and 45.2% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,412 people, 582 households, and 368 families residing in the town. The

was 996.5 people per square mile (383.9/km²). There were 718 housing units at an average density of 506.7 per square mile (195.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.95%

, 0.35%

, 0.71% Native American, 0.14%

, 0.14%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 0.42% from

, and 1.27% from two or more races.

people of any race were 1.49% of the population. There were 582 households, out of which 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.4% were married couples living together, 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.6% were non-families. 30.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.89. In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.6% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 26.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.8 males. The median income for a household in the town was $35,188, and the median income for a family was $40,880. Males had a median income of $31,976 versus $22,143 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the town was $20,441. About 7.8% of families and 8.9% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 5.5% of those under age 18 and 10.4% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Public education in the town of Pinedale is provided by Sublette County School District #1. Schools serving the town include Pinedale Elementary School (grades K–5), Pinedale Middle School (grades 6–8), and Pinedale High School (grades 9–12).

Tourism

The region offers many outdoor activities with its close proximity to the

Wind River Range The Wind River Range (or "Winds" for short) is a mountain range of the Rocky Mountains in western Wyoming in the United States. The range runs roughly NW–SE for approximately . The Continental Divide follows the crest of the range and incl ...

. These activities include fishing, hiking, camping, boating, four-wheeling, hunting, skiing/snowboarding, snowmobiling, ice fishing, and ice skating. The town hosts the Green River Rendezvous, a reenactment of historic fur trader gatherings at the

Upper Green River Rendezvous Site The Upper Green River Rendezvous Site is a site on the Green River (Colorado River), Green River above and below Daniel, Wyoming, Daniel, Wyoming, United States. On and near this location, roughly around the confluence of the river with Horse Cr ...

in nearby

Daniel Daniel is a masculine given name and a surname of Hebrew origin. It means "God is my judge"Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 68. (cf. Gabriel—"God is my strength" ...

. During Rendezvous, rodeos take place at the rodeo grounds and many businesses and vendors set up booths around town.

Hazards

Encountering

bear Bears are carnivoran mammals of the family Ursidae. They are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans. Although only eight species of bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Nor ...

s is a concern in the Wind River Range. There are other concerns as well, including bugs,

wildfire A wildfire, forest fire, bushfire, wildland fire or rural fire is an unplanned, uncontrolled and unpredictable fire in an area of Combustibility and flammability, combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire ...

s, adverse snow conditions and nighttime cold temperatures. Importantly, there have been notable incidents, including

accidental death An accidental death is an unnatural death that is caused by an accident, such as a slip and fall, traffic collision, or accidental poisoning. Accidental deaths are distinguished from death by natural causes, disease, and from intentional hom ...

s, due to falls from steep cliffs (a misstep could be fatal in this class 4/5 terrain) and due to falling rocks, over the years, including 1993, 2007 (involving an experienced NOLS leader), 2015 and 2018. Other incidents include a seriously injured backpacker being airlifted near SquareTop Mountain in 2005, and a fatal hiker incident (from an apparent

accidental fall Falling is the action of a person or animal losing stability and ending up in a lower position, often on the ground. It is the second-leading cause of accidental death worldwide and a major cause of personal injury, especially for the old age, ...

) in 2006 that involved state

search and rescue Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search ...

. The U.S. Forest Service does not offer updated aggregated records on the official number of fatalities in the Wind River Range.