Home Near Jackson (Cheyenne, Casper, Laramie: to buy, school, camping)

[Senator]

I am not a state resident, however I have visited Jackson a few times.
I am completely taken with the area and am seriously considering a home in the vicinity. Money thank God is not the question.

Any suggestions or tips about various areas.

A few things to figure:
My kids love horses. (Me Too!)
I have a pilot's licence and plane!
My wife enjoys open space, and quiet.

Thanks

[sunsprit]

Not quite sure what you're asking ....

Wyoming has a very low population density; the whole state has about a 1/2 million population, with only two 50,000 towns ... Cheyenne and Casper. Some counties have fewer than 5,000 population total. So, if you avoid the hustle and commotion of the energy boom towns ... it's virtually all open space and quiet. Consider, too, that about 1/2 the state's area is public lands (FED, State, School lands, BLM, Forest, Wilderness, etc.) so there's a lot of very wide open spaces.

Virtually all of the state is great for horses & trail riding. The NW portion can have more of the hard/rocky soils, while East is softer ground (sandy). We don't shoe our horses ... keep a "natural" trim on them, and they do fine everywhere. That includes Morgans (with the hardest hooves you've ever seen ...), an Arab with very small feet, and a Paso Fino. Trail riding is encouraged, and we even have a county maintained open space adjoining Fed lands that has corrals by the camping sites ... first come, first served, of course. I've never shown up where I didn't have a space, generally the whole place ... all to myself. I've ridden back there where the only other people I've seen for days were the members of my own group, if any.

With a good budget for housing/land, you can have just about anything you want ... your own "ranch" of some sections of land is only in the 7 figure range. Depending upon soils, water, irrigation, house(s) and location ... you can buy all the privacy your eye can see. Just how remote do you want to be? Do you want your own airstrip? Do you want to run livestock? Do you want to farm some ground?

Flying in Wyoming is very wide open. Mountains, plains ... many small towns have a local muni airstrip, some have courtesy cars, bigger towns have FBO's with full service. Great views and vistas, camping at a lot of places. I hangar my 182 for $800/year at the local muni strip (Cheyenne was $225/month for a big & beautiful new hangar, but the plane can't tell the difference), and we now have a paved ramp (after years of dirt taxiway areas) to go with our 5,000' runway which the town keeps plowed clear in the winter months. Only a few towered airports ... this is all back country flying for the most part. You'll need to stay sharp on your extreme cross-wind techniques ... many places get windy/turbulent and consistently exceed the rated cross-wind ability of your aircraft. Landing gets pretty sporting sometimes in the 185, far exceeding what I can do comfortably in a 170. It's not a state for light aircraft IFR flying ... generally, it's either good VFR or it's way low IFR/icing conditions which preclude prudent flight. Keep in mind that most airstrips are over 5,000' elevation, which means high density altitude take-offs/landings, especially during the summer months. You will be landing on a lot of other than paved strips ....

There's a lot of ranch/farm strips, where you'll be welcome for a perpetual pot of coffee and flying friends that you'll get to meet if you're into that .... and a lot of unimproved strips where, if you need to stop enroute due to weather or can't get in to a muni strip due to conditions ... you'll be OK to land. Regionally, Idaho back-country flying (into wilderness areas) is next door, and Colorado or Kansas Fly-in's abound. Colorado Pilot's Association does Wednesday lunch fly-ins almost every week, weather permitting ... join and fly in with a great bunch of people to a lot of destinations within 1/2 to 2 hour radius of Denver for lunch; they also do ranch fly-ins. St Francis KA for the Stearman fly-in each first weekend in June, great camping on the field with grass runways and lots of friendly folks ...

What's your pleasure?

[Senator]

I appreciate your time.

If somebody has information about the Jackson area, that beautiful north-south corridor, surrounded by all those glorioius mountains, please advise.

The gist of the various communities and all their various posotive-negative traits!! Thanks!

[RJt01]

Jackson is not like the rest of Wyoming, and I dont mean the scenery. As I am not sure what part of Jackson you find appealing, please keep that in mind. Lifers do not seem to have a very good opinion of Teton County and its residents because they are out of touch with the rest of the state. However should you be able to make friends in the community of natives in that area you will experience the Wyoming mentioned in other posts.

If you do to want to experience the real Wyoming, the ranches around Sheridon are representative. Also take a look between Cheyenne and Laramie - the setting of the Flicka novels.

If money is not an issue, time shouldn't be either. Take some time to look a few hours out of Jackson. Wapiti County is beautiful and very rural.

We love newcomers, so please take the time to find your best fit so that you want to stay a while.

[sunsprit]

Senator ... not quite sure what you're asking about.

But here's some insight, good/bad about Wyoming, including Jackson!:

You made a point about being a pilot/aircraft owner. IF you're flying a gas single, this state (including Jackson) and the surrounding area is a wonderful place to fly, very unlike most of the lower 48. We don't have the moisture to obscure the visibility, and the vistas are incredible. Very low aviation traffic density to contend with. Few restricted areas, no class B airspace. Access via the small airstrips around the state is excellent.

IF you're flying something burning JetA other than a Maule or a 206, you're not going to experience much of Wyoming ... There's places just for you in Jackson, Saratoga, or Dubois. You'll be welcome as a big dollar tourist there with all the rest of the guests ..... even if you've bought a place there.

Horses ... as I explained, it's part of the real Wyoming culture. How you handle your horses and ride is more important to us than how big the swelling is in your checkbook or the papers on your horse. You can ride trails, wilderness, cows ... whatever is your fancy. Day trips, short rides, overnighters, ten day trips ... everywhere, including ... Jackson!

Fishing is great throughout much of the state, including ... Jackson!

Hunting is great throughout much of the state, including ... Jackson!

Beautiful and unique National Parks and Forest abound throughout much of the state, including ... Jackson!

Lots of ultra wealthy people from out of the area own "ranches" here throughout the state, including ... Jackson!

So, if you're seeking a place to rub elbows with the ultra rich and famous and compare your palaces and other possessions and clothes and jewelry, Jackson's just got all the snob and glitter appeal in one place when you're not in NYC, or Aspen, or Hollywood, or Naples, or Malibu .....

I know of several billionaire families around Jackson with incredible places to show off a couple times a year when they come out to "visit". It's a unique part of Wyoming's attraction which few get to see ... thankfully, for those of us who really live here.

You can get snowed in anywhere in this state for awhile during the winter months, including ... Jackson!

The wind can really blow for days on end in this state, including ... Jackson!

Water availability can be limited in this state, including ... Jackson!

You can find places to ski around this state, including ... Jackson!

You can snowmobile in many places around this state, including ... Jackson!

You cannot earn a living in many places around this state, including ... Jackson! The costs of living exceed the wage/salary scales in many places .... Housing may not be available in many places; you may have to buy land and build to suit ....

Does this help you get a perspective on the good/bad of this place?

Or do you have a specific question?

[Earniefan]

RJt01,

Between Cheyenne and Laramie, are you trying to blow him to Nebraska, lol?

[RJt01]

Originally Posted by Earniefan

RJt01,

Between Cheyenne and Laramie, are you trying to blow him to Nebraska, lol?

Gads I forgot how windy it is in SE Wy - but where doesnt the wind blow here?

[grimreaper]

Hey the wind rarely blows in Lander! I visit the windy spots, only. I don't want to live in them. Don't send him here, though.....we're tyring to keep this place a secret.

Grim Reaper

[Wyomiles]

Look around Pinedale, Lander, Dubois, Saratoga, Buffalo, and Cody also.
Wyomiles

[Earniefan]

Don't be telling some rich guy about Saratoga(or Pinedale for that matter) what's the matter with you??!!! LOL!!!!