Hell Gap archaeological site

Hell Gap is an archaeological site in a valley in eastern Wyoming, located about 13 miles north of Guernsey. The area contains five separate locations with artifacts and remains scattered across a stream-fed landscape at about 4,921 feet in elevation.

The site was discovered in 1959 and contains evidence of human occupation from about 13,000 to 8,500 years ago. The layered deposits record successive periods of different hunting cultures that lived in the region.

The site displays evidence of how Native American hunting practices changed over thousands of years through different tool styles and techniques. Walking through the locations, you can observe how people adapted their methods to their environment.

The site is managed by the Wyoming Archaeological Foundation and offers educational programs for visitors interested in learning about early human history. Visit during warmer months when the site is most accessible and guided programs are typically available.

The minimal erosion at this location preserved artifact layers with remarkable clarity and separation. This allowed researchers to establish a precise timeline of how tool-making techniques changed across thousands of years.