Please direct technical questions (including broken links) about this Web site to webmaster@wsmgs.org. 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. This bundle of information includes a book, videos, and online tools. Check out the table down below to see where these specimens of sedimentary rocks are found in Wyoming. They were easy to dig out of formation, but even more easily were found eroded perfectly on the surface. Some icons at default view contain 5+ hikes when zoomed in. Still, if you know where to look you may be able to find one for your collection. This place is located in the south part of Wyoming, and Albany County is located on its eastern side. Please take our survey about how you use and access the data we provide on our website. The Absaroka Mountains are an excellent place to explore. However, anywhere in the area around Black Rock should be good, and maybe to the west, too, which I havent checked yet. You can also find it in the Wiggins formation of the Oligocene age near the head of Frontier Creek in the Absaroka Mountains. Geologic Map of Phantom Lake Quadrangle. What a great reason to go rockhounding. I love finding agates because you never know what sort of beautiful patterns and colors they might contain. 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. 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. These are mostly comprised of old mining prospects, washes, streams, and historically known rock and mineral collecting sites. The Sand Creek and Red Buttes areas of Albany County are full of sedimentary rocks. Any tips would be great! For additional reading, Id highly recommend these books you can find on Amazon: Please remember that rock collecting locations are constantly changing. Lots of sand. 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. what are the host rocks associated with watermelon rock and the labradorite? You are sure welcome. You can find these in the Mississippian limestone beds a few miles northwest of Guernsey, Wyoming. Rockhounds might find pegmatite within the Bighorn Range in Natrona County, while igneous rocks like pumice-pumice in the Split Rock area. This will be our first time rock hounding Wyoming. Theyre excellent for novices and experts alike, not to mention the members can likely share some of the lesser-known locations. You will find everything about rocks, minerals, and crystals here. 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. This publication can be downloaded directly from the WSGS . It should be no surprise that there are several rockhound societies in Wyoming worth checking into. It states that the road is very rough, and to not attempt it during a rain storm. Blue forest petrified wood near Granger, WY: 11.) 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. 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. 130 to Walcott Junction. Im doing a fossil camping trip near the buttes to a quarry where you can pay to dig for fish fossils. I am uploading a couple of pictures that my friend Henri took of me hunting it with his kids. Beryl, columbite-tantalite, copper minerals, feldspar minerals, lithium minerals, magnetite, manganese minerals, and mica minerals may be found in Copper Mountain in Fremont County. To this general information we might add: The article Places to See Geologic Displays in Wyoming Clear chalcedony and vein moss agate occur along this countys outcrops of the Bridger Formation. The Owl Creek Mountains, Fremont, and Hot Spring counties also have jade. google_ad_format="120x600_as"; Rainbow agates have been found along the Wind River near Riverton. Black Rock itself is ultrapotassic and in the past (and even still now) shed peridot. Calcite for making lamps and also nice bots in roadside cut near Lander. If youre really nice and want a piece, maybe Ill send you some. google_ad_format="120x240_as"; Their annual Mineral and Gem Show is a massive hit with members and anyone interested in the field of topics. 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. Find out more in the article below:Difference Between Real & Fake Geodes: Focus on These Signs. My little girl loves rocks now (gems and fossils both). The GPS map below shows how I drove, as well as the two main places I walked which had good anthills. High-clearance only. Rockhounding Locations in WY, MT; UT. TIP:Rockhounding is much easier when you use proper tools and equipment. Follow posted signage and always get permission from the landowner to collect. Interesting sedimentary features near Adobe Town, WY: 7.) Carbon County is another prime rockhounding location in Wyoming. Here you can also find agatized and opalized wood, while agates are common a few miles west of Saratoga. google_color_url="FFFFFF"; 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. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. Hello and thank you for posting this information. Agate, calcite-aragonite, copper minerals, and uranium minerals are found in Park County, located in the northwestern part of Wyoming. 44 is recommended for this ingress, but if you access it from the table to the east, 44 is required. For reference, Ive explored both directions in a small, Cheep Patriot [sic]. BTW: Do you want to know more about rock and mineral identification? Afton Canyon is one of only three places where the Mojave River flows above ground year-round in the Mojave Desert. The books listed below are the best ones you can find on the internet (Amazon links): How can we talk about rockhounding in Wyoming and not mention the famous Yellowstone National Park? Sadly, it is illegal to rockhound in Yellowstone National Park, but you can do it outside the area. 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. Some people say that they have a lot of success near the reservoir, but this hasnt been too true for my family. Follow the four-wheeler track down the mountain and into the badlands below. If opals are something you hope to find, check around Smith Creek. popular museums of interest to rockhounders, places to visit, and rockhounding sites for children and families. Lets dig in! //-->, Sign in|Recent Site Activity|Report Abuse|Print Page|Powered By Google Sites. Rockhounding Locations - Google My Maps Rockhounding Locations Rockhounding Locations Search Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More Calendar Translate Mobile Books. 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. 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. However, anywhere in the area around Black Rock should be good, and maybe to the west, too, which I havent checked yet. Albany is among the best rock-hounding places in Wyoming since you can find various rocks and minerals. 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. 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. 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 Youll learn so much and get the experience you might miss out on if you were on your own. 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. There is plenty of BLM and National Forest land to collect on in Wyoming which is, in general, open for public use. The entire region boasts many outcrops of bentonites, which are ash clay layers left over from ancient volcanic activity. Down below is where you will find out where to find gold, fossils, and petrified wood in Wyoming. Note: magnetite is also present. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases with no additional costs for you. See my details at this link. Welcome to the Wyoming State Geological Survey Interpreting the past, providing for the future. If you are a rockhound and don't live in Wyoming, you may want to move here! . Bookmarked. This is a great resource for anyone who loves rockhounding, from beginners to experts alike! google_color_bg="1B1B1B"; Agate, Chalcedony, Chert, Jasper, Petrified wood, Silicified wood, Quartz crystals, Agate (Turritella agate), Agate, Chalcedony, Chert, Jasper, Quartz crystals, Silicified wood, Agate, Chalcedony, Jasper, Silicified wood, Agate, Chalcedony, Jasper, Petrified wood, Agate, Jasper, Opalized wood, Silicified wood, Silicified algae, Agate (Turritella agate), Chalcedony, Jasper, Quartz crystals, Petrified wood, Agate, Chalcedony, Jasper (red, yellow), Quartzite, Agate (Turritella agate), Chalcedony, Chert, Jasper, Quartz crystals, Petrified wood, Silicified wood, Coffinite, Ilsemannite, Autunite, Pyrite, Uranophane, Uraninite, Cobaltite, Erythrite, Linnaeit, Pyrrhotite, Agate, Chalcedony, Gastroliths, Jasper, Petrified wood, Quartz crystals, Azurite, Bornite, Chalcocite, Chrysocolla, Malachite. google_ad_client="pub-2930148589555936"; LockA locked padlock Jade can be found in the Sweetwater River district southeast of the Wind River Mountains in Fremont County. You can purchase a Bighorn National Forest visitor map for $14 at ranger district offices in Buffalo, Greybull, and Sheridan. Find out where to find minerals in Wyoming down below. Rockhounding is incredible, but its even better when youre a member of a club or society. 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. Near the Sierra Madre Mountains, in the Hot Park Area, barite is commonly found, a couple of miles southwest of Encampment. 05-01-11 Water line and fortification agate and calcite geodes and selenite phew!! 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. I hope this will make it a bit easier to find information on my Wyoming rockhounding pages. google_ad_client="pub-2930148589555936"; My kid loved exploring it with me. Copyright 2022 Rockhound Resource | Birch on Trellis Framework by Mediavine, Greybull, area washes and draws btwn Big Horn River and Mountains, Lovell, E to Big Horn Mountains in draws and washes, Fremont County, all regional washes and draws. You can also find agates a few miles west of Saratoga, Carbon County. Red Gulch Dino Track Site near Shell, WY: 8a.) Important Disclaimer: I have not been to these locations myself, and I do not know if they are currently open for collecting. google_color_bg="1B1B1B"; However, there are no charges for attending club-led outings, and you dont have to be a resident of Wyoming to join. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Use caution, be respectful, and play by whatever the rules are now. Official websites use .gov 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? Follow the road toward its terminus (going down toward a river) and easy, walk-in access is available. google_color_bg="1B1B1B"; 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. A relatively large area between Labarge and Granger, Lincoln, Sweetwater, and Uinta Counties also contains chalcedony. 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. 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. Fossil Butte National Monument In that case, you might want to explore the Kortes Dam area and the Sierra Madre Mountains. lol Thanks again! Another good place would be the 100 miles west of Casper County, discovered by a local rockhound. Rainbow agates are plentiful in the Wind River near Riverton, Fremont County. You can find opal here, in the deposits associated with the hot springs. google_ad_type="text_image"; 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. (DO NOT TAKE ANY FOSSILS! There is of course another way to find larger pieces of peridot in the area. Many other varieties of agates, jasper, petrified and opalized wood are also very commonly found in gravels and washes all over the state. (I do not live in the US right now.). Hi Frank. Wyoming State Mineral & Gem Society Monthly educational meetings are held during the autumn and winter on the second Monday of every month. WYOMING ROCKS AND MINERALS Description of the types of rocks and minerals found in wyoming. Check back often as I add new places. From beginners to advanced collectors, everyone will find something in Wyoming! Rockhounding in Wyoming is a great way to discover the states diverse geology and fossilized wildlife.