While you cant collect rocks within those parks, the fantastically complicated and gorgeous geology found within their borders is a testament to the complex geological history of the area. We are here for any questions or concerns that might arise about your adventures in mineral collecting. Since rockhounds are highly prize geodes, we have made a special section on where to find these sedimentary rocks in Wyoming. It is, simply put, the most comprehensive and easy-to-understand rock identification system youll find anywhere. Albany is among the best rock-hounding places in Wyoming since you can find various rocks and minerals. Kemmerer, all washes and draws over a large area, Owl Creek, in placers SE of Washakie Needles, Lander, area surface over a very large region, Laramie Mountains, draws and washes of eastern slopes, Seminoe Reservoir, all area draws and washes, Saratoga, area draws and washes N to Walcott, Poison Spider Creek, area washes and draws, Check out my article about how to identify a geode, Rockhounding on Public Land: Laws and Regulations, Can You Collect Rocks in State Parks? Make a right on it. The GPS coordinate I put up is right by a place called Black Rock, which is an ultrapotassic, lamproite volcaniclastic exposure. You can also find agates a few miles west of Saratoga, Carbon County. Not a member of this organization? This is where you will find what is legal or not in Wyoming, in regards to rockhounding, where you are allowed to rockhound, what, and how much. For all of my maps, you can use my maps page. Wyoming is home to a large array of rocks and minerals that will be of interest to the collector, some of which are fairly unique to the area. The Bridger Formation in areas north of Wamsutter, Sweetwater County, and in an area north and east of Farson, Sweetwater, and Sublette counties, the western half of the Bighorn Basin of Bighorn, Hot Springs, Park, and Washakie Counties, or the Steamboat Mountain in the Leucite Hills. Public access with nice walk in. Johnson County is located in north-central Wyoming. Rockhounding is recognized as a legitimate recreational pursuit on nearly all of the 18 million acres of public land in Wyoming. The Absaroka Mountains are an excellent place to explore. 05-01-11 Water line and fortification agate and calcite geodes and selenite phew!! If you want to dig for gems in Wyoming, Amethyst Mountain would be an excellent place to start. TIP: A great deal of petrified wood is not suitable for rock tumbling or lapidary work because it has too many faults and fractures. Cancel. Triceratops fossils are mostly found in the Hell Creek Formation in the Black Hills region of South Dakota, eastern Wyoming. (DO NOT TAKE ANY FOSSILS! Stream gravels, washes, and draws all over this region will have the potential to contain nephrite jade as well as agates and petrified wood. This website also participates in Google Adsense. Quartz crystals, chalcedony, and vein moss agate occur along outcrops of the Bridger formation in the regions north of Sweetwater County. Pegmatite and sedimentary rocks such as bentonite are also found in Johnson County. Is the watermelon rock you mentioned in article of the tourmaline family? google_color_link="000000"; Use caution. Wyomings state gemstone, nephrite, can primarily be found in Fremont County, particularly in the large area centered around the towns of Lander and Atlantic City. Places for rockhounds to explore in Wyoming. //-->, Sign in|Recent Site Activity|Report Abuse|Print Page|Powered By Google Sites. Wall of crystals found hiking Big Balls of Cowtown Trail. //-->, Sign in|Recent Site Activity|Report Abuse|Print Page|Powered By Google Sites. google_color_bg="1B1B1B"; Everyone enjoys the prospect of finding their very own geodes out in the wild, and its easy to see why. Drive up the garbage road toward White Mountain and park near the area with the in-ground tank, then follow the trails west into the lower hills. Interesting sedimentary features near Adobe Town, WY: 7.) To gain permits for rockhounding in Wyoming, please check the BLM website here. 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. Becoming a member of one or more clubs or societies comes with a wealth of benefits. As you 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 types. amzn_assoc_title = "Here is some of my favorite rockhounding gear from Amazon"; In the Absaroka Mountains, you may discover opal, galena, or molybdenite. 2. The Medicine Bow Mountains are excellent places to find slate, galena, beryl, barite, and platinum-sperrylite. Precambrian metamorphic rocks are abundant in Wyoming. Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. However, lets talk about the 11 best places to rockhound in Wyoming. Late Tertiary welded tuffs are known to crop out in Yellowstone, while volcanic breccia is typical here. google_ad_format="120x240_as"; This will be our first time rock hounding Wyoming. 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. YellowOvernight hikes, typically 2 nights. Manganese minerals or uranium minerals are found in the Wasatch Formation. Note: magnetite is also present. | This bundle of information includes a book, videos, and online tools. I have tried to take care not to list locations within National Park boundaries since collecting is illegal there, but please remember that it is up to you to make sure you have permission to collect wherever you are. However, anywhere in the area around Black Rock should be good, and maybe to the west, too, which I havent checked yet. The True Worth of Agates. 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. You can find agate, allanite, lithium minerals, magnetite, manganese minerals, uranium minerals, and bentonite. Please direct technical questions (including broken links) about this Web site to webmaster@wsmgs.org. It looks as though theres something interesting around every bend within every county. Teepee Canyon Agates 13. Lots of sand. At the same time, some reports of meteorite findings are also standard in this region. Public access. I had an odd experience last year. Wyoming State Mineral & Gem Society However, I have compiled a list of resources here so that you may investigate and obtain permission for any locations (found here or elsewhere) for yourself. My kid loved exploring it with me. The ranchers might harass you, but I just harass them back, since its public. Opal is found near Smith Creek in Carbon County, and if you want to find quartz minerals, they are located from north of Saratoga along Wyoming Highway no. Rockhounds have several excellent locations to choose from in Wyoming. Concretion and geodes are common in many of the sedimentary rocks in the state, but a good way of finding geodes in Wyoming is to search for the conglomerate in limestone or sandstone. If you have a public-lands GPS map, you can proceed up the Plumbago Canyon road to the top, where people dont go, and find some nice specimens lying on the roadside. If you would like to read some of the source material for yourself I have listed them below. 130 to Walcott Junction. Sign In. ROCK SHOWS Gem, mineral. To determine what type of public land a particular location is on, I would recommend starting with the Wyoming Game & Fish Departments Public Access Summary. If youre really nice and want a piece, maybe Ill send you some. "Rockhounding, Prospecting, and Fossil Hunting on the Shoshone National Forest" Some of the more unique specimens you may be interested in are Turritella agates and nephrite jade which can both be found in relative abundance if you look in the right places. Other sources include: North Carolina Rockhounding Location Guide & Map, Montana Rockhounding Location Guide & Map. Now lets look at what sedimentary rocks are found in Wyoming. Please take our survey about how you use and access the data we provide on our website. 17. Post navigation. 08-13-11 A very hot day to rockhound with cool marcasite, 09-03-11 Crystal park quartz crystals and bread, 10-15-11 Another world class pseudomorph deposit, 2012 Denver gem and mineral show report fall, 2013 Denver gem and mineral show report fall, 2013 Rockhounding and mineral collecting reports, 04-06-13 Shirley basin agates and calcite, 04-13-13 red feather quartz crystals and a surprise mineral, 2014 Denver gem and mineral show report fall, Denver Coliseum Mineral Fossil and Gem Show, International Gem Jewelry Show denver 2014, Denver gem and mineral show 2010 report fall, Denver mineral show report 2010 fall part 2, Denver mineral show report 2010 fall part 3, Denver mineral show report 2010 fall part 4, Denver mineral show report 2010 fall part 5, Photo report Denver gem mineral rockhounding show 2011, Denver gem and mineral show report 2010 spring, Denver gem and mineral show report 2011 spring, Links to other Rock show reports Tucson , Denver, Blue Forest Wyoming petrified wood location, Copper Mountain Pegmatite District Wyoming. Meteorites have been found on a highway cut north of Laramie. or Forgot password? Knightia Fish fossils are primarily uncovered in the Green River Formation of Wyoming. I mention all this as it helps explain how to find the peridot. Here at Rockhounding Maps, we give you access and information to the best dig sites for crystals and minerals in Wyoming. LOCATIONS FOR ROCKHOUNDING IN WYOMING Includes descriptions and maps. If you want to find gemstones, such as amethyst, a great place in Park County is Amethyst Mountain. 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. Winton petrified wood near Rock Springs, WY: 5.) State-By-State Rockhounding Location Guides & Maps No matter where you live in the U.S., there are likely many exciting rockhounding sites nearby. Fort Bridger, area gravels, streams, washes, etc. This land is filled with hundreds of prospective rockhounding sites where you can find a nice variety of rocks and minerals including nephrite jade, azurite, quartz crystals, and unique varieties of agates. In the Casper Mountains, you can find chromite, feldspar minerals, or beryl. They are widespread and fairly easy to find if you have a general idea of where to look. what are the host rocks associated with watermelon rock and the labradorite? The many mountain ranges and associated volcanic activity throughout the state have created a perfect geologic environment for the creation of many interesting gemstones that you can now find in countless locations across the region. Some people say that they have a lot of success near the reservoir, but this hasnt been too true for my family. 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. It is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies. So pack up your stuff, since once you read this, you might want to move to Wyoming and start rockhounding! was featured in the November 2012 issue of Jade State News. Winton petrified wood near Rock Springs, WY: 5.) WYOMING ROCKS AND MINERALS Description of the types of rocks and minerals found in wyoming. i am wondering if we can even make it to the top. The Wiggins and Late Basic Breccia formations in the Absaroka Mountains of northwest Wyoming are also great for finding obsidian, but you should check the regulations before you attempt this. I enjoy collecting and tumbling rocks with my daughter and traveling the world with my wife seeing geologic wonders. See my hikes in to this area in the early spring, middle-summer, and late summer. 15. Gold can also be panned in Douglas Creek in the Medicine Bow Mountains of southeastern Wyoming, or the Sweetwater River and tributaries in the southern part of the Wind River Mountains. Thank you for your reply! 08-07-11 Elusive Wyoming fluorite specimens. Hi!! The Rockhounding Wyoming guide book lists a spot just south of Cody. And if you have any tips (Ill keep your finds a secret! Located east of Boysen reservoir on the south flank of the owl creeks. Congleton Hollow; Glass Buttes; Maury Mountain; Pigeon Springs; Skokomish River; . The best we have for GPS is cell phones. 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? Wyoming is among the best rockhounding places in the U.S., and this is partly because around 50% of its lands are public! Im out of the US as I update this revision, so I dont have photos of the really good specimensgo figure. Fossil Butte National Monument The number of potential collecting sites here makes it an excellent location for those interested not only in rocks, but also minerals that can be found within them! The majority of counties in Wyoming contain numerous minerals, rocks, gemstones, and fossils. WSMGS Affiliated Clubs when planning your visit. 05-01-11 Water line and fortification agate and calcite geodes and selenite phew!! This area is very close to Red Gulch Dinosaur Tracksite. I may receive a commission for purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you. The Sierra Madre Mountains are noted for their jade findings too. Carbon County is another prime rockhounding location in Wyoming. In Wyoming, there is a wide variety of gemstones like jade, the states official gemstone, diamonds, sapphire, ruby, opal, peridot, iolite, agate, petrified wood, and quartz crystals. Rainbow agates are plentiful in the Wind River near Riverton, Fremont County. 08-13-11 A very hot day to rockhound with cool marcasite, 09-03-11 Crystal park quartz crystals and bread, 10-15-11 Another world class pseudomorph deposit, 2012 Denver gem and mineral show report fall, 2013 Denver gem and mineral show report fall, 2013 Rockhounding and mineral collecting reports, 04-06-13 Shirley basin agates and calcite, 04-13-13 red feather quartz crystals and a surprise mineral, 2014 Denver gem and mineral show report fall, Denver Coliseum Mineral Fossil and Gem Show, International Gem Jewelry Show denver 2014, Denver gem and mineral show 2010 report fall, Denver mineral show report 2010 fall part 2, Denver mineral show report 2010 fall part 3, Denver mineral show report 2010 fall part 4, Denver mineral show report 2010 fall part 5, Photo report Denver gem mineral rockhounding show 2011, Denver gem and mineral show report 2010 spring, Denver gem and mineral show report 2011 spring, Links to other Rock show reports Tucson , Denver, Blue Forest Wyoming petrified wood location, Copper Mountain Pegmatite District Wyoming. Also lots of buzzworms. amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "rockhoundreso-20"; Map of Locations 1.) google_ad_client="pub-2930148589555936"; If you head to Copper Mountain, you might find some specimens like beryl, feldspar, lithium, magnetite, and manganese. Each of the included tracks will eventually have its own transcription of events. Members can expect various educational speakers and a lot of group interaction. The famous Triceratops fossils are plentiful in Wyoming; however, the Knightia Fish is the official state fossil of Wyoming. Introduction 1. The pyroxene group of minerals is confined to Precambrian rocks and the Tertiary volcanic rocks of the Absaroka Mountains and Yellowstone National Park. 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. google_ad_host="pub-6693688277674466"; This paper has an alternate location along the logging road. Here you can find minerals, rocks, and varieties of quartz such as allanite, beryl, calcite-aragonite, columbite-tantalite, copper minerals, euxenite, galena, hematite, jade, mica minerals, monazite, opal, pyrite, agates, uranium minerals, vermiculite, gabbro, pegmatite, sedimentary rocks, taconite, and slate, among other things. It should be no surprise that there are several rockhound societies in Wyoming worth checking into. In Wyoming, nearly all 18 million acres of public land are legal for gem enthusiasts to pursue their recreational activities. You can find opal here, in the deposits associated with the hot springs. A majority of counties in Wyoming contain numerous rocks, minerals, fossils, and gemstones. Natrona County is located in central Wyoming, and it is another excellent county when it comes to rocks or minerals. Exposed and subsumed vertebrate fossils of what amounts to a type of ancient alligator-type creature, as well as some others, can be found here. google_ad_type="text_image"; (I do not live in the US right now.). Proceed up canyon dirt road (12) until you reach the top plateau and it is flat. 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. Fossils in the escarpment. lol Thanks again! Thats one of the reasons why you can quite a lot of fake ones for sale. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS The gravels of streams and rivers like the Sweetwater and Wind Rivers are great places to search for rocks and minerals like quartz, agate, and petrified wood. Pictures and notes on the fossils near Farson. Suitable for the advanced backpacker. However, Jade can be located in the Sweetwater River district, just southeast of the Wind River Mountains. I will update this to add many locations as I am able, but its one of my lower priorities. Use caution. Here you can also find agatized and opalized wood, while agates are common a few miles west of Saratoga. In the charred areas with coal youll find petrified wood. The majority of national parks located in the U.S. prohibit gem hunting/rockhounding. Sweetwater County is located in the southwestern part of Wyoming. //-->,