Even though they're on opposite sides of the same Wind River Wilderness, Pinedale is quite different from Dubois. For one thing, Dubois is in a tight valley between two high mountain ranges, but being on the South side of the Wind Rivers, Pinedale is bordered by only one range, which soars up to the North of town. To its South, Pinedale faces the Red Desert, often called the Painted Desert. While that desert includes several fascinating spots of its own, such as the 130 year old wagon ruts of The Oregon Trail, several salt flats, natural gas fields, and huge expanses of sagebrush and high chapparal ecosystem, it's a much different landscape than a mountain range. The second major difference is that Pinedale lays much further out on the plain, so you're not looking right up at the mountains and you can't set out from town with a pack on and dayhike into the high country. You have to drive out of town to the trailheads. The third difference is that the natural gas industry is much more visible in Pinedale than in Dubois; drilling rigs and gas workers are always visible at the bars, restaurants and motels. The final difference is that Pinedale is blessed with a tremendous amount of standing water : huge lakes on the edge of town and a total of 1300 within a 10 mile radius. Seen above and below left, these offer camping, boating and fishing.

Pinedale's historic claim to fame is that it was the site of the Green River Rendezvous, the annual get together of the mountain men in the 1800s. This historic reunion and trading extravaganza is reenacted every year and is definitely worth attending if you can line your trip up with it, although it's popular and you'll need to make motel or camping reservations well ahead.