Anyway, follow that Jeep trail down toward the bottom, where it first starts getting pretty flat, and youll find a ton of fossils. google_ad_height=600; Sharktooth Ridge teeth and trace fossils near Rawlins, WY: 6.) Belemnites and other fossils near Bridger, MT: Winton petrified wood near Rock Springs, WY: Sharktooth Ridge teeth and trace fossils near Rawlins, WY: Interesting sedimentary features near Adobe Town, WY: Fossil Mountain & Darby Wind Cave near Jackson, WY: Red Gulch Dino Track Site near Shell, WY: Devils Kitchen walk-in access near Red Gulch, Wyoming: Moonshine Arch near Vernal, UT along with a dinosaur track site at Red Fleet: Blue forest petrified wood near Granger, WY: Fish fossils and some shark teeth near Farson, WY: Agatized fossil shells near Rock Springs, WY: Calcite for making lamps and also nice bots in roadside cut near Lander. Check out the table down below to see where these specimens of sedimentary rocks are found in Wyoming. Important Disclaimer: I have not been to these locations myself, and I do not know if they are currently open for collecting. My little girl loves rocks now (gems and fossils both). The ant hills are basically everywhere if you get out and walk around, and your biggest issue will most likely be needing 44 to get there, and especially across the creek to the north. This area was explored by a South African diamond company briefly but nothing came of it. Check out how to cut and polish petrified wood in the article below:How To Cut & Polish Petrified Wood: Follow These 3 Steps. No rockhound excursion would be complete in Wyoming without exploring Yellowstone National Park. In the charred areas with coal youll find petrified wood. Thank you for your reply! As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Pictures and notes on the fossils near Farson. My kid loved exploring it with me. Here are 10 of the best rockhounding sites for rocks and minerals in Wyoming: If youre doing some rockhounding in Wyoming, you wont be lacking for rocks and minerals to find. Winton petrified wood near Rock Springs, WY: 5.) Obsidian is abundant in Yellowstone, with the most famous location being the Obsidian Cliff, located in the northwest part of the Park. Agates, copper minerals, uranium minerals, and calcite-aragonite can be found throughout Park County in northwestern Wyoming. So, this saves us precious time. I will as usual get a BLM map and make necessary calls for sure after reading reply. Petrified wood is also found in the Early Basic Breccia of Eocene age, in the Specimen Ridge and the Amethyst Mountains area of Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. You can also read through my free rock identification guide and mineral identification guide which are filled with useful information and tools. One of the most common questions rockhounds have is whether or not they are allowed to collect at a certain location. Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps. Some areas of individual parks are legal to rockhound, but it all depends on the state. Simple Explanation, 8 Factors Why Opal is Valuable (Prices for Different Types), How To Cut & Polish Petrified Wood: Follow These 3 Steps, Recommended tools and equipment for rockhounding, Commonly found in the Paleozoic rocks, the Permian Phosporia formation, and the Mississippian Madison limestone, The northwest city of Cody and the Lovell town in Big Horn County, The Spirit Mountain Cavern, located west of Cody, along the Yellowstone Highway, The Eocene Green River Formation of southwestern Wyoming, or the town of Green River, Very common in all of the Precambrian mountain cores of Wyoming, On the west of Jay Em in Muskrat Canyon area of Goshen County, about 15 miles west of Wheatland, in the Marble Canyon area of Platte County, in the Medicine Bow Mountains of Albany and Carbon Counties, the Bighorn Mountains, near Douglas, in Converse County, and from the west flank of the Black Hills in Crook County, The Copper Mountain, Freemont County, in the Laramie Range of Albany and Converse counties, the Lewiston area of Fremont County, and the Bighorn Mountains area of Washakie County, Almost in all of the Precambrian pegmatites of Wyoming, Albany County, Carbon County, or 23 miles southwest of Wheatland, Platte County. Here, rockhounds can find some incredible specimens, including: The Casper Mountains contain chromite, feldspar, and beryl. Hello and thank you for posting this information. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS We are noobies at rockhounding and shark teeth have been on our bucket list. Hello, I am John.As a little boy, I was fascinated by stones and liked to take them home. Cancel. The higher hills to the west (the mesas and buttes) are all ultrapotassic and mafic rocks. Its located in the southern part of the state, with Albany on its eastern side. A lot of theseWyomingrock collecting sights have mining claims that come and go. Rockhounds have several excellent locations to choose from in Wyoming. It is, simply put, the most comprehensive and easy-to-understand rock identification system youll find anywhere. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. In Wyoming, you can find sedimentary rocks such as bentonite, chert, coal, concretion-geode, conglomerate, gypsum, limestone-dolomite, oil shale, shale, taconite, or trona, among many others. Only very minor surface mining has been done here. HowtoFindRocks.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This article will dive deeper into the many great rockhounding sites across the state (along with maps), but Id like to highlight a few standouts here. The entire region boasts many outcrops of bentonites, which are ash clay layers left over from ancient volcanic activity. Im going to try and find a shark tooth location to surprise my husband. Forgot username? Pictures and notes on the fossils near Farson. Fossils in the escarpment. Sharktooth Ridge teeth and trace fossils near Rawlins, WY: 6.) Bookmarked. Near the Sierra Madre Mountains, in the Hot Park Area, barite is commonly found, a couple of miles southwest of Encampment. google_ad_client="pub-2930148589555936"; Rainbow agates have been found along the Wind River near Riverton. what are the host rocks associated with watermelon rock and the labradorite? Obsidian isnt listed here since we know how much rockhounds love this igneous rock, so let us talk about obsidian separately. This bundle of information includes a book, videos, and online tools. If you are a rockhound and don't live in Wyoming, you may want to move here! The club started in 2016 and has been growing in numbers ever since. I found this book very useful and clearly written. TIP: Geodes can form anywhere in the world, but they do not form at random. If you want more locations before i get these done and a different view of theWyomingmineral collecting area check out my, ___________________________________________________, ____________________________________________________, Welcome to Wyoming Rockhounding Adventures, 2010 Rockhounding and mineral collecting reports, 03-27-10 Wyoming rock hounding agate and jasper, 04-23-10 Schrckingerite or schroeckingerite found at lost creek, 05-22-10 Riverton rockhound club field trip, 05-30-10 Orthoclase the other white crystal, 09-04-10 Wiggins fork moss agate petrified wood, 10-09-10 Malachite and azurite in the rain copper mountain part 3, 10-23-10 Azurite and malachite copper mountain pt4, 2011 Rockhounding and mineral collecting reports, 04-10-11 Schrckingerite or schroeckingerite found at lost creek part2. However, there was some trouble with this in the recent past. Select locations particularly the tailings of old mines are prime spots for specimens of minerals like azurite, malachite, beryl, tourmaline, and garnet. In general, the best places to find agates in Wyoming are in gravels and washes, particularly in Sweetwater County, Fremont County, and along the Sweetwater and Wind Rivers. lol Thanks again! google_ad_type="text_image"; You can follow the formations exposure along a great length of the escarpment. However, Jade can be located in the Sweetwater River district, just southeast of the Wind River Mountains. First of all, check the Tertiary igneous rocks in the Wood River and Sunlight Basin areas of Park County and the Black Hills area of northeastern Wyoming. google_ad_type="text_image"; amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; Welcome to the Wyoming State Geological Survey Interpreting the past, providing for the future. Sublette County, located in western Wyoming, is noted for jade findings. Joining up with a local rockhounding club for a group trip can often get you access to otherwise off-limits locations like privately owned mines and quarries. The GemHunter (Dan Hausel) found peridot and garnets in the area, the latter of which can also be found NNW of Cedar Mountain. GreenDay hikes; can be done as overnights. The higher hills to the west (the mesas and buttes) are all ultrapotassic and mafic rocks. Additionally, you cannot progress away from Black Rock to the southGoogle Earth and maps for the area are old, but mining concerns have cordoned off the area and dug huge swaths of land away, so youll just drive for 30 minutes and get stuck. Jades are present in Carbon County as well. This area is very close to Red Gulch Dinosaur Tracksite. So where to rockbound in Wyoming, and what can you find? But sometimes you can mistake feldspar with quartz. google_color_bg="1B1B1B"; I'm Mike Rhea, and I'm a professional Geologist with a passion for rocks, minerals, and everything related to Geology. I am in Farson WY and went to check out the fish fossil/shark tooth location listed. High-clearance only. 1.) On top of that, weve created a resource page to assist with answering all of your gem and mineral collecting questions. Im here to serve you! Interesting sedimentary features near Adobe Town, WY: 7.) LockA locked padlock Geologic Map of Phantom Lake Quadrangle Geologic mapping of the Phantom Lake quadrangle in Carbon County is available. The specimens found here vary from blue, and light gray, to deep colors such as violet. Follow the four-wheeler track down the mountain and into the badlands below. I hope this will make it a bit easier to find information on my Wyoming rockhounding pages. Rockhounding is recognized as a legitimate recreational pursuit on nearly all of the 18 million acres of public land in Wyoming. amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit0"; To get you started on prospecting, the Wyoming State Geological Survey has prepared a I mention all this as it helps explain how to find the peridot. A majority of counties in Wyoming contain numerous rocks, minerals, fossils, and gemstones. I'm transcribing these hikes in my own order, but if you'd like to see one moved to the top of the review list, just let me know. Sublette County, located in western Wyoming, is noted for its jade findings, while the mineral molybdenite is found in the Wind River Mountains. You can find many types of feldspar minerals in Goshen County, including mica minerals, and in the Muskrat Canyon area of the county, you can find the marble. Palmer Canyon is the place to be if you want to find sapphire. Should I be digging ? I'm starting with the most popular and working my way to the more obscure. Now that weve talked about the best places for rockhounding in the state of Wyoming let us take a look at where you might find individual specimens, such as gemstones, minerals, and rocks. The GPS map below shows how I drove, as well as the two main places I walked which had good anthills. hobby, or education. Of special note, a very interesting surge-flow outlet for a creek is found in the V section of the road by the pullout. We hope you enjoy your time on our site and come back often because were always adding new dig locations and crystal collecting updates. Specimens may become depleted from other collectors, the location may have been built on or altered, locality information in literature may be inaccurate, and property ownership may have changed hands. Simple Explanation. To get started, you can check out my recommended gear page which contains my full reviews for every Geologists favorite rock hammer and the best hiking backpack Ive ever owned. In Wyoming, you can find sedimentary rocks such as bentonite, chert, coal, concretion-geode, conglomerate, gypsum, limestone-dolomite, oil shale, shale, taconite, or trona, among many others. Fossil Mountain & Darby Wind Cave near Jackson, WY: 8.) Sign In. There is a limit to the number of specimens you can carry, which differs from site to site. amzn_assoc_asins = "B01IEX2TEO,B0002YWWVE,B08N41884X,B00A4H4ZQ4"; Clear chalcedony and vein moss agate occur along this countys outcrops of the Bridger Formation. The Hartville district within Platte County is said to contain some copper minerals. Veins of banded agate and drusy quartz occur in Mississippian limestone beds a few miles northwest of Guernsey, Platte County. 5 Crucial Signs. Introduction 1. TIP:Rockhounding is much easier when you use proper tools and equipment. These public lands administered by the BLM are open to everyone to take limited amounts of rock material for noncommercial purposes without charge. Wyoming is also noted for its abundance of discovered meteorites. There is of course another way to find larger pieces of peridot in the area. A number of the best locations are on private land, and while Ive gotten access from the owners, I cant list them here. Blue forest petrified wood near Granger, WY: 11.) travel through Wyoming's basins and across its mountain ranges, you can pass over all of the geologic eras of time which produced a variety of rocks, minerals, and fossil 5 Crucial Signs, Gemstone & Crystal Properties (Quick Study Home), Ultimate Explorer Field Guide: Rocks and Minerals (National Geographic Kids), Difference Between Real & Fake Geodes: Focus on These Signs, What Is Agate And How Do Agates Form? This club hosts multiple outings every month during the summer. Where are the best places for rockhounding in Wyoming? You can probably find it just about anywhere in the area, though I had good success looking along the eastern flank of Black Rock. In the Bighorn Range part of Natrona County, you may discover pegmatite, while the igneous rock pumice-pumicite is located in the Split Rock area of Natrona County. Public access with nice walk in. Youll see a lot of shining material along the tops of the exposure, but unless you really want some trona, you can ignore it. Below you will find maps published by the Wyoming State Geological Survey. The state fossil Knightia-fish is located in the Green Fiver Formation of Wyoming. or Forgot password? NPS Public Domain Photo. google_ad_host="pub-6693688277674466"; Other sources include: North Carolina Rockhounding Location Guide & Map, Montana Rockhounding Location Guide & Map. Use caution. Albany County is home to some of the best rockhounding locations in Wyoming because there are various rock and mineral specimens, including: Sand Creek and the Red Buttes areas in Albany County are full of sedimentary rocks. This will be our first time rock hounding Wyoming. ), Check ant beds in this area for peridot and other little gems. Quartz crystals are abundant in the feldspar pits south of Laramie. 2. Sweetwater County is located in the southwestern part of Wyoming. google_ad_format="120x600_as"; I cant thank you enough! If youre planning on heading to the field, make sure you have all the gear youll need! And if you have any tips (Ill keep your finds a secret! Still, there may be privately owned mining claims inside those boundaries and youll need to get permission to collect on that location. No, this wont make you rich. After a little bit it will split; right goes to Superior, and left goes to Winton. Winton petrified wood near Rock Springs, WY: 5.) You can purchase a Bighorn National Forest visitor map for $14 at ranger district offices in Buffalo, Greybull, and Sheridan. I recommend accessing the area from highway 414 to the west, turning right just above Behunin Reservoir. https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=17-pa3pYy0AqN0D2Zh4cXklR9A7g&ll=39.483150381536596%2C-111.60763899999999&z=8, Rated R and 5 Stars: Septoplasty and More, Review: Green River Lakes Campground and Kayaking Green River, Wyoming, Review: Fun Overnight Hike to Powell Lakes, Wyoming, Review: Brewster, Lunch, & Shoal Lakes via Big Balls of Cowtown Trail. A locations listing here is not a guarantee of accuracy. Is the watermelon rock you mentioned in article of the tourmaline family? Members can participate in outings, monthly meetings and be a part of a fantastic rockhounding community. The Triceratops was designated as the official state dinosaur of Wyoming in 1994, while the Knightia Fish gained the status of state fossil in 1987. You can also find quite a few more interesting minerals like amazonite, tourmaline, and beryl in the tailings of old mines scattered across the hills and mountain ranges. google_color_border="1B1B1B"; "Rockhounding Rules on BLM Public Lands" and Thats both an easy and challenging question since all of Wyoming is excellent for rockhounding enthusiasts. google_ad_client="pub-2930148589555936"; It is the responsibility of each rockhound to obtain permission from a landowner to search and/or collect on a piece of property. In Wyoming, nearly all 18 million acres of public land are legal for gem enthusiasts to pursue their recreational activities. The majority of these locations are my interpretation of Robert Bestes A Location Guide for Rock Hounds in the United States. Maps showing the location of public lands in Wyoming can be obtained from Monthly educational meetings are held during the autumn and winter on the second Monday of every month. Members can expect various educational speakers and a lot of group interaction. amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "rockhoundreso-20"; If you want to dig for gems in Wyoming, Amethyst Mountain would be an excellent place to start. Rockhound Trip report spring 2008. Sadly, it is illegal to rockhound in Yellowstone National Park, but you can do it outside the area. It will turn slightly left for a short, steep incline. Jade can be found in the Sweetwater River district southeast of the Wind River Mountains in Fremont County. This is where the famous Yellowstone National Park is located, which stretches for more than 2 million acres. TOP Manganese minerals or uranium minerals are found in the Wasatch Formation. Some of the most prominent metamorphic rocks in Wyoming are gneiss, marble, quartzite, schist, and slate, among many others. Phosphate rock is also located here. They are widespread and fairly easy to find if you have a general idea of where to look. BTW: Check out this amazing metal sign (Amazon link) which is perfect for everyone who loves rockhounding in Wyoming! Follow the road toward its terminus (going down toward a river) and easy, walk-in access is available. Go to Albany County, since agates are commonly found near Marshall, located in northwestern Albany. All 50 States Answered, contacting the assessor in whatever county youre inte, Gastroliths, Petrified dinosaur bones, Fossils, Gypsum, Dinosaur bones, Gastroliths, Fossils, Fossils, Ammonites, Dinosaur bones, Gastroliths, Agate, Chalcedony, Gold, Nephrite jade, Jade, Jasper, Muscovite, Quartz crystals, Agatized wood, Opalized wood, Tourmaline, Agate (banded, moss), Aventurine, Garnet, Sapphire, Agate (Sweetwater agate), Nephrite jade, Jade, Aquamarine, Beryl, Feldspar crystals, Muscovite, Agate, Chalcedony, Jasper, Jade, Nephrite jade, Quartz crystals, Silicified wood. I spent about an hour at this location, and . Peridot in ant hills and arroyos near Black Rock Butte. Below is a list of rockhounding locations in wyoming with a description of the minerals found there and pictures. Belemnites and other fossils near Bridger, MT: 3.) In fact, Wyoming is home to a unique variety of agate called Turritella agate that is extremely popular with local collectors. Tom, this is an AMAZING resource. The Absaroka Mountains are an excellent place to explore. Check out my article about how to identify a geode. Wolsey Shale yields abundant articulated trilobites (Albertella helena, Kochina gordonensis, Strotocephalus gordonensis, Ptarmigania gordonensis, and Vanuxemella contracta), as well as brachiopods (Acrothele colleni and Micromitra scuptilis) and hyoliths (Hyolithus convexus). 05-01-11 Water line and fortification agate and calcite geodes and selenite phew!! Sign in to your account on ArcGIS Online. Continue on the main path to Winton, Follow it. Collaborative Action and Dispute Resolution. As you can see, opals are found in many places in Wyoming, so let us dive into where to find chalcedony in Wyoming. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases with no additional costs for you. WSMGS Affiliated Clubs when planning your visit. The ranchers might harass you, but I just harass them back, since its public. The prominent minerals found in Wyoming are agates quite a variety of them, jades, opals, chalcedony, and other varieties of quartz crystals, among others. Wyoming is perhaps most well known for its world-class National Parks like Yellowstone and Grand Teton. They were easy to dig out of formation, but even more easily were found eroded perfectly on the surface. This paper has an alternate location along the logging road. google_ad_format="120x240_as"; See my hikes in to this area in the early spring, middle-summer, and late summer. You may also find gold along with parts of the Snake River in the southern part of Jackson Hole, northwest Wyoming. Most of the mining has been less than 20 feet . Fish fossils and some shark teeth near Farson, WY: 13.) South of Douglas in Converse County is where you will find jade as well. The Wasatch Formation is a great place to find manganese and uranium minerals. The ownership and status of land can and does change frequently, making it impossible to document accurate information for every location on this page.