Rockhounding in Wyoming: A Field Guide to Collecting Rocks, Gems, Minerals, and Fossils in Wyoming Paperback – November 23, 2025

A Field Guide to the Identification and Collection of Rocks Across WyomingWyoming is a land carved by fire, water, ice, and time—a place where ancient mountain ranges, vast high plains, volcanic fields, and fossil-rich badlands come together to form one of the most geologically extraordinary landscapes in North America. From the towering granite peaks of the Wind River Range to the fossil-studded bluffs of the Green River Basin, and from the volcanic plateaus of Yellowstone to the agate-bearing hills of the central basins, every rock in Wyoming preserves a chapter of Earth’s deep history. Whether you’re a curious beginner or a seasoned collector, this guide will help you explore, identify, and appreciate the state’s remarkable geology.Inside, you’ll find:Clear, easy-to-follow profiles of Wyoming’s rocks, minerals, and fossils including agate, jasper, quartz, jade, fluorite, barite, calcite, petrified wood, limestone, sandstone, shale, and world-famous fossils such as trilobites, fish, ammonites, and dinosaur remains. Each entry explains how it forms, where it’s found, and what sets it apart.Simple, practical identification techniques covering color, hardness, luster, streak, cleavage, fracture, and texture helping you confidently identify specimens from sagebrush flats, badlands, riverbeds, mountain trails, roadcuts, and mineral-rich hills.Collecting advice tailored to Wyoming’s rugged terrain and extreme climate, including tips for exploring high-altitude mountain zones, desert basins, uplifted ridges, river canyons, and volcanic landscapes. Discover where to hunt for jade in central Wyoming, agates on the rolling plains, quartz in the mountains, and fossils in the Eocene and Cretaceous formations of the west and southwest. Includes essential tools and guidelines for collecting on public lands, private lands, BLM areas, and state-managed mineral sites.Rocks arranged by type sedimentary, igneous, metamorphic, ores, and gemstones for quick and easy reference in the field.Expert tips for cleaning and caring for your finds, whether you’re preserving a polished piece of jade, a brilliantly banded agate, a smoky quartz cluster, a slab of fossil fish, or a colorful fragment of petrified wood. Includes care recommendations suited to Wyoming’s dry climate, windy plains, and rugged field conditions.90+ collecting sites across the state from the jade fields of the Granite Mountains and the agate beds of the Big Horn Basin to the fossil-rich formations of Fossil Basin and the Green River Formation, the volcanic terrains of Yellowstone, the quartz-bearing peaks of the Absarokas, and the historic mining regions of the Medicine Bow and Teton areas.Wyoming’s geology is a sweeping story of ancient seas, erupting volcanoes, rising mountain ranges, and vanished ecosystems all preserved in the rocks beneath your feet. A Field Guide to the Identification and Collection of Rocks Across Wyoming invites you to explore mountains, basins, deserts, and canyons, uncovering the natural treasures shaped by fire, water, and millions of years of geological change. Read more