Hi, do you have the gps coordinates for the peridot/ant hills? google_color_link="000000"; The True Worth of Agates. They are most commonly found in gravels and the clays lining nearby streams. amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; My little girl loves rocks now (gems and fossils both). Obsidian is plentiful in Wyoming, especially abundant in Yellowstone National Park, where the Obsidian Cliff is located in the northwest part of the Park. 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. 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. Go north on 191, take a right on the dirt road (GPS should lead you there), continue on dirt road until you see a sign that is marked for Winton and Superior. See my details at this link. WSMGS Affiliated Clubs when planning your visit. 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. Wyoming State Mineral & Gem Society Lots of sand. Black jade can be found in Fremont County as well. The Lost Creek areas of this county contain many uranium minerals, while petrified wood is found northeast of Eden. A locations listing here is not a guarantee of accuracy. google_ad_client="pub-2930148589555936"; google_ad_height=600; Do NOT attempt unless dry. Black Rock itself is ultrapotassic and in the past (and even still now), shed peridot. Select locations particularly the tailings of old mines are prime spots for specimens of minerals like azurite, malachite, beryl, tourmaline, and garnet. These public lands administered by the BLM are open to everyone to take limited amounts of rock material for noncommercial purposes without charge. However, lets talk about the 11 best places to rockhound in Wyoming. No rockhound excursion would be complete in Wyoming without exploring Yellowstone National Park. Please direct technical questions (including broken links) about this Web site to webmaster@wsmgs.org. A lot of theseWyomingrock collecting sights have mining claims that come and go. google_ad_format="120x240_as"; They are some of the most popular rocks to tumble, and its easy to see why with their intricate banding and unique designs. Winton petrified wood near Rock Springs, WY: 5.) 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. Collaborative Action and Dispute Resolution. Veins of banded agate and drusy quartz occur in Mississippian limestone beds a few miles northwest of Guernsey, Platte County. 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. The state fossil Knightia-fish is located in the Green Fiver Formation of Wyoming. Second edition. 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. Here, rockhounds can find some incredible specimens, including: The Casper Mountains contain chromite, feldspar, and beryl. Tip: Check out my Complete Rock Tumbling Guide to make your rocks and gemstones really shine! 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. 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, | Some people say that they have a lot of success near the reservoir, but this hasnt been too true for my family. 08-07-11 Elusive Wyoming fluorite specimens. This way I can make arrangements to make trip as enjoyable and stress free as possible. Here at Rockhounding Maps, we give you access and information to the best dig sites for crystals and minerals in Wyoming. Natrona County is in central Wyoming. google_ad_width=120; The famous Triceratops fossils are plentiful in Wyoming; however, the Knightia Fish is the official state fossil of Wyoming. I am uploading a couple of pictures that my friend Henri took of me hunting it with his kids. Ill be adding to this in the coming years. Youll learn so much and get the experience you might miss out on if you were on your own. At the top of this small incline, make a right. Wyoming isnt just rich in rocks and minerals; it also has gold, fossils, and petrified wood. Wyoming is also noted for its abundance of discovered meteorites. google_ad_client="pub-2930148589555936"; My kid loved exploring it with me. You can also find it in the Wiggins formation of the Oligocene age near the head of Frontier Creek in the Absaroka Mountains. Various outcrops along the road contain specimens. If you are interested in checking out the best book about rockhounding in Wyoming you can find it by clickinghere(Amazon link). You can follow the formations exposure along a great length of the escarpment. Fossil Butte National Monument The real gems that rockhounds are eager to get their hands on in Platte County are banded agates and drusy quartz specimens. 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. Agatized fossil shells near Rock Springs, WY: 14. google_color_link="000000"; You can find them in volcanic conglomerates in the Tertiary rocks of the southern part of the Absaroka Mountains of northwest Wyoming. 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. 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. 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. Fort Bridger, area gravels, streams, washes, etc. I will update this to add many locations as I am able, but its one of my lower priorities. If you have limited time and want to have the best chance of success, you might prefer to use either of these private areas which have fees associated: Both are located near Kemmerer! Wyoming's Cultural Geology Guide, published by the Wyoming State Geological Survey (2015), provides an up-to-date, comprehensive list of Museums and sites that Interesting sedimentary features near Adobe Town, WY: 7.) I mention all this as it helps explain how to find the peridot. Make a right on it. Check out how valuable different types of opal can be in the article below:8 Factors Why Opal is Valuable (Prices for Different Types). Albany County is in the bottom eastern portion of Wyoming and borders the northern Colorado state line. google_color_text="FFFFFF"; Wyoming is home to Yellowstone National Park, which spans over 2 million acres. For all of my maps, you can use my maps page. A quick jaunt down a nice dirt road brings you to the overlook, which is marked with a sign. you can access Utah rockhounding locations https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=17-pa3pYy0AqN0D2Zh4cXklR9A7g&ll=39.483150381536596%2C-111.60763899999999&z=8. Petrified wood can be found in the Amethyst Mountains area of Yellowstone as well. 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. . google_ad_height=240; LOCATIONS FOR ROCKHOUNDING IN WYOMING Includes descriptions and maps. The GemHunter (Dan Hausel) found peridot and garnets in the area, the latter of which can also be found NNW of Cedar Mountain. We are noobies at rockhounding and shark teeth have been on our bucket list. Phosphate rock is also located here. It states that the road is very rough, and to not attempt it during a rain storm. Here are 10 of the best rockhounding sites for rocks and minerals in Wyoming: Fremont County - Agate, Chalcedony, Jasper, Jade Split Rock - Ruby, 'Sweetwater' Agate Sweetwater County - Agate, Quartz crystals, Chert Rock Springs - Silicified wood, Agate, Jasper Box Elder Canyon - Geodes, quartz crystals Wamsutter Agate Beds - Turritella agates 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. Rockhounds can find opal within the deposits associated with the parks hot springs. 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. An official website of the United States government. While there may have been changes in hours of public viewing, business location and/or other 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. PurpleCamping, international trips; excursions. If you are a rockhound and don't live in Wyoming, you may want to move here! Lets dig in! The pyroxene group of minerals is confined to Precambrian rocks and the Tertiary volcanic rocks of the Absaroka Mountains and Yellowstone National Park. In the Absaroka Mountains, you may discover opal, galena, or molybdenite. Fremont County, washes and draws in extreme SE corner, Wind River and tributaries, in gravels near Riverton, Warm Springs, area draws and hills over a large area, Rattlesnake Mountain, area N of Shoshone River, Sweetwater County, all area outcrops of Green River formation, Rock Springs, washes and draws over large area to E, Blacks Fork Creek, NE corner of Uinta County. google_color_bg="1B1B1B"; HOME In that case, you might want to explore the Kortes Dam area and the Sierra Madre Mountains. Please take our survey about how you use and access the data we provide on our website. Geologic Map of Phantom Lake Quadrangle. If you want to know more about rockhounding in Wyoming or you prefer paper books, I recommend buying the book Rockhounding Wyoming: A Guide to the States Best Rockhounding Sites (2nd Edition). Important Disclaimer: I have not been to these locations myself, and I do not know if they are currently open for collecting. No, this wont make you rich. (I do not live in the US right now.). TIP:Dont forget to follow all the safety recommendations when rockhounding because your health is always the most important. Where are the best places for rockhounding in Wyoming? Official websites use .gov Jades are present in Carbon County as well. To this general information we might add: The article Places to See Geologic Displays in Wyoming This site contains affiliate links to products. Follow posted signage and always get permission from the landowner to collect. (I do not live in the US right now.). That is partly because of about 50 percent of the state's public land. On top of that, weve created a resource page to assist with answering all of your gem and mineral collecting questions. It is the responsibility of each rockhound to obtain permission from a landowner to search and/or collect on a piece of property. Rockhounding is incredible, but its even better when youre a member of a club or society. State-By-State Rockhounding Location Guides & Maps No matter where you live in the U.S., there are likely many exciting rockhounding sites nearby. Albany is among the best rock-hounding places in Wyoming since you can find various rocks and minerals. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you want to find agates in Albany, they are usually found near Marshall, located in northwestern Albany. Public access with nice walk in. My best to you and your family. //-->,