Gold can also be panned in Douglas Creek in the Medicine Bow Mountains of southeastern Wyoming, or the Sweetwater River and tributaries in the southern part of the Wind River Mountains. The Sublette County Rock Hounds Club is relatively new to the scene of formal rockhound organizations. Places for rockhounds to explore in Wyoming. (I do not live in the US right now.). Wyoming State Mineral & Gem Society Triceratops fossils are mostly found in the Hell Creek Formation in the Black Hills region of South Dakota, eastern Wyoming. However, it is legal to hound the areas surrounding this famous park. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Master Faceter, Avid Rock Hound, World Traveler. Cryptocrystalline quartz varieties like agate, jasper, chalcedony, and petrified wood are prevalent over much of the region. The best we have for GPS is cell phones. If you want to find fossils, you should know that the Triceratops is the states official dinosaur, while the Knightia Fish is the official state fossil of Wyoming. Rockhounding is recognized as a legitimate recreational pursuit on nearly all of the 18 million acres of public land in Wyoming. These rockhounding sights of Wyoming are mostly on public land but a good. 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. And you can typically find them laying around, but often youll have to pry open the rocks. Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps. It looks as though theres something interesting around every bend within every county. Winton petrified wood near Rock Springs, WY: 5.) google_ad_format="120x600_as"; Wyoming Rockhound Locations Wyoming is among the top rockhounding locations in the United States. 5 Crucial Signs. google_color_border="1B1B1B"; google_color_link="000000"; TIP:Agates are one of the most popular minerals among rockhounds in the United States. 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. Keep me signed in. 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. 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. Meteorites have been found on a highway cut north of Laramie. They are most commonly found in gravels and the clays lining nearby streams. Interesting sedimentary features near Adobe Town, WY: 7.) 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. They were easy to dig out of formation, but even more easily were found eroded perfectly on the surface. Quartz crystals are typically found everywhere north of Saratoga along Highway 130 to Walcott Junction. As you 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 types. Black Rock itself is ultrapotassic and in the past (and even still now), shed peridot. 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. Please take our survey about how you use and access the data we provide on our website. You are sure welcome. These public lands administered by the BLM are open to everyone to take limited amounts of rock material for noncommercial purposes without charge. While you cant collect rocks within those parks, the fantastically complicated and gorgeous geology found within their borders is a testament to the complex geological history of the area. Follow posted signage and always get permission from the landowner to collect. Wyoming is also noted for its abundance of discovered meteorites. Zoom in for full list. Any tips would be great!