I love finding agates because you never know what sort of beautiful patterns and colors they might contain. Check out the table down below to see where these specimens of sedimentary rocks are found in Wyoming. Black Rock itself is ultrapotassic and in the past (and even still now), shed peridot. My best to you and your family. Modern Rockhounding and Prospecting Handbook $19.73 A must have for every serious rockhound! popular museums of interest to rockhounders, places to visit, and rockhounding sites for children and families. amzn_assoc_region = "US"; 19. Cancel. But sometimes you can mistake feldspar with quartz. 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. Thank you for your reply! Beryl, columbite-tantalite, copper minerals, feldspar minerals, lithium minerals, magnetite, manganese minerals, and mica minerals may be found in Copper Mountain in Fremont County. 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. Garnets near Custer No rockhound excursion would be complete in Wyoming without exploring Yellowstone National Park. amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual"; I will as usual get a BLM map and make necessary calls for sure after reading reply. The higher hills to the west (the mesas and buttes) are all ultrapotassic and mafic rocks. But where else can rockhounds explore, and what can they find? Wyoming is among the top rockhounding locations in the United States. Members can participate in outings, monthly meetings and be a part of a fantastic rockhounding community. If you want to dig for gems in Wyoming, Amethyst Mountain would be an excellent place to start. google_color_border="1B1B1B"; These public lands administered by the BLM are open to everyone to take limited amounts of rock material for noncommercial purposes without charge. Here are 10 of the best rockhounding sites for rocks and minerals in Montana: Crystal Park - Amethyst, Quartz crystals Gem Mountain Sapphire Mine - Sapphire Jefferson River - Agate, Chalcedony, Jasper American Bar - Sapphire, Garnet, Kyanite Yellowstone River, Custer County - Moss Agate Pryor Mountains - Agate, Geodes, Fossils Now lets look at what sedimentary rocks are found in Wyoming. 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. Fossilized leaves near Miles City, MT: 2.) Continue on the main path to Winton, Follow it. A majority of counties in Wyoming contain numerous rocks, minerals, fossils, and gemstones. Interesting sedimentary features near Adobe Town, WY: 7.) 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 Follow the road toward its terminus (going down toward a river) and easy, walk-in access is available. In the Absaroka Mountains, you may discover opal, galena, or molybdenite. You can find these in the Mississippian limestone beds a few miles northwest of Guernsey, Wyoming. Wyoming is home to Yellowstone National Park, which spans over 2 million acres. As you tour the State of Wyoming, feel free to contact any of the Check out how to cut and polish petrified wood in the article below:How To Cut & Polish Petrified Wood: Follow These 3 Steps. 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. RedLong-duration hikes, typically 5+days. If you want to find sapphires, you may go to the Palmer Canyon in Albany, or go to Fremont, to the Grizzly Creek and Sweeny Basin. No, this wont make you rich. Wyoming is home to some incredible jade specimens, mainly of the classes nephrite and jadeite. A single column may be searched using the blank field at the top of each column. Jades are present in Carbon County as well. Some areas appear to have kimberlite, though we havent used a diamond detector yet. 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. Pictures and notes on the fossils near Farson. One of the most common questions rockhounds have is whether or not they are allowed to collect at a certain location. See my Wyoming Rockhounding Location Guide for more places to rockhound. google_ad_format="120x600_as"; There is a limit to the number of specimens you can carry, which differs from site to site. Goshen County is located in the southeastern end of Wyoming. I hope my articles will be useful to you. hobby, or education. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Below you will find maps published by the Wyoming State Geological Survey. Rainbow agates have been found along the Wind River near Riverton. It is going to take me a while to get all the locations in here. TIP:Feldspar minerals are very common in Wyoming. google_ad_height=240; It will help show how non-descript the host is. lol Thanks again! at Cedar Mountain. You can even find geodes in Wyoming. Interesting sedimentary features near Adobe Town, WY: 7.) Sadly, it is illegal to rockhound in Yellowstone National Park, but you can do it outside the area. Places for rockhounds to explore in Wyoming. Rockhounding is recognized as a legitimate recreational pursuit on nearly all of the 18 million acres of public land in Wyoming. High-clearance only. 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. This is a simple guide to my website. Wyoming is also noted for its abundance of discovered meteorites. Thats both an easy and challenging question since all of Wyoming is excellent for rockhounding enthusiasts. google_color_bg="1B1B1B"; If you head to Copper Mountain, you might find some specimens like beryl, feldspar, lithium, magnetite, and manganese. State-By-State Rockhounding Location Guides & Maps No matter where you live in the U.S., there are likely many exciting rockhounding sites nearby. Obsidian is plentiful in Wyoming, especially abundant in Yellowstone National Park, where the Obsidian Cliff is located in the northwest part of the Park. You can even find geodes in Wyoming. You can follow the formations exposure along a great length of the escarpment. This interest of mine has lasted until today, so I decided to create this website. This publication can be downloaded directly from the WSGS You can find them in volcanic conglomerates in the Tertiary rocks of the southern part of the Absaroka Mountains of northwest Wyoming. You can probably find it just about anywhere in the area, though I had good success looking along the eastern flank of Black Rock. Thanks!! Sign In. Fossil Mountain & Darby Wind Cave near Jackson, WY: 8.) They were easy to dig out of formation, but even more easily were found eroded perfectly on the surface. My little girl loves rocks now (gems and fossils both). Follow the four-wheeler track down the mountain and into the badlands below. 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. Second edition. Rockhounds might find pegmatite within the Bighorn Range in Natrona County, while igneous rocks like pumice-pumice in the Split Rock area. Though there are many locations listed here, this list is far from exhaustive. As a group, members learn so much about the local geology and spend time sharing knowledge of lapidary techniques necessary to enhance the appearance of their finds. They are most commonly found in gravels and the clays lining nearby streams. The higher hills to the west (the mesas and buttes) are all ultrapotassic and mafic rocks. You can get an individual or family club membership at a low rate. Rockhounding is recognized as a legitimate recreational pursuit on nearly all of the 18 million acres of public land in Wyoming. The Wyoming State Mineral and Gem Society is an umbrella organization. Still, if you know where to look you may be able to find one for your collection. I would probably start by contacting the assessor in whatever county youre interested in and getting whatever contact information you can for the landowner. The majority of national parks located in the U.S. prohibit gem hunting/rockhounding. ), Check ant beds in this area for peridot and other little gems. Moonshine Arch near Vernal, UT along with a dinosaur track site at Red Fleet: 10.) //-->, Sign in|Recent Site Activity|Report Abuse|Print Page|Powered By Google Sites. WYOMING ROCKS AND MINERALS Description of the types of rocks and minerals found in wyoming. Meteorites have been found on a highway cut north of Laramie. Bula, yall! The state fossil Knightia-fish is located in the Green Fiver Formation of Wyoming. There is plenty of BLM and National Forest land to collect on in Wyoming which is, in general, open for public use. Belemnites and other fossils near Bridger, MT: 3.) 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. google_ad_height=600; South of Douglas in Converse County is where you will find jade as well. Check out how valuable different types of opal can be in the article below:8 Factors Why Opal is Valuable (Prices for Different Types). Sublette County, located in western Wyoming, is noted for jade findings. Simple Explanation, 8 Factors Why Opal is Valuable (Prices for Different Types), How To Cut & Polish Petrified Wood: Follow These 3 Steps, Recommended tools and equipment for rockhounding, Commonly found in the Paleozoic rocks, the Permian Phosporia formation, and the Mississippian Madison limestone, The northwest city of Cody and the Lovell town in Big Horn County, The Spirit Mountain Cavern, located west of Cody, along the Yellowstone Highway, The Eocene Green River Formation of southwestern Wyoming, or the town of Green River, Very common in all of the Precambrian mountain cores of Wyoming, On the west of Jay Em in Muskrat Canyon area of Goshen County, about 15 miles west of Wheatland, in the Marble Canyon area of Platte County, in the Medicine Bow Mountains of Albany and Carbon Counties, the Bighorn Mountains, near Douglas, in Converse County, and from the west flank of the Black Hills in Crook County, The Copper Mountain, Freemont County, in the Laramie Range of Albany and Converse counties, the Lewiston area of Fremont County, and the Bighorn Mountains area of Washakie County, Almost in all of the Precambrian pegmatites of Wyoming, Albany County, Carbon County, or 23 miles southwest of Wheatland, Platte County. This club hosts multiple outings every month during the summer. The pyroxene group of minerals is confined to Precambrian rocks and the Tertiary volcanic rocks of the Absaroka Mountains and Yellowstone National Park. 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. This region is full of mica minerals, phonolite, pumice, and Wyomingite in the Leucite Hills area. Below is a list of rockhounding locations in wyoming with a description of the minerals found there and pictures. You can also usually get the landowners name and address by visiting the county records office. At the top of this small incline, make a right. Sign in to your account on ArcGIS Online. Fort Bridger, area gravels, streams, washes, etc. Theyre excellent for novices and experts alike, not to mention the members can likely share some of the lesser-known locations. "Rockhounding Rules on BLM Public Lands" and I have created guides for every U.S. state including thousands of rockhounding sites - and continue to add more every day. I am in Farson WY and went to check out the fish fossil/shark tooth location listed. You can purchase a Bighorn National Forest visitor map for $14 at ranger district offices in Buffalo, Greybull, and Sheridan. Wyoming is full of jades, mostly of the nephrite class, and the jadeite class, which sounds like something out of Star Wars. 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. Sublette County, located in western Wyoming, is noted for its jade findings, while the mineral molybdenite is found in the Wind River Mountains. Geodes can also reportedly be found in gravels in the southern reaches of the Absaroka mountain range. 17. I'm starting with the most popular and working my way to the more obscure. google_color_text="FFFFFF";