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Bed & Breakfast Inns and Ranches of Wyoming |
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Dinosaur Roundup |
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This
road trip takes you through the heart of Wyoming as you explore many of our
fine paleontology sites. Starting in Laramie, you’ll head up to Como
Bluff, then cross the Red Desert for a little “fishing” at Fossil Butte
National Monument. Continue on to Thermopolis and the Wyoming Dinosaur
Center before winding back through the center of the state to Casper. The suggested itinerary has you on the road no more than four hours each day, leaving you time to explore each of the sites. |
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Day 1: Laramie to Rock Springs Start your trip with a visit to the University of Wyoming Paleontology Museum, which houses a complete Apatosaurus (one of only five in the world) and the world’s largest fossil garfish. You’ll also enjoy “Big Al” the most complete Allosaurus ever discovered and a Triceratops skull. On your way to Rock Springs, stop at Como Bluff (14 complete dinosaur skeletons were removed from here in the 1880's) and see the Fossil Cabin Museum, a house made from over 5000 dinosaur bones. If you have extra time, visit the nearby Rock River Museum where you can see an Allosaurus skull and a Compsognathus skeleton cast, watch a video of dinosaur digs, or participate in a workshop for bone cleaning. |
UW
Museum Mon-Fri 9:00-4:00 Sat-Sun 10:00-3:00 307.766.4218 Fossil Cabin Museum Mon-Sun 9:30-7:00 open May 1-Oct 1 307.379.2323 Rock River Museum hours vary open May 1 for summer 307.378.2205 |
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Day 2: Rock Springs to Kemmerer The Natural History Museum at Western Wyoming Community College in Rock Springs has over 16 dinosaur casts on display throughout the campus including a Tyrannosaurus Rex, Triceratops, Stegosaurus, and a Plesiosaur. As you drive across the semi-arid plains to Kemmerer, it’s hard to imagine that this area was once covered with lush jungle and huge lakes. The fossil fish displays at Fossil Butte National Monument will take you back to that time. Over 75 fossils are on display including a 13-foot crocodile, the oldest known bat, and a huge mass mortality of over 300 fish. If you want to try your hand at digging, contact Tynsky’s or Ulrich’s for reservations. You can keep all but the rare finds. |
Western
Wyoming College 307.382.1661 Fossil Butte 8:00-7:00 summer 8:00-4:30 winter 307.877.4455 Tynsky’s
Fossil Fish Ulrich’s Fossil Gallery |
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Day 3: Kemmerer to Thermopolis As you skirt the southern edge of the Wind River Range, the lower 48's most remote and roadless mountains, you might enjoy stopping at South Pass or Atlantic City, historic "ghost towns" from the gold boom days. Approaching Thermopolis you drive down the Wind River Canyon, a fantastic place to view the geologic history of this part of Wyoming. We suggest you spend the rest of the day relaxing at one of the water parks in Thermopolis, home to the largest hot springs in the world which flows 2,500 gallons of 135 degree water per minute. |
South Pass City | ||
Day 4: Thermopolis Today is your chance to dig for dinosaur bones at the Wyoming Dinosaur Center (all bones found stay at the Center) or view their collection of 19 full-size skeletons including eight dinosaurs and a premier collection of dinosaur eggs. If time permits, a
drive up to the |
Wyoming Dinosaur Center 8:00-8:00 summer 10:00-5:00 winter 800.455.DINO Red Gulch Dinosaur Tracksite 307.347.5154 (BLM office) |
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Day 5: Thermopolis to Casper Today you’ll drive back through the Wind River Canyon and skirt the southern edge of the Bighorns before arriving in Casper, your final destination on the Dinosaur Roundup. The Tate Museum has the most complete Aurosaurus skull in the world. From Casper you can take a side trip to Alcova, where the self-guided Cottonwood Creek Dinosaur Trail lets you see fossils in their natural setting. The nearby Glenrock Paleontological Museum houses a rare Torosaurus. You can also get some hands-on experience with fossils in their laboratory. |
Tate
Museum Mon-Fri 9:00-4:00 Sat 10:00-3:00 307.268.2514 Alcova Cottonwood Creek Dinosaur Trail 307.235.9325 Glenrock Paleontological Museum Tues & Thur 1:00-4:00 Sat 10:00-4:00 307.436.2667 |
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