Fossil Butte National Monument Visitor Center
Fossil Butte National Monument Visitor Center, National Park Service visitor center in Lincoln County, Wyoming.
The visitor center displays over 80 different fossil specimens and casts from the Eocene period, including fish, insects, plants, and early mammals.
The center stands where coal mining operations in the late 1800s led to the initial discovery of fossils that would define the region's scientific importance.
The facility provides educational programs through ranger-led tours and fossil preparation demonstrations, teaching visitors about ancient ecosystems from 52 million years ago.
The visitor center maintains different operating hours across seasons and offers access to hiking trails that connect to fossil observation points throughout the monument.
Scientists at this location study the most complete record of Cenozoic aquatic communities in North America, preserved in the Green River Formation.
Location: Lincoln County
Website: https://nps.gov/fobu
GPS coordinates: 41.83655,-110.77036
Latest update: March 3, 2025 07:39
Wyoming preserves geological sites that include thermal springs, canyons, and rock formations. The state protects historic locations such as forts, rock art, and dinosaur tracks. Devils Tower rises 1,267 feet (386 meters) above the terrain and represents a significant geological formation. Fossil Butte conserves Eocene-era fossils in a former lakebed. Independence Rock served as a landmark for Oregon Trail travelers, while Fort Phil Kearny documents 1860s military history. The landscape includes waterfalls such as Popo Agie Falls and Jenny Lake Hidden Falls, mountain passes like Sylvan Pass, and Wind River Canyon. The Bighorn Medicine Wheel consists of stones arranged in a pattern on Medicine Mountain. Castle Gardens and Legend Rock display prehistoric petroglyphs. Red Gulch preserves dinosaur tracks more than 100 million years old. Sinks Canyon demonstrates a geological phenomenon where the Popo Agie River disappears into limestone caverns. Nature parks, hot springs like Granite Hot Springs, and forest areas such as Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests provide access to these areas.
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