Where in Wyoming is this? (Casper, Riverton: buying, college, camp)

[jkb826]

Wow -- lived all my life in Wyoming and never knew there was a Riverside WY. Had to look it up to make sure.. Learn something new every day around here

[sunsprit]

True Cowboy and OP ... if you're serious about "farming" and "ranching", please go through the posts re water and land use in Wyoming.

To have enough land to "farm" is a pricey proposition ... and to have adequate water to do so is even more expensive to acquire water "rights".

Ranching takes a lot of acres, too.

Even if you can find a modest parcel, say a half section (that's 320 acres), you're not looking at supporting much in the way of livestock (maybe 3-4 cow/calf units) without supplemental feeding.

At $2,000 per acre for such land, it gets expensive real fast for a "real" productive piece of property.

OTOH, if you're just thinking about keeping a couple of horses, a cow, and keeping a large garden ... you can do it on 40 acres. Just be prepared to buy your hay and feed. A greenhouse would help a good bit if you want to grow your own stuff for fresh and preserving ... the growing season can be very short in a lot of the communities mentioned so far.

[Cathy4017]

Originally Posted by case44

The 1 to 3,000 part, you won't have any trouble with. There are only five people living in Wyoming, so it will be easy for you to find small-town living. Hope it goes well.

You want a town to shut down?? Surely you jest!

Case, you've just been living in "Big D" for too long....LOL!!

[WyoMama]

Originally Posted by cujmb1

Hi I too am currently on a quest for a beautiful SMALL town w/woods & mts. I also thought Wyoming looked great. I had been researching Montana quite a bit as well. I noticed you posted this awhile ago, so I was wondering if you found your bit of heaven yet? Please let me know. Thanks!
Jennifer

Jennfer, need to advise you to check into the tax situation in Montana. They don't have a sales tax so the residents are heavily taxed to cover those lost tax dollars that others could be helping with while visiting. Owning a biz in MT is a challenge because of taxes - just check those out before you decide on one or the other. They have a state tax on top of their other excuses of tax - Wyo does not. And our property taxes are a lot less than MANY other states in the Rocky Mtn Region. I pay approx 1% of fair value on my home, annually, in town if that gives you any idea.

[ken_&_nikki]

Try Douglas, Wyoming, which is between Casper and Cheyenne/Laramie. In fact, a relatively new celebrity in the Mineapolis area is a fine representation of that community. Check out JKATS Home Page and listen to the voice of a fine young Christian product from Douglas!

[Rick323]

Originally Posted by lovethewest

I see you took my suggestion from your post on the General U.S. board to heart. I'm glad to see you're seriously considering Wyoming. I

I agree with ElkHunter's suggestion. Any of the towns along the east side of the Big Horns would be wonderful.

Another town I must suggest is Saratoga in the southern part of the state. It has about 1,700 people and very friendly/neighborly. It's also very beautiful. The North Platte River flows right through town is wonderful for floating or trout fishing. I believe it's a Blue Ribbon river. To the west of town are the Snowy Mountains and the Snowy Range Scenic Byway (a very beautiful national scenic byway meandering over the mountains) and to the east are the Sierra Madres, a small, but beautiful range. In town are natural hot springs. There is the "Hobo Pool" which is free of charge and wonderful for a soak. You can also soak in hot springs in the river. Laramie (pop. 27,000) is about an hour away for shopping and culture (it's home to University of Wyoming). Here's a really good picture of Saratoga: Saratoga, WY : Mountains over looking Bridge Street photo

Some day when I grow up I'd like to move to Saratoga. Very nice town between the mountains and not to far from Baggs.

[wyo10]

Look in the big horn basin, Cowley, Byron, Lovell.. park county is lovely too, powell and cody. All have VERY strong christian communities that are very tight knit. Especially the Cowley area. I lived there for fifteen years and I have never met a nicer, caring community.

[lookinup]

Originally Posted by Simple Living

I'm a country guy currently living in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. (That is not of God!)

I'm currently working in Corporate America and living on one paycheck a month so I can throw the second one at debt. I'll be completely debt free by the end of the year and then will be able to save a bit of money before leaving Corporate Hell and Minnesota altogether! (All of this should happen in about one year.)

One of the places I'm considering moving is Wyoming. I love the openness of the state. I love that there aren't any cities with even 60,000 people yet! I love small towns and small town folks. There are other areas I'm looking at, but I'm at the point of researching Wyoming now. Here's a list of what I'm hoping to find (as much as is possible, that is). I would really appreciate your feedback to let me know what area this describes:

- Small town feel. I don't mind rural. Too many people is when you hit the 10,000 mark! I like the 1 - 3,000 range the best.

- I want to be a part of a community that gets together for community events, whether it's a summer celebration or to help out a hurting neighbor. A place where they know the importance of neighbors and community.

- I'm a Christian and like to be active in church.

- I'd like to live where I can have plenty of land to have a huge garden of fruits and veggies. I like to can and like to share with people who need it. Love to garden. I don't mind the cold as long as I can squeeze in a garden during the year.

- I'd like a community that doesn't mind helping each other out with their needs by bartering goods and services when money runs tight for people. For example, the plumber will fix a mom's toilet in exchange for babysitting services. I realize not a lot of places do this, but I've lived in one that did. It was great!

- I like the mountains, rather than the open plains. Cold temps don't bother me, but hot and humid doesn't sit well with me. I can handle a few days, but not much of it. But I want to see the stars again. Lots of 'em. (We have three stars in Minneapolis and one of 'em keeps winking at me. I'm getting concerned.)

- A decent internet connection and cell phone coverage would be great as I intend to make a living as a freelance writer and will need to be connected.

- I like towns that aren't open 24/7.

- It would be nice to have the convenience of a larger town about 1 - 1.5 hours away at most, but not necessary.

- I don't mind the cold, as long as I have enough of a growing season to squeeze a decent garden in.

- Would eventually like to buy some land of my own outside of town, to build a small log cabin and use solar and wind power. I don't necessarily have to live off-grid, but I'm not opposed to it. Would just like to not have to depend on the electric company. I'd like to be as self-sufficient as possible without having to use the woods as an outhouse. (All things have their limits!)

Ringing any bells so far?

Check out Pinedale, Wyoming, its a great little town, population of about 2000 people, it is between Jackson Hole and Rock Springs. Everything shuts down between 6-9, except the bars! There is one grocery store in town and lots of great people. Check it out at pinedaleonline.com! Good luck!

[jazzlover]

Simple Living,

I think you are looking in the wrong place. I spent several years living in Wyoming and I loved it, but several points in your post make me think it is probably not going to be the place for you. First, Wyoming's climate is not conducive to agriculture as one would think about it in the Midwest. Growing seasons are short, virtually all of the state is arid, and soils are often poor.

Compared to many states in the Midwest and "Bible Belt," Wyoming tends to be a relatively "non-religious" state. That is not to say that Wyomingites are not some of the most moral, decent people anywhere (most of them are), but the state's long heritage with the mining and resource industries have brought a lot of people into the state that are more "secular" in their outlook. In the areas of Wyoming that are fairly religious, the predominant religion is often LDS.

Also, quite frankly, the transient and "boom/bust" nature of Wyoming's mineral-based economy means that some of the state's communities often do not have the same sense of community and "fellowship" that are present in more economically stable communities elsewhere. Not all Wyoming small towns are Mayberries--some are more like the modern version of Tombstone or Deadwood.

Bluntly, if you are expecting Wyoming to be a relatively unpopulated version of the Midwest, it is not--and never has been. Wyoming is just plain different, and a lot of transplants from the Midwest or East never make the transition. As I said at the beginning, I loved it there, but I am a native of the Rocky Mountain region and have spent most of my life living in the rural Rocky Mountain West. I also have relatives across the Midwest, and I know what those areas are like, too. There is a big difference.

[MRVphotog]

Originally Posted by lookinup

Check out Pinedale, Wyoming, its a great little town, population of about 2000 people, it is between Jackson Hole and Rock Springs. Everything shuts down between 6-9, except the bars! There is one grocery store in town and lots of great people. Check it out at pinedaleonline.com! Good luck!

Apparently you haven't been to Pinedale recently
Plan would allow 4,400 more wells - Salt Lake Tribune