These public lands administered by the BLM are open to everyone to take limited amounts of rock material for noncommercial purposes without charge. 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. In general, the best places to find agates in Wyoming are in gravels and washes, particularly in Sweetwater County, Fremont County, and along the Sweetwater and Wind Rivers. When you look for it, it often just looks like ugly, whiteish or greyish rocks. amzn_assoc_region = "US"; amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit0"; (DO NOT TAKE ANY FOSSILS! Belemnites and other fossils near Bridger, MT: Winton petrified wood near Rock Springs, WY: Sharktooth Ridge teeth and trace fossils near Rawlins, WY: Interesting sedimentary features near Adobe Town, WY: Fossil Mountain & Darby Wind Cave near Jackson, WY: Red Gulch Dino Track Site near Shell, WY: Devils Kitchen walk-in access near Red Gulch, Wyoming: Moonshine Arch near Vernal, UT along with a dinosaur track site at Red Fleet: Blue forest petrified wood near Granger, WY: Fish fossils and some shark teeth near Farson, WY: Agatized fossil shells near Rock Springs, WY: Calcite for making lamps and also nice bots in roadside cut near Lander. google_color_border="1B1B1B"; It will turn slightly left for a short, steep incline. Azurite, Barite, Chalcopyrite, Cuprite, Galena, Gold, Limonite, Malachite, Pyrite, Quartz crystals, Sphalerite, etc. Agate, calcite-aragonite, copper minerals, and uranium minerals are found in Park County, located in the northwestern part of Wyoming. 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. 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. was featured in the November 2012 issue of Jade State News. NPS Public Domain Photo. A lot of theseWyomingrock collecting sights have mining claims that come and go. as well as detailed information that will interest any rockhound. 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. here. 19. Ammonite-like fossils, kimberlite, etc. 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. BTW: Do you want to know more about rock and mineral identification? Forgot username? Check out how valuable different types of opal can be in the article below:8 Factors Why Opal is Valuable (Prices for Different Types). I hope my articles will be useful to you. The Hartville district within Platte County is said to contain some copper minerals. Rockhounding is recognized as a legitimate recreational pursuit on nearly all of the 18 million acres of public land in Wyoming. I am uploading a couple of pictures that my friend Henri took of me hunting it with his kids. Natrona County is in central Wyoming. This site is devoted to sharing my love of rocks with you. RedLong-duration hikes, typically 5+days. The Hot Park Area is near the Sierra Madre Mountains, and barite is commonly found a few miles southwest of Encampment. 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. Its an excellent society that provides education and experience to its members. 11 Essential Rock Tumbling Tips - Get Better Results! (Rough Draft, 05/02/2021 Revision), Hiking and Adventure Map (Work in Progress). Fremont, Sweetwater, Washakie, Natrona, and Carbon Counties are all prime rockhound locations to find Jade. 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. We wont be over that area probably until June but I like to plan ahead. In the table down below, you can see what other minerals can be found in Wyoming, and their exact locations. "Rockhounding Rules on BLM Public Lands" and Be safe, never go underground, and make sure to get permission from the landowner to search for and collect specimens. These rockhounding sights ofWyoming are mostly on public land but a good blm ownership map isrecommended allowing you to stay off private land. For additional reading, Id highly recommend these books you can find on Amazon: Please remember that rock collecting locations are constantly changing. I find the watermelon stone about halfway up the canyon. Ammonite-like fossils, kimberlite, etc. Albany County is located in the bottom easter part of Wyoming, having its border with the northern Colorado state line. They are most commonly found in gravels and the clays lining nearby streams. 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. Maps showing the location of public lands in Wyoming can be obtained from At the same time, some reports of meteorite findings are also standard in this region. Johnson County is located in north-central Wyoming. Find out the differences between these two minerals in the article below:Feldspar vs. Quartz: Whats the Difference? The Wasatch Formation is a great place to find manganese and uranium minerals. I will update this to add many locations as I am able, but its one of my lower priorities. It is the responsibility of each rockhound to obtain permission from a landowner to search and/or collect on a piece of property. Use caution. Wyoming is among the best rockhounding places in the U.S., and this is partly because around 50% of its lands are public! Gold can also be found in Park County, specifically the Wood River and Sunlight Basin areas. Rockhounding in Wyoming never seems to let down rockhounds. That is partly because of about 50 percent of the states public land. South of Douglas in Converse County is where you will find jade as well. Petrified wood occurs in the Specimen Ridge and Amethyst Mountain area of Yellowstone. google_color_link="000000"; See my Wyoming Rockhounding Location Guide for more places to rockhound. WSMGS Affiliated Clubs when planning your visit. Simple Explanation. It is located in the northwestern part of Wyoming, and you can find amethyst, opals, and many other types of valuable gems and minerals. Agatized fossil shells near Rock Springs, WY: 14. 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. They were easy to dig out of formation, but even more easily were found eroded perfectly on the surface. See my hikes in to this area in the early spring, middle-summer, and late summer. TIP: Opal is a one-of-a-kind, highly valuable gemstone. At the top of this small incline, make a right. I encourage you to check them out if you are curious about the legalities of rock and mineral collecting. Belemnites and other fossils near Bridger, MT: 4.) This is where the famous Yellowstone National Park is located, which stretches for more than 2 million acres. The gravels of streams and rivers like the Sweetwater and Wind Rivers are great places to search for rocks and minerals like quartz, agate, and petrified wood. If youre looking to start collecting rocks in Wyoming, agates are a great place to start. Lots of sand. google_color_link="000000"; Joining up with a local rockhounding club for a group trip can often get you access to otherwise off-limits locations like privately owned mines and quarries. The best place to start is in Yellowstone National Park. 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. Here, rockhounds can find agates. Wyoming is among the top rockhounding locations in the United States. After a little bit it will split; right goes to Superior, and left goes to Winton. google_ad_type="text_image"; Search for maps by using the main search field (this will search all columns and some un-displayed information such as keywords, counties and product SKU numbers). Pegmatite and sedimentary rocks such as bentonite are also found in Johnson County. 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. 5 Crucial Signs. Fossilized leaves near Miles City, MT: 2.) My little girl loves rocks now (gems and fossils both). If you explore the highway cut north of Laramie, you might find meteorites. 15. One of the most common questions rockhounds have is whether or not they are allowed to collect at a certain location. //-->,