Western Wyoming Wildfire Threatens Famous View Of Squaretop Mountain

The picturesque vista of Wyoming’s famous Squaretop Mountain features the aptly named peak as the focal point of a sweeping panoramic looking southeast along the Green River.

It’s one of the Cowboy State’s most recognizable landscapes, behind Old Faithful, Devils Tower and Grand Teton.

Unlike those famous destinations, Squaretop is less accessible, more remote and now threatened by wildfire.

“It’s one of my favorite places to go,” said Pinedale nature photographer Dave Bell, adding that he’s worried wildfire will destroy that celebrated view.

The Dollar Lake Fire continues to burn northwest of Squaretop Mountain in the Bridger-Teton National Forest about 38 miles north of Pinedale, where Bell lives.

While the line is fairly stable around the northern and western sides of the fire, it continues to push southeast along the Green River Lakes and Green River. That’s a direct route to Squaretop and nearby White Rock Mountain.

The fire is still a few miles upriver from there and may never reach the mountain, but it’s the same surrounding wilderness along the water that frames that breathtaking view, Bell said.

“It’s iconic and it’s a view that’s known around the world,” said Bell, who owns Wyoming Mountain Photography. “It was on the (Wyoming) license plate, and a view we’re very protective of and love.

“It kind of breaks my heart. It’s nature and that happens, but there’s nothing worse than a blackened stick forest, and I doubt it would heal in my lifetime if it all burns.”

‘That’s Wyoming’

The Dollar Lake Fire was first reported Aug. 21 and has since grown to nearly 15,750 acres, reports Wyoming Team 2, which is in charge of fighting the fire. It’s 30% contained as of Friday.

The Green River Lakes and river provide a natural boundary to the east, as rugged and steep terrain make getting ground crews into the area difficult.

That’s also where Todd Stevie’s family outfitting camp has been since 1936. He’s spent his life there and in the surrounding wilderness, and his business — Thompson Outfitters — draws clients from around the globe because of that view of Squaretop.

The fire “burned within 100 to 200 feet of our camp,” Stevie told Cowboy State Daily. “The Forest Service crews and the Sublette County fire crew did a great job saving it.”

He agrees with Bell that the famous view of Squaretop Mountain is special and unique. He also thinks it’s about to change for a generation.

“As far as the scenery here, what this fire’s going to do to Squaretop remains to be seen,” he said. “But it’s going to change, for sure.

“Everybody that’s ever been there, if that’s not your favorite view, there’s something wrong with you. That’s Wyoming, that’s what it is.”

‘It Just Sucks’

When the fire first started, Bell said his first thought was of how it could impact Squaretop and White Rock.

“That was absolutely my first notion — we’re going to lose the Squaretop view, there was no doubt,” he said. “It just sucks, it really does.”

Bell said he understands there’s a place wildfire has in the nature managing itself and that whatever burns will likely come back even more beautiful. But at age 73, that’s not likely to happen in his lifetime, he said.

“If it happens, it happens, there’s nothing we can do about it,” Bell said. “Mother Nature has a mind of her own, but it’ll work out over time.”

For Stevie and other outfitters, lodges and campgrounds in the area, they stand to lose more than a view.

“We’ve lost the last, basically, month of our summer season,” Stevie said. “Hopefully, we can salvage our hunting season. We have an archery season starting Sept. 15.”

He’s not optimistic, however, knowing what the firefighters have to deal with.

“Where the fire is now along the lake, it’s really steep and really rugged,” Stevie said. “It’s just a jumble. They can sure get in there, but I don’t know what they’re going to do when they get in there.”

If that view of Squaretop changes with patches burned forest, “Dave and I will never see it the same again in our lives,” Stevie said.

It also would be a blow for Wyoming, because that’s where the state’s heart is, he said.

“My God, it’s the picture on the license plate, for goodness sake,” he said. “Grand Teton is probably more photographed, but it’s only because it’s more accessible.”

Contact Greg Johnson at greg@cowboystatedaily.com

Greg Johnson can be reached at greg@cowboystatedaily.com.