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Fossil Butte National Monument
Categories: Arts & Entertainment Museums Active Life Parks Museums, Parks [Edit]
864 Chicken Creek RdKemmerer, WY 83101
(307) 877-4455
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
3 reviews for Fossil Butte National Monument
3 reviews in English
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Review from pea p.
Berkeley, CA
4/11/2007
Wyoming is home to an abundance of fossils, thanks in part to the Green River Formation. I'll finish this later...gotta get the clothes out of the dryer!
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Review from Joel S.
Trabuco, CA
9/21/2011 1 photo
It's long way from anywhere to get to this spot, but I'm glad we made the trip on our trip home from Yellowstone and Grand Teton.
The jewel in the crown is the Visitor Center which is chock full of fossils and fossil replicas excavated from nearby quarries. It is easy to spend an hour peering at insects, plants, turtles, and fish impressions here and if you do nothing else, your time will be well spent.
There are two trails that you can explore. We chose the Historic Quarry Loop which climbs 600 feet to the last area in the monument where fossil hunters operated. The route is unshaded, so bring a hat. At the top, you can examine the rocks where fossil hunters (who quarried for the money, not the scientific interest) extracted specimens like those you see in the museum. Don't expect to see fossil fish lying out beneath the deep blue skies, but if you know what you are looking for (talk to a ranger at the visitor center), you can discern the traces that led collectors to the valuable prehistoric remains.
The scenery is also interesting, if not on par with what you might see in other local NPS units. If you can make the time, swing by. -
Review from Ashley S.
9/16/2010
This is a small museum located near the bustling town of Kemmerer Wy. One thing you should know is the place is closed down in the winter. This is mainly due to the muddy, impassible roads. The visitors center is very small, but well worth it. There are a lot of cool fossils. I would have to say one of my favorites is of a palm leaf. Many of the fossils come from the area but there are a few that come from other areas, for instance the crocodile fossil. The staff is extremely friendly. I would defiantly make the trip out here to see this museum.
