Located approximately 10 miles northwest of Pinedale on a scenic
drive along Highway 352 with panoramic scenery of the Wind River
Mountains, Sawtooth Mountains, and the Gros Ventre Mountains. Cora is
at the heart of the famous Upper Green
River Valley, an area of rich western history that provided sustenance
and marketable goods to the earliest trappers and settlers, and
continues to support Sublette County families today. Cora is the small
mountain town that introduces the unpaved road to the Green River,
Dollar Lake, Green River Lakes, Square Top Mountain, and more. Travelers
pass homesteaders' cabins with historic markers that tell the story of
the tie hacks and their camps. The remains of the earliest dude ranch in
Sublette County, the first in a long line of successful local
businesses, stand in this valley. For several weeks each June the Green
River Drift, one of the longest (and longest-running) cattle drives in
the nation, takes place when cowboys on horseback push livestock from
the valleys to graze the rich mountain pastures, a distance of about 70
miles. Visitors on the road to Green River Lakes can observe this
present-day historic phenomenon from the highway. Mountain bikers,
hikers, horseback riders, and ATV enthusiasts will enjoy the uncrowded
trails that shoot off in this valley.
In
the winter, travelers can enjoy overnight accommodations and dining at
the Kendall Valley Lodge or a home cooked meals at The Place Restaurant
throughout the year. The Continental Divide Snowmobile Trail is
accessed at the Upper Green parking lot that welcomes snowmobilers to
enjoy watching the winter elk feed ground, epic trail scenery, and area
lakes for ice fishing. Annual winter events include One Lunger Vintage
Snowmobile Race at the Sagebrush Downs Racetrack in Cora and the
International Pedigree Stage Stop Sled Dog Race at the Upper Green
parking lot in Cora.
In route, you will
notice the Cora Post Office off the highway which was first established
in the 1890's. This site was originally made of hand-hewn logs
transported from the Upper Green River. The building still serves today
as the local post office with historic memorabilia of the area and
serves as a central meeting place for the area residents.
Population: 300
Elevation: 7,396 ft.