Fossil Hunting at Fossil Butte National Monument, Wyoming
PROHIBITED
Not permitted at this location
Key Conditions
- Collecting any fossil, rock, or natural object is prohibited under 36 CFR 2.1(a)(1) — this covers surface fragments and loose shale pieces, not just intact specimens
- PRPA 2009's casual-collection allowance for invertebrate and plant fossils applies only to BLM and Bureau of Reclamation land under 43 CFR Part 49 — it does not extend to National Park Service units, so 'it's just a fish fossil' is not an exception here
- Entry to the monument, visitor center, and trails is free — no fee or permit needed simply to visit and observe
- Private fee-dig quarries (Warfield Fossil Quarries, American Fossil, Ulrich's Fossil Gallery) operate on state and private land minutes from the monument boundary near Kemmerer, where visitors can pay to dig and keep common fish fossils — this is the legal alternative most visitors are actually looking for
The BLM rule you've heard about does not apply here
Casual collecting of common invertebrate and plant fossils is legal on BLM land under PRPA 2009 — but that allowance is written into 43 CFR Part 49, a regulation that only covers BLM and Bureau of Reclamation land. Fossil Butte is a National Park Service unit, governed instead by the blanket prohibition in 36 CFR 2.1(a)(1). There is no invertebrate, plant, or 'common fish fossil' exception inside the monument boundary. A Knightia impression that would be legal to pocket on BLM ground an hour away is a federal violation here.
Fossil Lake covered parts of what is now southwestern Wyoming roughly 52 million years ago, and the fine, still-water sediment that settled to its bottom compressed into shale layers thin enough to split like pages of a book. Union Pacific Railroad workers cutting into that shale in the 1870s found fish skeletons by the thousands and handed specimens to geologist Ferdinand Hayden — the discovery that put the formation on the scientific map.
Commercial digging followed for decades. Lee Craig sold fossils out of the area from 1897 to 1937, part of the unregulated extraction that eventually pushed Congress to designate the site a national monument in 1972 specifically to stop it. That history is the reason the collecting ban here is absolute rather than conditional: the monument exists because of a pattern of resource loss the Park Service was created to end, not a starting assumption that some casual removal is fine.
Complete Gallinuloides bird skeleton
Fossil Lake's still, oxygen-poor bottom preserved soft tissue impressions well enough to capture a complete skeleton of Gallinuloides, an early relative of the modern chachalaca — one of the more scientifically significant vertebrate specimens documented from the formation. A single specimen of the small mammal Hyopsodus wortmani has also been recovered from the lake beds, and only two frog fossils have ever been documented from the entire formation, underscoring how much of what's preserved at Fossil Butte is a one-of-a-kind scientific record rather than routine bycatch.
These specimens are part of the park's research collection, not on public collecting terms — they illustrate why the no-collecting rule is enforced without exception rather than why it's worth testing.
PRPA 2009 and the NPS carve-out that doesn't exist
The Paleontological Resources Preservation Act (16 U.S.C. §§ 470aaa et seq.) set a single federal framework for fossil protection, but its casual-collection provision was implemented through 43 CFR Part 49, Subpart I — a regulation scoped specifically to BLM and Bureau of Reclamation land. National Park Service units were deliberately left outside that carve-out. In practice this means the popular hobbyist shorthand — 'invertebrates and plants are fine, only vertebrates need a permit' — is only true on BLM and USFS ground. Inside any NPS unit, including Fossil Butte, 36 CFR 2.1 governs instead, and it prohibits collecting of any natural object without exception for fossil type.
Fossil Butte at a Glance
No
Collecting allowed?
Free
Entrance fee
~52 million years
Formation age
1972
Established
~3 min (Kemmerer area)
Nearest pay-to-dig
Fossil Butte NM vs. Nearby Kemmerer-Area Options
| Site | Land status | Collecting? | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fossil Butte National Monument | NPS | Prohibited | Free entry | Visitor center, prep lab, trails; observation only |
| Warfield Fossil Quarries | State/private | Allowed (fee-dig) | Day/hourly rate | Long-running Green River Formation quarry; visitors keep common fish fossils |
| Ulrich's Fossil Gallery | Private | Allowed (fee-dig) | Guided pay-to-dig | A few minutes from the monument visitor center |
| American Fossil (South Dempsey Quarry) | State/private | Allowed (fee-dig) | Day rate | Notable for three-toed horse fossils |
NPS itself describes the pay-to-dig operations as being on 'state and private land' outside the monument boundary. Verify current rates and hours directly with each operation before visiting.
Getting There
Directions and fee status confirmed via NPS, July 2026. Confirm seasonal visitor center hours and road conditions directly with the park before a trip.
Watch the prep lab, don't skip the trail
The visitor center's fossil preparation lab lets you watch technicians split and clean real specimens in real time, which is as close as most visitors get to a 'dig' experience here. Pair that with the Historic Quarry Trail, where exposed shale in the trail cutbank shows fossil-bearing layers in place — bring a camera rather than a rock hammer, since photographing an in-situ impression is the only form of 'collecting' that's actually permitted.
Before You Visit — Fossil Butte National Monument
- Confirm current visitor center hours before arriving — grounds are open sunrise to sunset but the center's hours vary seasonally
- Leave rock hammers and chisels in the car unless your next stop is a private Kemmerer-area quarry
- Bring water and sun protection — trail exposure at elevation has little shade
- If bringing kids, ask at the visitor center about Junior Ranger program timing for the supervised fossil dig activity
- Decide in advance if you want a take-home fossil experience — book or plan a stop at a private quarry separately, since none is available inside the monument
Permits & Licenses
| Permit | Required? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Recreational or hobbyist fossil collecting | No | Not offered to the public at any price or process. There is no permit path for a visitor to collect and keep fossils inside the monument. |
| Scientific collection permit (36 CFR 2.5) | Yes | Issued only to qualified researchers affiliated with an institution for documented scientific study; not available to recreational visitors. |
Time & Seasonal Restrictions
- All fossil, rock, and mineral collecting prohibited monument-wide under 36 CFR 2.1(a)(1), including loose surface shale fragments
- A roughly 300-foot protective closure surrounds the historic quarry center point per the Superintendent's Compendium, restricting off-trail access near the most fossil-dense exposure
- Removing any natural object — plant, animal, mineral, or paleontological — from the monument in any quantity is a federal violation regardless of apparent value
- Digging tools brought with evident intent to excavate fossils are grounds for a ranger stop even before any collecting occurs
Equipment Notes
- No collecting tools are needed or permitted — leave rock hammers, chisels, and picks in the car unless you are headed to one of the private Kemmerer-area quarries afterward
- Sturdy hiking shoes for the Historic Quarry Trail and Nature Trail, both of which cross exposed shale slopes
- Camera or phone for photographing exposed fossil impressions in the quarry trail cutbank — photography is unrestricted
- Sun protection and water — the high-desert trail exposure at 7,500+ ft elevation has minimal shade
What People Find Here
- Knightia eocaena — the most common fossil fish preserved in the Green River Formation here, found by the thousands in the historic quarry layers (documented, not collectable)
- Diplomystus and Priscacara — larger predatory and deep-bodied fish species regularly recovered from the same laminated shale beds
- Gallinuloides — a complete fossil bird skeleton related to modern chachalacas, among the monument's most significant documented specimens
- Hyopsodus wortmani — a small early mammal known from a single specimen recovered at Fossil Lake, held in park and museum collections
- Rare frog specimens — only two have ever been documented from the formation, illustrating how much of what's preserved here is scientifically singular rather than common
Penalties for Violations
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| Violation | Statute | Penalty |
|---|---|---|
| Collecting, removing, or disturbing any fossil or natural object | 36 CFR 2.1(a)(1) | Federal petty-offense citation; up to $5,000 fine and/or up to 6 months imprisonment; specimens and tools may be confiscated |
| Knowing violation involving resources or restoration value over $500 | PRPA 2009, 16 U.S.C. § 470aaa-5 | Federal fine under Title 18 and/or up to 5 years imprisonment; lesser violations at or under $500 in value carry fine-only penalties; civil penalties also available under § 470aaa-6 |
Etiquette & Leave No Trace
- Photograph exposed fossil impressions in place rather than attempting to pry them loose — the shale splits easily and looks tempting, which is exactly why the prohibition is enforced strictly here
- Stay on the Historic Quarry Trail and Nature Trail rather than cutting across exposed shale slopes — off-trail foot traffic accelerates erosion of fossil-bearing layers
- If you want a specimen to take home, plan a separate stop at a private Kemmerer-area quarry rather than testing the monument's boundary
- Let kids do the ranger-supervised Junior Ranger dig activity rather than attempting to split shale on their own — the supervised version is the only on-site 'dig' experience that's actually sanctioned
- Report any obvious looting or unauthorized digging you observe to a ranger at the visitor center
Nearby Alternatives
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| Site | Distance | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Como Bluff (BLM) | 200 mi | Same state, opposite collecting framework — BLM land where invertebrate and plant fossils can be casually collected up to 25 lb/day; vertebrate material is still prohibited there too |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I collect fossils at Fossil Butte National Monument?
No. Collecting any fossil, rock, or natural object is prohibited monument-wide under 36 CFR 2.1(a)(1), regardless of size or apparent significance. Violations carry fines up to $5,000 and up to 6 months imprisonment.
BLM land allows casual fossil collecting — why doesn't that apply here?
PRPA 2009's casual-collection allowance for common invertebrate and plant fossils is implemented through 43 CFR Part 49, a regulation that applies specifically to BLM and Bureau of Reclamation land. It does not extend to National Park Service units. Fossil Butte is an NPS monument, so the blanket 36 CFR 2.1 prohibition governs with no casual-collection carve-out, even for the same categories of fossil that would be legal to pick up on BLM ground a short drive away.
Where near Fossil Butte can I actually dig and keep a fossil?
Several private fee-dig quarries operate on state and private land near Kemmerer, a few minutes from the monument's visitor center, including Warfield Fossil Quarries and Ulrich's Fossil Gallery. These operations charge a day or hourly rate and let visitors keep common Green River Formation fish fossils they find. They are not affiliated with or located inside the national monument.
What is the 300-foot closure around the historic quarry?
The Superintendent's Compendium establishes a protective closure zone around the center point of the historic quarry site to limit off-trail disturbance of the most fossil-dense exposure. Visitors can view and photograph the area from the designated trail; going off-trail within the closure is a separate citable violation on top of the general collecting prohibition.
Is there an entrance fee?
No. Fossil Butte National Monument does not charge an entrance fee for the grounds, visitor center, or trails.
Can my kids do a fossil dig at the monument and keep what they find?
Not independently. The Junior Ranger program includes a ranger-supervised activity where children split shale layers at a designated dig site to look for fish fossils and coprolites, but any fossils found remain part of the park's collection and are not taken home. For a keep-what-you-find experience, plan a stop at one of the private Kemmerer-area quarries instead.
Disclaimer
Information is provided for general guidance only. Regulations change frequently. Always verify current rules with the official jurisdiction before relying on this information for legal decisions. Permitted Pursuits is not a substitute for official agency guidance. Report an error.
Sources
- Fossil Butte National Monument — Frequently Asked Questions (NPS)(accessed 2026-07-07)
- Shed Hunters Reminded that Collecting is Not Permitted in the Monument (NPS)(accessed 2026-07-07)
- Fossil Butte National Monument — Fees (NPS)(accessed 2026-07-07)
- BLM — Casual Collection of Common Invertebrate or Plant Paleontological Resources, 43 CFR Part 49 Subpart I(accessed 2026-07-07)
- Paleontological Resources Preservation Act, 16 U.S.C. Chapter 1C(accessed 2026-07-07)
Last verified: 2026-07-07 · Last updated: 2026-07-07