2022-11-04 07:22:38
TOP FOSSIL DESTINATIONS IN WYOMING Explore Wyoming’s ancient landscape for startling fossil discoveries that date back hundreds of millions of years. = ACCESSIBLE ATTRACTION Eyeing the sagebrush desert around Kemmerer, you might not guess that a freshwater lake thrived here 52 million years ago. Yet — thanks to ancient lake sediments — you can discover awesomely preserved specimens at Fossil Butte National Monument . The visitor center features 400-plus fossils and casts, from jewel beetles to crocodilians. Summer programs include fossil-preparation demos and digs for the museum’s collection. Want to dig and keep your finds? Check out Ulrich’s Fossil Gallery and American Fossil nearby. The Bighorn Basin Geoscience Center Museum brings the awe of this fossil-rich area to downtown Greybull. And with deposits dating as far back as the Cambrian Period (550 million years!), fossil fans have much to shout about. Hundreds of fossils, some you can touch, and a 40-foot mural bring the area’s ancient ecosystems to life. Check for educational events, workshops and tours of significant area sites, including the Red Gulch Dinosaur Tracksite . And while you’re downtown, pop into the Greybull Museum for local history. Find more fam-friendly dino experiences on p. 62. Book a stay at Bliss Dinosaur Ranch in Weston for an experience you’ll really dig: Your proprietor will guide you on an excavation of his property, which sits on 3,500 acres of the legendary Hell Creek Formation. Through the years, hundreds of specimens have been unearthed on the ranch, from triceratops horns to T-rex teeth ... you might even take some home as souvenirs. Bonus: The ranch’s guest quarters are decorated with treasures from previous digs. Follow a mile-long trail through the Sundance and Morrison Formations at Cottonwood Creek Dinosaur Trail in Alcova. Signage and dinosaur-fossil evidence help you imagine the area during the late Triassic and early Jurassic periods. Or head to the Wyoming Dinosaur Center in Thermopolis for its expansive fossil collection (think 58 spectacular mounted skeletons) and hands-on programs like Dig for a Day, Kids Dig and the five-day Dinosaur Academy. Search for fossil specimens in an active dinosaur excavation site, then tour the museum with an expert guide. Watch Wyoming PBS’ “Fossil Country” (TravelWY.com/fossil-country) and learn about fossils at TravelWY.com/fossil.
©Wyoming. View All Articles.