When will it hit $5 a gallon? Gas Prices Diesel was $4.90 per gallon at the Midway Mall on Monday, July 14th, making us wonder how long before it hits $5 per gallon? Regular unleaded ranged from $4.16 to $4.26 per gallon in Big Piney and Marbleton on this day. The Wyoming average was $4.111/gallon for regular unleaded and $4.679 for diesel. Photo by BigPiney.com.

Big Piney campgrounds temporarily closed (posted 7/23/08)
Road washout closes access to Sacajawea and Middle Piney Lake campgrounds
Bridger-Teton National Forest
(Big Piney) – Big Piney District Ranger Greg Clark of the Bridger-Teton National Forest has temporarily closed the Sacajawea and Middle Piney Lake Campgrounds due to the access road being completely washed out. The road flooded approximately 300-feet below the Middle Piney dam, preventing vehicles from making it to the Middle Piney Lake.

"We have closed the road at the second bridge," stated Clark. "Adequate parking at the second bridge is available and right now foot traffic is allowed to the lake from the parking area," he said. The area is accessible by foot for day use recreation. The hike from the parking area at the bridge to the lake is approximately one and a half miles. All visitors have left the Middle Piney campground and overnight camping is not allowed.

Presently, the Sacajawea Campground is also closed due to the fact that the culvert just before the entrance to that campground is plugged as a result of the high water volume and debris. "That road also has the potential to wash out," commented Clark. "I have ordered a back hoe crew to work on the area and to attempt to unblock the culvert and clean out the logs that are building up behind the first bridge going up to the lake," said Clark. "If we can get the culvert cleaned out and reduce the potential for wash out, I will reopen the Sacajawea Campground," he said. There are no campers remaining at the Sacajawea Campground as of today (Wednesday, June 23).

There is no estimate as to when the Sacajawea or Middle Piney campground will be reopened. Forest officials will be evaluating the extent of the damage and looking at what the time, cost and labor needs will be to repair the roads so that they are suitable for access. For information on the current condition of the road, contact the Big Piney Ranger District at 307-267-3375.

Related Links:
Bridger-Teton National Forest

Local Contact Numbers
Big Piney Town Hall
PO Box 70
Big Piney, WY 83113
307-276-3554
E-mail: tbpiney@yahoo.com
Mayor: Phillip Smith
www.townofbigpiney.com

Marbleton Town Hall
PO Box 4160
Marbleton, WY 83113
307-276-3815
E-mail: marbletontown@hotmail.com
Mayor: Jim Robinson

Big Piney Ranger District
Bridger-Teton National Forest
315 South Front Street
P.O. Box 218
Big Piney, WY, 83113
307-276-3375 or 276-5800/5200
Fax: 307-739-5235/276-5835
www.fs.fed.us/btnf/

Sublette County Courthouse
21 S Tyler, Pinedale, WY 82941
Big Piney Direct Line 307-276-3827
Marbleton Annex 307-276-3735
Pinedale Information: 307-367-7722

Sublette County Sheriff's Department
PO Box 701
Pinedale, WY 82941
Marbleton: 307-276-5448
Pinedale: 307-367-4378

Big Piney Post Office
401 Budd Avenue
307-276-3772
1-800-275-8777

Sublette County School District #9
Superintendent's Office: 307-276-3322
Big Piney High School: 307-276-3324
Big Piney Middle School: 307-276-3315
Big Piney Elementary School: 307-276-3313
Big Piney Pool: 307-276-9966

Southwest Sublette County Pioneers Senior Citizen Center
111 Rakestraw Ave. Marbleton, WY
P.O. Box 33
Big Piney, WY 83113
Phone: (307) 276-3249
Fax (307) 276-3249
E-mail: southwest001@centurytel.net
Open 8:00am to 4:00pm
Lunch at 12:00 noon Tue. Wed. Thurs. (starting July 1, 2008)
Joan Mitchell / Director

More Area Information:
Sublette County Chamber of Commerce (Pinedale)
307-367-2242 or 1-888-285-7282

BigPiney.com (Pinedale Online!)
307-276-5699 or 307-360-7689 (days, evenings, weekends ok)

Sublette County Fair
July - August
The Sublette County Fair is packed with entertainment and fun. There is something for everyone to enjoy.

One of the many highlights is the Lil' Buckaroo Rodeo. The audience holds their breath as these young cowboys and cowgirls try their hand at bronc riding. The evening ends with the youngest contestants competing in the stick horse barrel race. The greased pig contest is another favorite, the crowd roars with laughter watching the wave a kids overtaking the slimy critters.

Spend some time viewing the livestock shows and watch the participants as they receive their awards for a job well done. Enjoy the wonderful food which some how tastes more delicious in the atmosphere of the fair festivities. Finish the night off at the rodeos with many local cowboys and cowgirls participating in the fast paced events. Visit the Sublette County Fair web page to enjoy pictures from previous years fairs.

For more information visit - www.sublette.com/countyfair.

Related Links:
Sublette County Fair 2005
Little Buckaroo Rodeo 2005
Pig Wrestling 2005
2005 C4-A Rodeo

Green River Valley Museum
Open June 3 through October 15
The Green River Valley Museum is located on the main street in Big Piney. Artifacts from prehistoric Indians, pioneers, homesteaders and other various groups that have settled this area are on display at the museum. Many of the items displayed at the museum were donated by local families. 'Hard Hats and Stetsons' is the annual fundraiser for the museum. The name of the fundraiser itself reflects how important the cattle and oil industry have been for this valley.

The museum will open on Tuesday, June 3rd this year. It is open Tuesday through Saturday from 12:00 Noon until 4:00 PM. Admission is by donation. For special tours, call museum director Carrie Anderson at 307-276-3637.

For more information visit www.grvm.com

Chuckwagon Days
July 4th Weekend
Chuckwagon Days takes place each year over the 4th of July weekend in Big Piney. There is a Lil' Buckaroo Rodeo, a parade down Big Piney's main street followed by a free BBQ at the Sublette County Fairgrounds, an afternoon rodeo, street dance and late evening fireworks (on the 4th).

The "Chuckwagon Chug" a 5k and 10k Walk/Run, will be held on July 4th, before the Big Piney Parade. Start/Finish is at the Big Piney High School parking lot. There will be prizes for top finishers and gift bags for all contestants.

More information about Chuckwagon Days can be found here: Chuckwagon Days

Local Lodging
If you are looking for local lodging and places to stay in the Big Piney-Marbleton areas, be sure to check the Sublette County Chamber of Commerce website under lodging. Big Piney and Marbleton are located about 35 miles south of Pinedale, so look under motels, RV parks and campgrounds specific to our towns. www.sublettechamber.com

Camping near Big Piney & Marbleton
The closest campgrounds are located on the Big Piney Ranger District of the Bridger-Teton National Forest. They offer two developed campgrounds and many opportunities for dispersed camping in the Wyoming Range west of Big Piney and Marbleton. The forest boundary is approximately 20 miles from local businesses and town services. For detailed information, contact the district office at 307-276-3375.

Sacajewea Campground Located 25 miles west of Big Piney. This campground has 26 sites, basic amenities, and is open June 15th through September 30th. The camping fee is $7.00 per site, per night. This campground has running water, an on-site host, and is well maintained. No electricity, showers or phone.

Middle Piney Lake Campground This is a primitive campground located further down the road from the Sacajewea Campground. This camp area is next to Middle Piney Lake and has 5 tent sites, tables and pit toilets. NO running water, electricity, showers or phone service. NO fees. Because of the narrow winding road to this campground, it is not recommended to take trailers to the lake site.

Forest Service Cabins Big Piney Ranger District offers two Forest Service work centers for rent for overnight stays. One is located at Snider Basin and the other in the Hoback. Contact the Big Piney office for more information on availability and fees.

NOTICE ABOUT BEARS: These campgrounds are in bear country. Both black bears and grizzly bears inhabit the Wyoming mountain range. Visitors are strongly encouraged to practice clean camping techniques and store attractants in a manner that makes them unavailable to bears. Bear-proof canisters are available for rent from the Big Piney Ranger District office. Bear-proof dumpsters are located at various locations at campgrounds and recreation areas on National Forest land.

Dispersed Camping:
There are practically unlimited opportunities for dispersed camping on the Bridger-Teton National Forest near Big Piney/Marbleton. The forest boundary is approximately 20 miles from town. Stay limit is 16 days in any one location. Campers should either bring their own water or boil water obtained from sources in the outdoors to avoid getting sick from organisms that live in lakes and streams. Do not drink untreated surface water. Dispersed camping is available along the Piney, Cottonwood and LaBarge Creek drainages.

Camping on BLM land
There are no developed campgrounds on BLM land near Big Piney or Marbleton, however there are many places for dispersed camping for those who are prepared to bring their own drinking water and camp without developed facilities. For more information, contact the Pinedale Field Office of the Bureau of Land Management in Pinedale.

Private RV Campgrounds
There are several private businesses that offer RV campsites for overnight and extended stays. Most have power, water and sewer hookups. Click here to our sister website, Pinedale Online, for info about private RV campgrounds and services.

Related Links:
Bridger-Teton National Forest/Big Piney Ranger District
Sublette County Chamber of Commerce

Big Piney, Wyoming, "Ice Box of the Nation"

Big Piney & Marbleton
Ice Box of the Nation
Big Piney is the oldest settlement in Sublette County, Wyoming 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, they have a common school. 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. Both communities have thrived in the last several decades because of the oil and gas industry. In the 1980's Marbleton recieved it's own post office, because of the number of people moving to the area.

Sublette County Ag Center
The Sublette County Ag Center is an indoor arena used by county residents for 4-H programs, ropings, youth rodeo, barrel racing, horse shows and much more. It is located at the Fairgrounds, north of Big Piney and Marbleton on Hwy 189.

For more information visit www.sublette.com/agcenter.

History of Big Piney 1885-1920
This is a Pictoral History of Big Piney of the Town of Big Piney from 1885 - 1920. This project was sponsored by the Green River Valley Museum. There are photos and histories of some of the first settlers in Big Piney. There are photos of Dan and Josephine Budd's original homestead.

Other Area History - http://www.sublette.com/history

To contribute information to this community website,
please e-mail: info@bigpiney.com or info@marbleton.com.
Phone: 307-276-5699 • Fax: 307-276-5414