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Fossil Butte National Monument in Wyoming contains one of the best-preserved paleontological records of aquatic species from the Cenozoic Era.
Overview of Fossil Butte National Monument
If you’re expecting to walk among fossils of fish, plants, and animals still stuck in rocks, you’ll be disappointed by Fossil Butte National Monument. If you’re keen on learning about “America’s Aquarium” and how fossils are formed and preserved, it’s a worthwhile stop for at least a few hours.
The area that makes up Fossil Butte National Monument was once covered by a prehistoric freshwater lake. It was about 40 to 50 miles (64 to 80 kilometers) long from north to south and 20 miles (32 kilometers) wide, and lasted about two million years before it was covered by sediment. Thousands of fossils — mostly of aquatic species — have been uncovered, hence the name “America’s Aquarium”. Most of them were unearthed from 1897 to 1937 when fossil hunter Lee Craig (1866–1938) made a healthy living off his finds.
With the establishment of Fossil Butte National Monument, on October 23, 1972, the National Park Service took over the area. Although fossil hunting is now illegal within the park boundaries, extraordinary specimens are still found on private quarries nearby.
Visiting Fossil Butte National Monument
Fossil Butte National Monument is located about 15 miles (24 kilometers) from Kemmerer, Wyoming, on US Highway 30, and 45 miles north of I-80. It’s a fee-free park (as of January 2026) open sunrise to sunset, year-round. You’ll find a visitor center, scenic drive, hiking, and ranger-guided programs. Check the official website for more info.
Visitor Center
The visitor center contains, over 2,000 fossils on display. You can also watch a 13-minute video about Fossil Butte and maybe even get a chance to watch fossils being prepared in the lab.
Fossils are grouped by species, including extinct fish, turtles, crocodiles, plants, flowers, insects, birds, and more. You’ll even see unique specimens of coprolite (fossilized poop), as well as recreations of Cenozoic-era scenes.
Journey Through Time
Journey Through Time is an interesting timeline along the railing outside the visitor center. It’s worth checking out before going inside. The timeline is to scale — every 9 inches represents 1 million years — and begins with the formation of the earth roughly 4.54 billion years ago.
From there, the timeline highlights major geologic and biologic events, including when certain species appeared on earth, when they went extinct, meteor strikes, continents splitting apart, and the approximate time of formation of some of the national parks. Near the very end, you can see where humans enter the picture. It puts into perspective the amount of damage we’ve done to the planet during our short time here.
The Landscape and the Quarries
One interpretive panel along Journey Through Time points out different quarries where commercial fossil mining took place in the 20th century.
Hiking at Fossil Butte National Monument
Many visitors start and finish at the visitor center but there’s more to do. Five hiking trails are located in the park. You won’t be able to see any fossils in situ, but the trails are enjoyable nonetheless.
- The Historic Quarry Trail is a 2.5-mile (4 kilometer) loop leading to a historic fossil quarry. It’s moderate to strenuous with a 700-foot (213 meter) elevation gain.
- The Fossil Butte Nature Trail is a 1.5-mile (2.4 kilometer) loop through sagebrush and a spring-fed aspen forest, with a 300-foot (91 meter) elevation gain. Along the way, you’ll find interpretive panels on the wildlife, plants, and geology of the region.
- The Cundick Ridge Trail is 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) round-trip and leads to an overlook with views of the valley. There’s very little elevation gain, and it’s an unmaintained trail along a dirt road.
- The Eagle Nest Point Trail is 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) round-trip with very little elevation gain. It follows an unmaintained dirt road, ending at an overlook with pine and Douglas fir trees and views of canyons and ridges in the distance. Keep in mind the trail is overgrown in some places and may be hard to follow. It’s best to speak with a ranger before setting off.
- The Rubey Point Trail is 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) round-trip with minimal elevation gain. It’s an unmaintained trail along a dirt road that ends at an overlook with panoramic views. On a clear day, you’ll see the Uinta Mountains and the Bear River and Monte Cristo Ranges.
Scenic Drive
We arrived late and didn’t have enough time to hike so we took the 5 ½-mile (8.8 kilometer) scenic drive instead. The first 2 ½ miles (4 kilometers) until the Fossil Butte Nature Trail and picnic area are paved. Just be careful driving the rest of the way — it continues on a gravel road with a 17% grade that’s not suitable for RVs or vehicles towing anything.
The other two parking lots further up are the trailheads for the Cundick Ridge, Eagle Nest Point, and Rubey Point trails. Once you reach the top of the ridge, you’ll enjoy spectacular views. If you have 4-wheel-drive, high-clearance vehicle, you can continue past the cattle guards onto the BLM roads.
