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. This is missing a ton of great places, but I do update it every few months with a new location or two from my past explorations. Various outcrops along the road contain specimens. Garnets near Custer A locations listing here is not a guarantee of accuracy. Here you can also find agatized and opalized wood, while agates are common a few miles west of Saratoga. I find the watermelon stone about halfway up the canyon. Quartz crystals are abundant in the feldspar pits south of Laramie. These public lands administered by the BLM are open to everyone to take limited amounts of rock material for noncommercial purposes without charge. We are noobies at rockhounding and shark teeth have been on our bucket list. 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. Map of Locations 1.) You never know what type of crystals or patterns youre going to find inside and it makes them incredibly exciting. Gold can also be found in Park County, specifically the Wood River and Sunlight Basin areas. The Lost Creek areas of this county contain many uranium minerals, while petrified wood is found northeast of Eden. The best place to rockhound in Wyoming is Fremont County where you can find nephrite jade and Turritella agates in relative abundance. Second edition. While much of the region is difficult to access, a large portion of the land is managed by the National Forest Service and is largely open to the public for collecting. Monthly educational meetings are held during the autumn and winter on the second Monday of every month. If you want to find nephrite-type jades in Carbon County, which is the state mineral of Wyoming, you may want to look in the Kortes Dam area or the Sierra Madre Mountains. In order to really find the good stuff in the main area, go on sunny day with a spray bottle, a rock hammer, chisel, and a 4-lb/10-lb sledge hammer. Some icons at default view contain 5+ hikes when zoomed in. Select locations particularly the tailings of old mines are prime spots for specimens of minerals like azurite, malachite, beryl, tourmaline, and garnet. I love finding agates because you never know what sort of beautiful patterns and colors they might contain. Some areas of individual parks are legal to rockhound, but it all depends on the state. Bula, yall! In the case of petrified wood, you are only allowed to take around 25 pounds, plus one piece, each day, and you cant exceed 250 pounds of petrified wood in any calendar year without a permit. Fossil Butte National Monument 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. The majority of counties in Wyoming contain numerous minerals, rocks, gemstones, and fossils. 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. The GemHunter (Dan Hausel) found peridot and garnets in the area, the latter of which can also be found NNW of Cedar Mountain. The Sublette County Rock Hounds Club is relatively new to the scene of formal rockhound organizations. Files WYNF-0004_rockhounding (051418).pdf (PDF / 264 KB) Publication Date Natrona County is located in central Wyoming, and it is another excellent county when it comes to rocks or minerals. 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. Carbon County is another prime rockhounding location in Wyoming. If youre looking for gemstones and crystals, Wyoming is home to quite a few that will make good additions to your collection. Lots of sand. A majority of counties in Wyoming contain numerous rocks, minerals, fossils, and gemstones. I encourage you to check them out if you are curious about the legalities of rock and mineral collecting. The ants use them for construction material. Luckily, Wyoming is a prime spot for hunting your own crystals and gemstones. Black Rock itself is ultrapotassic and in the past (and even still now) shed peridot. You can buy ithere(Amazon link). I lost service and I dont think I went to the exact location because I didnt see much there. Located east of Boysen reservoir on the south flank of the owl creeks. google_color_text="FFFFFF"; A quick jaunt down a nice dirt road brings you to the overlook, which is marked with a sign. NOTE! Follow the road toward its terminus (going down toward a river) and easy, walk-in access is available. google_ad_client="pub-2930148589555936"; And of course, nephrite jade can be found in such abundance that it is Wyomings state gemstone. Clear chalcedony and vein moss agate occur along this countys outcrops of the Bridger Formation. Volcanic type agates or chalcedony usually occur in stream gravels in the western half of the Bighorn Basin, of Big Horn, Hot Springs, Park, and Washakie Counties as well. You can even find geodes in Wyoming. Use caution, be respectful, and play by whatever the rules are now. My little girl loves rocks now (gems and fossils both). google_ad_client="pub-2930148589555936"; google_ad_type="text_image"; Cracking them open reminds me of opening a Kinder-Egg with a surprise toy inside. 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. Devils Kitchen walk-in access near Red Gulch, Wyoming: 9.) We hope you enjoy your time on our site and come back often because were always adding new dig locations and crystal collecting updates. 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. 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. Keep me signed in. was featured in the November 2012 issue of Jade State News. Rockhounding Locations - Google My Maps Rockhounding Locations Rockhounding Locations Search Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More Calendar Translate Mobile Books. 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. Zoom in for full list. Thats both an easy and challenging question since all of Wyoming is excellent for rockhounding enthusiasts. 44 is recommended for this ingress, but if you access it from the table to the east, 44 is required. Petrified wood occurs in the Specimen Ridge and Amethyst Mountain area of Yellowstone. However, anywhere in the area around Black Rock should be good, and maybe to the west, too, which I havent checked yet. Rockhounding Site And Information Near Me (Clickable Map) - Rock Seeker Rockhounding Site And Information Near Me (Clickable Map) Must Have! PDF Maps; Google Maps. Each of the included tracks will eventually have its own transcription of events. Let me know if this is useful or if I can improve it in any way! Wyoming Rockhound Locations Wyoming is among the top rockhounding locations in the United States. 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. In Johnson County, located in the north-central part of Wyoming, you can find agate. These include allanite, beryl, calcite-aragonite, columbite-tantalite, cordierite, feldspar minerals such as orthoclase, plagioclase, galena, graphite, kyanite, magnetite, manganese minerals, mica minerals, uranium minerals, and varieties of quartz. 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. A relatively large area between Labarge and Granger, Lincoln, Sweetwater, and Uinta Counties also contains chalcedony. Jade can be found in the Sweetwater River district southeast of the Wind River Mountains in Fremont County. "Rockhounding Rules on BLM Public Lands" and Public access. A number of the best locations are on private land, and while Ive gotten access from the owners, I cant list them here. I found this book very useful and clearly written. You can get an individual or family club membership at a low rate. I may receive a commission for purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you. 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. Goshen County is located in the southeastern end of Wyoming. 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. Obsidian is plentiful in Wyoming, especially abundant in Yellowstone National Park, where the Obsidian Cliff is located in the northwest part of the Park. I have created guides for every U.S. state including thousands of rockhounding sites - and continue to add more every day. I spent about an hour at this location, and . 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. Pegmatite and sedimentary rocks such as bentonite are also found in Johnson County. If you want to find sapphires in Fremont, you should go to Grizzly Creek and Sweeny Basin. Post navigation. google_ad_host="pub-6693688277674466"; Youll see a lot of shining material along the tops of the exposure, but unless you really want some trona, you can ignore it. google_ad_format="120x240_as"; Im here to serve you! Meteorites have been found on a highway cut north of Laramie. The famous Triceratops fossils are plentiful in Wyoming; however, the Knightia Fish is the official state fossil of Wyoming. 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. If youre into gemstones like amethyst, I suggest checking out Amethyst Mountain; it got its name for a reason. Use caution. Note: magnetite is also present. It states that the road is very rough, and to not attempt it during a rain storm. The Absaroka Mountains are an excellent place to explore. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. TOP Rockhounding in Wyoming is a great way to discover the states diverse geology and fossilized wildlife. Obsidian is abundant in the park, with the most famous location to find these beauties being the Obsidian Cliff. The ACEC encompasses approximately 41,500 acres, of which about 23,600 acres are public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Barstow Field Office. We wont be over that area probably until June but I like to plan ahead. The best place to find geodes in Wyoming is in Box Elder Canyon near the town of Glenrock. google_color_link="000000"; If youre looking for individual hiking tracks (rather than single-point GPS data), please see my GaiaGPS page, which is hosted off-site, and is free. No, this wont make you rich. Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps. Sweetwater County is located in the southwestern part of Wyoming. Wyoming is perhaps most well known for its world-class National Parks like Yellowstone and Grand Teton. You may want to look in the Kortes Dam area or the Sierra Madre Mountains for jades. Wyoming State Mineral & Gem Society Sapphires and other treasures lie north of Yellowstone. Check out how to cut and polish petrified wood in the article below:How To Cut & Polish Petrified Wood: Follow These 3 Steps. 08-07-11 Elusive Wyoming fluorite specimens. at Cedar Mountain. amzn_assoc_region = "US"; as well as detailed information that will interest any rockhound. Belemnites and other fossils near Bridger, MT: 4.) Everyone enjoys the prospect of finding their very own geodes out in the wild, and its easy to see why. Let us begin with gems. This way I can make arrangements to make trip as enjoyable and stress free as possible. Speaking of Laramie, you can find in the Laramie Range amphibole, cordierite, epidote, orthoclase and plagioclase minerals, garnet, magnetite, and mica minerals, among many other materials. Quartz crystals are relatively abundant in the feldspar pits just south of Laramie. If you are a rockhound and don't live in Wyoming, you may want to move here! What a great reason to go rockhounding. Use this resource as a guide to get you started. google_color_border="1B1B1B"; Member Clubs can be found in Casper, Big Piney, Cody, Cheyenne, Gillette, Riverton, Powell, and Torrington. Find out where to find minerals in Wyoming down below. google_ad_client="pub-2930148589555936"; 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). google_color_bg="1B1B1B"; 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. However, anywhere in the area around Black Rock should be good, and maybe to the west, too, which I havent checked yet. Similar to what you explained looking for topaz in the Thomas range. Another good place would be the 100 miles west of Casper County, discovered by a local rockhound. HOME google_ad_height=600; This area is very close to Red Gulch Dinosaur Tracksite. The majority of national parks located in the U.S. prohibit gem hunting/rockhounding. Rockhounding is incredible, but its even better when youre a member of a club or society. It will turn slightly left for a short, steep incline. 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. 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. Rockhounding Wyoming by Kenneth Graham. There is of course another way to find larger pieces of peridot in the area. PurpleCamping, international trips; excursions. Veins of banded agate and drusy quartz occur in Mississippian limestone beds a few miles northwest of Guernsey, Platte County. This is a simple guide to my website. google_color_url="FFFFFF"; Wyoming is full of jades, mostly of the nephrite class, and the jadeite class, which sounds like something out of Star Wars. TIP: Opal is a one-of-a-kind, highly valuable gemstone. It is located in the northwestern part of Wyoming, and you can find amethyst, opals, and many other types of valuable gems and minerals. If you have any questions, let me know in the comments section below. Ammonite-like fossils, kimberlite, etc. Agates, copper minerals, uranium minerals, and calcite-aragonite can be found throughout Park County in northwestern Wyoming. A lot of theseWyomingrock collecting sights have mining claims that come and go. They were easy to dig out of formation, but even more easily were found eroded perfectly on the surface. Below you will find maps published by the Wyoming State Geological Survey. Despite the otherwise impressive rockhounding in Wyoming, geodes are a fairly rare occurrence in the state. As you Rockhounding is recognized as a legitimate recreational pursuit on nearly all of the 18 million acres of public land in Wyoming. 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. Ill be adding to this in the coming years. Becoming a member of one or more clubs or societies comes with a wealth of benefits. 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. Places for rockhounds to explore in Wyoming. Peridot in ant hills and arroyos near Black Rock Butte. google_ad_host="pub-6693688277674466"; amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; Rockhounding Wyoming Table of Contents: About This Book ix. At the top of this small incline, make a right. Is the watermelon rock you mentioned in article of the tourmaline family? Fossil Mountain & Darby Wind Cave near Jackson, WY: 8.) Black jade can be found in Fremont County as well. Posted on Published: September 29, 2020- Last updated: July 26, 2022. These public lands administered by the BLM are open to everyone to take limited amounts of rock material for noncommercial purposes without charge. Tip: Check out my Complete Rock Tumbling Guide to make your rocks and gemstones really shine! This area was explored by a South African diamond company briefly but nothing came of it. Some of the most prominent metamorphic rocks in Wyoming are gneiss, marble, quartzite, schist, and slate, among many others. Places such as Fremont, Washakie, Sweetwater, Carbon, or Natrona County are where you can find jade, which is Wyomings official state gemstone. Jades are present in Carbon County as well. When you look for it, it often just looks like ugly, whiteish or greyish rocks. ,