BOULDER — Everyone is invited to Big Sandy Lodge’s celebration party for their recent listing on the National Register of Historic Places on Saturday, July 6. The public is invited to tour the Lodge and grounds between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., with the National Register plaque presentation scheduled for 1 p.m. Complimentary dessert will be provided, and the Lodge will offer 20 percent off their burger menu all day. Because parking space is limited, carpooling is highly recommended. Bring your own lawn chairs and picnic lunch if you wish. The celebration event is being co-hosted by Big Sandy Lodge and the Sublette County Historic Preservation Board.

Big Sandy Lodge is located on the southern end of the Wind River Mountain range. It is at 9,100 feet and borders the Bridger Wilderness area. It operates seasonally from summer through the fall hunting season. It offers the closest services to the Cirque of the Towers area in the Wind River Mountains. The lodge is about a one-and-a-half-hour drive from Pinedale and a little further from Rock Springs.

The site started as a fishing camp by famed mountaineer, Finis Mitchell, who, along with his wife, Emma, established the fishing camp in 1930 on the edge of Mud Lake. They operated the fishing basecamp through the Great Depression. Finis was one of the earliest to stock fish in hundreds of high-elevation lakes in the Wind River Mountains and he later became known as the “Lord of the Winds.” The current wrangler cabin still present at the site was built during Finis’ time in the 1930s. 

In the 1950s, the camp was bought and further developed by the Thomas family, who added the log lodge and several small log cabins to operate a guest ranch. It has been continuously operated as a guest ranch since that time. Today, Big Sandy Lodge is operated by the Morris family, providing stays in the cabins, horseback trail rides, guided hunting and fishing trips, and packing-in supplies for back-country hikers. Electricity to the lodge is provided by a generator and lamp light. There is no cell phone or internet service at the Lodge. The facility operates under a Special Use Permit from the Bridger-Teton National Forest.

Big Sandy Lodge is the only remaining U.S. Forest Service-permitted resort in the Bridger-Teton National Forest that has been preserved and maintained as originally built. Because of this, and its association with Finis Mitchell, the property was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in November 2023, with the help of the Sublette County Historic Preservation Board.

Big Sandy Lodge is 44 miles from the nearest town, Boulder. A high-clearance vehicle is recommended due to the rough dirt road. Come up with a full tank of gas (the last stop for fuel is Lander, Farson or Boulder). Electric vehicles are discouraged as there is no electrical service at the Lodge and no nearby recharging stations.

Come up on Saturday, July 6 for a relaxing day and help the Morris family celebrate the honor of having the Big Sandy Lodge listed on the National Register of Historic Places. For more information, visit their website www.big-sandy-lodge.com, call 307-749-1401, or email bigsandylodgewyoming@gmail.com.