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 The clamber down through the woods and thicket is well worth the spectacular site of the mountainous, artesian well. Some areas appear to have kimberlite, though we havent used a diamond detector yet. 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. 05-01-11 Water line and fortification agate and calcite geodes and selenite phew!! (I do not live in the US right now.). Quartz crystals, chalcedony, and vein moss agate occur along outcrops of the Bridger formation in the regions north of Sweetwater County. This is where the famous Yellowstone National Park is located, which stretches for more than 2 million acres. Public access. A number of the best locations are on private land, and while Ive gotten access from the owners, I cant list them here. There is a limit to the number of specimens you can carry, which differs from site to site. google_ad_client="pub-2930148589555936"; Now that weve talked about the best places for rockhounding in the state of Wyoming let us take a look at where you might find individual specimens, such as gemstones, minerals, and rocks. google_ad_format="120x240_as"; Rockhounding is incredible, but its even better when youre a member of a club or society. at Cedar Mountain. Cracking them open reminds me of opening a Kinder-Egg with a surprise toy inside. It is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies. 05-01-11 Water line and fortification agate and calcite geodes and selenite phew!! google_color_link="000000"; The GPS coordinate I put up in the map at the top of the page is right by a place called Black Rock, which is an ultrapotassic, lamproite volcaniclastic exposure. Simple Explanation. Winton petrified wood near Rock Springs, WY: 5.) Calcite for making lamps and also nice bots in roadside cut near Lander. However, that hasnt limited their successful innovation and progress. 15 Best Rocks & Minerals, Are Agates Valuable rocks? (I do not live in the US right now.). The famous Triceratops fossils are plentiful in Wyoming; however, the Knightia Fish is the official state fossil of Wyoming. Theyre excellent for novices and experts alike, not to mention the members can likely share some of the lesser-known locations. The Wasatch Formation is a great place to find manganese and uranium minerals. Most of the collectible material in the area is in the quartz family. Rockhounding in Wyoming never seems to let down rockhounds. 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. 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. hobby, or education. Still, there may be privately owned mining claims inside those boundaries and youll need to get permission to collect on that location. I'm starting with the most popular and working my way to the more obscure. The Triceratops was designated as the official state dinosaur of Wyoming in 1994, while the Knightia Fish gained the status of state fossil in 1987. Follow the road toward its terminus (going down toward a river) and easy, walk-in access is available. A majority of counties in Wyoming contain numerous rocks, minerals, fossils, and gemstones. These are mostly comprised of old mining prospects, washes, streams, and historically known rock and mineral collecting sites. Speaking of Laramie, you can find in the Laramie Range amphibole, cordierite, epidote, orthoclase and plagioclase minerals, garnet, magnetite, and mica minerals, among many other materials. The GPS map below shows how I drove, as well as the two main places I walked which had good anthills. Check out my article about how to identify a geode. TIP:Agates are one of the most popular minerals among rockhounds in the United States. You can find many types of feldspar minerals in Goshen County, including mica minerals, and in the Muskrat Canyon area of the county, you can find the marble. The best we have for GPS is cell phones. This area was explored by a South African diamond company briefly but nothing came of it. Rockhounding Wyoming Table of Contents: About This Book ix. If you want to find sapphires in Fremont, you should go to Grizzly Creek and Sweeny Basin. 1.) That is partly because of about 50 percent of the state's public land. 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 You can also find quite a few more interesting minerals like amazonite, tourmaline, and beryl in the tailings of old mines scattered across the hills and mountain ranges. BTW: Check out this amazing metal sign (Amazon link) which is perfect for everyone who loves rockhounding in Wyoming! Wyoming is full of jades, mostly of the nephrite class, and the jadeite class, which sounds like something out of Star Wars. 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. In Wyoming, nearly all 18 million acres of public land are legal for gem enthusiasts to pursue their recreational activities. //-->, ,