google_ad_format="120x600_as"; You may want to look in the Kortes Dam area or the Sierra Madre Mountains for jades. I find the watermelon stone about halfway up the canyon. For additional reading, Id highly recommend these books you can find on Amazon: Please remember that rock collecting locations are constantly changing. Objective is to get to Road 4412. Calcite for making lamps and also nice bots in roadside cut near Lander. Obsidian is plentiful in Wyoming, especially abundant in Yellowstone National Park, where the Obsidian Cliff is located in the northwest part of the Park. Wyoming isnt just rich in rocks and minerals; it also has gold, fossils, and petrified wood. , Places to See Geologic Displays in Wyoming, Guide to Prospecting and Rock Hunting in Wyoming, "Rockhounding, Prospecting, and Fossil Hunting on the Shoshone National Forest". google_ad_host="pub-6693688277674466"; Bula, yall! Belemnites and other fossils near Bridger, MT: 3.) This book is a 6" x 9" paperback with 246 pages, descriptions, maps and photos. I found this book very useful and clearly written. 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. Belemnites and other fossils near Bridger, MT: 4.) I f you are a rockhound and don't live in Wyoming, you may want to move here! google_color_bg="1B1B1B"; You can probably find it just about anywhere in the area, though I had good success looking along the eastern flank of Black Rock. Wyoming is among the best rockhounding places in the U.S., and this is partly because around 50% of its lands are public! We wont be over that area probably until June but I like to plan ahead. 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? Other sources include: North Carolina Rockhounding Location Guide & Map, Montana Rockhounding Location Guide & Map. This bundle of information includes a book, videos, and online tools. I mention all this as it helps explain how to find the peridot. Agate, calcite-aragonite, copper minerals, and uranium minerals are found in Park County, located in the northwestern part of Wyoming. I hope this will make it a bit easier to find information on my Wyoming rockhounding pages. Do NOT attempt unless dry. If you explore the highway cut north of Laramie, you might find meteorites. 2. Everyone enjoys the prospect of finding their very own geodes out in the wild, and its easy to see why. I am in Farson WY and went to check out the fish fossil/shark tooth location listed. It states that the road is very rough, and to not attempt it during a rain storm. They are widespread and fairly easy to find if you have a general idea of where to look. 05-01-11 Water line and fortification agate and calcite geodes and selenite phew!! Use this resource as a guide to get you started. If you want to dig for gems in Wyoming, Amethyst Mountain would be an excellent place to start. In case you wondering, the official state dinosaur of Wyoming is the Triceratops dinosaur, which is primarily uncovered in the Hell Creek Formation in the Black Hills region of South Dakota or eastern Wyoming. i am wondering if we can even make it to the top. It should be no surprise that there are several rockhound societies in Wyoming worth checking into. I may receive a commission for purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you. A lot of theseWyomingrock collecting sights have mining claims that come and go. Fossils in the escarpment. Albany County is in the bottom eastern portion of Wyoming and borders the northern Colorado state line. Hello and thank you for posting this information. Rockhounds can find all sorts of rocks and minerals, including: A look around the Wood River and Sunlight Basin areas can potentially lead to finding gold. Most of the gold produced in Wyoming comes from the Atlantic City-South Pass-Sweetwater district. 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. The Medicine Bow Mountains are excellent places to find slate, galena, beryl, barite, and platinum-sperrylite. As you tour the State of Wyoming, feel free to contact any of the TIP:Feldspar minerals are very common in Wyoming. Find out more in the article below:Difference Between Real & Fake Geodes: Focus on These Signs. You can find pegmatites in the Haystack Range of Goshen County. Geologic Map of Phantom Lake Quadrangle Geologic mapping of the Phantom Lake quadrangle in Carbon County is available. google_color_url="FFFFFF"; Rockhounding Wyoming Table of Contents: About This Book ix. Use caution. Moonshine Arch near Vernal, UT along with a dinosaur track site at Red Fleet: 10.) We also hope to find Jade on same trip. Albany is among the best rock-hounding places in Wyoming since you can find various rocks and minerals. Members can expect various educational speakers and a lot of group interaction. Veins of banded agate and drusy quartz occur in Mississippian limestone beds a few miles northwest of Guernsey, Platte County. Rockhounds might find pegmatite within the Bighorn Range in Natrona County, while igneous rocks like pumice-pumice in the Split Rock area. This site is devoted to sharing my love of rocks with you. Thanks!! If you sign up for GaiaGPS (free, takes about 2 clicks, and Ive never gotten mail from them, as its a husband+wife team that runs it), you can download the GPS data in the map to use on your phone or to import to Google Earth; just get the KML file. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. In Sweetwater County, west of Wamsutter along the old road to Baggs, the Green River Basin is plentiful in agates. The majority of these locations are my interpretation of Robert Bestes A Location Guide for Rock Hounds in the United States. Each of the included tracks will eventually have its own transcription of events. This paper has an alternate location along the logging road. Sharktooth Ridge teeth and trace fossils near Rawlins, WY: 6.) 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. 11 Essential Rock Tumbling Tips - Get Better Results! Most of the collectible material in the area is in the quartz family. that describes some of the most common rocks and minerals to be found in Wyoming, along with general localities in the state where they might be found. google_color_border="1B1B1B"; Pictures and notes on the fossils near Farson. I will update this to add many locations as I am able, but its one of my lower priorities. Gator Girl Rocks provides useful information about 44 is recommended for this ingress, but if you access it from the table to the east, 44 is required. Fish fossils and some shark teeth near Farson, WY: 13.) If you sign up for GaiaGPS (free, takes about 2 clicks, and Ive never gotten mail from them, as its a husband+wife team that runs it), you can download the GPS data in the map to use on your phone or to import to Google Earth. 08-07-11 Elusive Wyoming fluorite specimens. 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. If you would like to read some of the source material for yourself I have listed them below. The relatively recent volcanic and metamorphic activity in Wyoming has given rise to many desirable and sought-after rocks and minerals, but it helps to have an idea of where to look and what to search for. The Medicine Bow Mountains contain slate, platinum-sperrylite, galena, beryl, and barite. Rockhounding Wyoming: A Guide to the State's Best Rockhounding Sites $24.95 This title will be released on July 1, 2023. However, there are no charges for attending club-led outings, and you dont have to be a resident of Wyoming to join. Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps. Down below is where you will find out where to find gold, fossils, and petrified wood in Wyoming. However, that hasnt limited their successful innovation and progress. Rockhounds can find opal within the deposits associated with the parks hot springs. 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. 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. However, anywhere in the area around Black Rock should be good, and maybe to the west, too, which I havent checked yet. That is partly because of about 50 percent of the states public land. . The Hartville district within Platte County is said to contain some copper minerals. "Rockhounding Rules on BLM Public Lands" and Simple Explanation. 5 Crucial Signs. If you want to hunt for Jade in Wyoming, you can start from the northern part of the Granite Mountains, or to the south of Crooks Countys Gap-Green Mountain. Follow the road toward its terminus (going down toward a river) and easy, walk-in access is available. Carbon County is also a famous location for rockhounding in Wyoming. The ownership and status of land can and does change frequently, making it impossible to document accurate information for every location on this page. TIP:Rockhounding is much easier when you use proper tools and equipment. But where else can rockhounds explore, and what can they find? Agates also happen to be some of the most commonly collected rocks in the United States, including Wyoming. The most commonly found and collected rocks and minerals in Wyoming are: If youve already found a rock and youre not sure what it is, I would highly recommend checking out my Practical Rock Identification System. Places for rockhounds to explore in Wyoming. 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. The Hot Park Area is near the Sierra Madre Mountains, and barite is commonly found a few miles southwest of Encampment. Map of the area. Pegmatite and sedimentary rocks such as bentonite are also found in Johnson County. amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit0"; The real gems that rockhounds are eager to get their hands on in Platte County are banded agates and drusy quartz specimens. See my details at this link. If opals are something you hope to find, check around Smith Creek. The GPS coordinate I put up is right by a place called Black Rock, which is an ultrapotassic, lamproite volcaniclastic exposure. (I do not live in the US right now.). Monthly educational meetings are held during the autumn and winter on the second Monday of every month. Use caution, be respectful, and play by whatever the rules are now. However, lets talk about the 11 best places to rockhound in Wyoming. google_ad_client="pub-2930148589555936"; The prominent minerals found in Wyoming are agates quite a variety of them, jades, opals, chalcedony, and other varieties of quartz crystals, among others. Rockhound Trip report spring 2008. 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. Continue on the main path to Winton, Follow it. Azurite, Barite, Chalcopyrite, Cuprite, Galena, Gold, Limonite, Malachite, Pyrite, Quartz crystals, Sphalerite, etc. The majority of counties in Wyoming contain numerous minerals, rocks, gemstones, and fossils. You never know what type of crystals or patterns youre going to find inside and it makes them incredibly exciting. BTW: Do you want to know more about rock and mineral identification? It is going to take me a while to get all the locations in here. Afton Canyon is one of only three places where the Mojave River flows above ground year-round in the Mojave Desert. I mention all this as it helps explain how to find the peridot. Should I be digging ? google_color_bg="1B1B1B"; Zirkel Mesa to the west is actually remnants of exposed cinder cone volcanoes; the cinders can be found at Black Rock, too. At the top of this small incline, make a right. 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). It is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies. In the Casper Mountains, you can find chromite, feldspar minerals, or beryl. The higher hills to the west (the mesas and buttes) are all ultrapotassic and mafic rocks. google_ad_width=120; I would probably start by contacting the assessor in whatever county youre interested in and getting whatever contact information you can for the landowner. Public access with nice walk in. Atlantic City, area stream gravels, draws, etc. 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. Fremont, Sweetwater, Washakie, Natrona, and Carbon Counties are all prime rockhound locations to find Jade. Please take our survey about how you use and access the data we provide on our website. google_ad_height=240; In fact, Wyoming is home to a unique variety of agate called Turritella agate that is extremely popular with local collectors. circumstances since the article was originally published in 1989, it remains a valuable guide for anyone seeking additional resources in the pursuit of their interests, Official websites use .gov The majority of national parks located in the U.S. prohibit gem hunting/rockhounding. 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. Obsidian is abundant in Yellowstone, with the most famous location being the Obsidian Cliff, located in the northwest part of the Park. The most commonly found gems and crystals in Wyoming are quartz and feldspar, but you can also find many others including garnet, tourmaline, and opal. Through quite a bit of research and cross-referencing of available literature, I have compiled this list of some prospective locations in Wyoming which I would recommend to people looking to do some rockhounding. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Petrified wood occurs in the Specimen Ridge and Amethyst Mountain area of Yellowstone. Some areas appear to have kimberlite, though we havent used a diamond detector yet. Geology of WyomingCompile digital bedrock and surficial geologic maps at 1:100,000 scale for the state in order to revise the 1:500,000 scale geologic map of Wyoming and surficial geologic map of Wyoming. 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. Lots of sand. Rockhounding in Wyoming never seems to let down rockhounds. Wyoming happens to be among the best states in the entire country for rockhounding thanks to the sheer volume of prospective collecting sites and the impressive array of rocks and minerals to be found. The Hartville district in Platte County may contain some copper minerals, while the kyanite is found 23 miles southwest of Wheatland, Platte County. 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. Various outcrops along the road contain specimens. Follow the dirt roads toward and past the water tower on the ridge. The Rockhounding Wyoming guide book lists a spot just south of Cody. The ants use them for construction material. Wyoming is also noted for its abundance of discovered meteorites. Cryptocrystalline quartz varieties like agate, jasper, chalcedony, and petrified wood are prevalent over much of the region. Below you will find maps published by the Wyoming State Geological Survey. Knightia Fish fossils are primarily uncovered in the Green River Formation of Wyoming. 1.) amzn_assoc_search_bar = "false"; Western Wyoming is hard to beat if youre a rockhound. Note: magnetite is also present. As you can see, opals are found in many places in Wyoming, so let us dive into where to find chalcedony in Wyoming. Please direct technical questions (including broken links) about this Web site to webmaster@wsmgs.org. You can also read through my free rock identification guide and mineral identification guide which are filled with useful information and tools. Agates, copper minerals, uranium minerals, and calcite-aragonite can be found throughout Park County in northwestern Wyoming. But sometimes you can mistake feldspar with quartz. The best rockhounding locations in the United States include the Oregon Beaches, Lake Superior, Crater of Diamonds State Park, Emerald Hollow Mine, Jade Cove Trail, Gold Prospecting Adventure, Fossil Butte National Monument, Rainbow Ridge Opal Mine, Spectrum Sunstone Mine, or Gem Mountain Sapphire Mine. This is one of the best family-friendly rockhounding locations in the entire country, where you can spend all day searching for you own diamonds. Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps. So pack up your stuff, since once you read this, you might want to move to Wyoming and start rockhounding! Thank you for your reply! Palmer Canyon is the place to be if you want to find sapphire. google_ad_height=600; google_color_link="000000"; google_ad_format="120x600_as"; google_ad_client="pub-2930148589555936"; I am uploading a couple of pictures that my friend Henri took of me hunting it with his kids. Please take our survey about how you use and access the data we provide on our website. google_color_border="1B1B1B"; YellowOvernight hikes, typically 2 nights. The Wasatch Formation is a great place to find manganese and uranium minerals. If youre looking for gemstones and crystals, Wyoming is home to quite a few that will make good additions to your collection. 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. Late Tertiary welded tuffs are known to crop out in Yellowstone, while volcanic breccia is typical here. (Said Kimm-ur.). Where are the best places for rockhounding in Wyoming? It is located in the northwestern part of Wyoming, and you can find amethyst, opals, and many other types of valuable gems and minerals. Check out the table down below to see where these specimens of sedimentary rocks are found in Wyoming. Library for the books I use when I go out rock hunting. If youre looking to start collecting rocks in Wyoming, agates are a great place to start. If you want to find sapphires in Fremont, you should go to Grizzly Creek and Sweeny Basin. TIP: A great deal of petrified wood is not suitable for rock tumbling or lapidary work because it has too many faults and fractures. As with most states, each county in Wyoming will have records of who owns each piece of property. This is a great resource for anyone who loves rockhounding, from beginners to experts alike! amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. We are noobies at rockhounding and shark teeth have been on our bucket list. Still, there may be privately owned mining claims inside those boundaries and youll need to get permission to collect on that location. google_color_text="FFFFFF"; I'm Mike Rhea, and I'm a professional Geologist with a passion for rocks, minerals, and everything related to Geology. Red Gulch Dino Track Site near Shell, WY: 8a.) In fact, everywhere in the blackened areas has petrified wood on both sides of the draw. Interesting sedimentary features near Adobe Town, WY: 7.) The locations and information contained in this article are primarily derived from academic papers, online resources, and other outside sources. The counties are alphabetized, and within each county the locations are . In Wyoming, nearly all 18 million acres of public land are legal for gem enthusiasts to pursue their recreational activities. Most of the geodes in Wyoming tend to be lined with chalcedony, and more rarely with microcrystalline quartz. PDF Maps; Google Maps. The best place to start is in Yellowstone National Park. at Cedar Mountain. google_ad_client="pub-2930148589555936"; 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. google_ad_host="pub-6693688277674466"; Maps showing the location of public lands in Wyoming can be obtained from Introduction 1. Check out recommended tools for rockhounding here:Recommended tools and equipment for rockhounding, What Rocks Are Good For Tumbling? 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. The GPS coordinate I put up in the map at the top of the page is right by a place called Black Rock, which is an ultrapotassic, lamproite volcaniclastic exposure. 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. Sign in to your account on ArcGIS Online. Posted on Published: September 29, 2020- Last updated: July 26, 2022. Welcome to the Wyoming State Geological Survey Interpreting the past, providing for the future. High-clearance only. Check out how valuable different types of opal can be in the article below:8 Factors Why Opal is Valuable (Prices for Different Types). Rockhounding in Wyoming is a great way to get out and enjoy the states expansive landscapes and beautifully unique terrain. They are most commonly found in gravels and the clays lining nearby streams. What a great reason to go rockhounding. Fossilized leaves near Miles City, MT: 2.) Fossil Mountain & Darby Wind Cave near Jackson, WY: 8.) It is the responsibility of each rockhound to obtain permission from a landowner to search and/or collect on a piece of property. Jade can be found in the Sweetwater River district southeast of the Wind River Mountains in Fremont County. Im out of the US as I update this revision, so I dont have photos of the really good specimensgo figure. I keep a good GPS on me so that they cant fuss me out too much, because they can and do fence in public land and claim its private. 19. It will turn slightly left for a short, steep incline. Thats one of the reasons why you can quite a lot of fake ones for sale. Sapphires and other treasures lie north of Yellowstone. Please respect the claim owners rights and stay off active claims withoutpermission. I spent about an hour at this location, and . TOP Most of the mining has been less than 20 feet . may be of interest to rockhounds. google_ad_height=600; Follow the road a short distance until it splits; stop at the fork and walk up the washed-out left road for a few hundred feet. Tip: Check out my Complete Rock Tumbling Guide to make your rocks and gemstones really shine! at Cedar Mountain. Im doing a fossil camping trip near the buttes to a quarry where you can pay to dig for fish fossils. Manganese minerals or uranium minerals are found in the Wasatch Formation. Sublette County, located in western Wyoming, is noted for its jade findings, while the mineral molybdenite is found in the Wind River Mountains. At the same time, some reports of meteorite findings are also standard in this region. My kid loved exploring it with me. Now that you know where to find agates in Wyoming, lets see where you can find the official state gemstone of Wyoming, the famous nephrite variant of jade. From beginners to advanced collectors, everyone will find something in Wyoming! WSMGS Affiliated Clubs when planning your visit. 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. Sign In. This will be our first time rock hounding Wyoming. Obsidian Cliff is located in the northwest region of Yellowstone. A lock ( Located east of Boysen reservoir on the south flank of the owl creeks. This is where the famous Yellowstone National Park is located, which stretches for more than 2 million acres. Be safe, never go underground, and make sure to get permission from the landowner to search for and collect specimens. 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 table down below, you can see what other minerals can be found in Wyoming, and their exact locations. types. Second edition. google_color_link="000000"; The 75 sites described in this guide take you across the red desert to the high mountain majesty of the Big Horns and Wind Rivers as well as the geologic wonders of Yellowstone National Park. Gemstones are some of the most enjoyable specimens that rockhounds can find, but its not always easy to know where to look. If youre planning on heading to the field, make sure you have all the gear youll need! If you want to find geodes in Wyoming, you should look for places with many sedimentary rocks, such as in the beds of the conglomerate, which crop out throughout the state. Quartz crystals, chalcedony, and vein moss agate occur along outcrops of the Bridger formation in the regions north of Sweetwater County. The 12 Best Places to See Lava (With Helpful Tips) Quartz crystals are relatively abundant in the feldspar pits just south of Laramie. Whether you're one of the thousands who come to Wyoming each year to admire its unique geologic features or you've come to rockhound and prospect for gemstones and gold, Members can participate in outings, monthly meetings and be a part of a fantastic rockhounding community. Is the watermelon rock you mentioned in article of the tourmaline family? Collaborative Action and Dispute Resolution. Though there are many locations listed here, this list is far from exhaustive. Jades are present in Carbon County as well. The ranchers might harass you, but I just harass them back, since its public. Theyre excellent for novices and experts alike, not to mention the members can likely share some of the lesser-known locations. //-->,
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