Lovell: Fossil Hunting in Big Horn County, Wyoming

Plan your visit

Generally open to casual rockhounding

County

Big Horn County

State

Wyoming

Nearest road

Medicine Wheel Passage

Coordinates

44.79770, -108.04737

Coordinates are approximate. Confirm the exact ground in the RockHoundR app, where land overlays show which agency manages the area.

Land & collecting status

Generally open to casual rockhounding

Most public-tagged spots sit on BLM, U.S. Forest Service, or other federal land where reasonable hand collecting of common rocks and minerals is allowed. Confirm posted rules and active mining claims before you dig.

Public-land rules vary by agency, season, and field office. The RockHoundR app pulls live BLM, USFS, NPS, and tribal overlays so you can see exactly which agency manages the ground at this spot.

Best time to visit Lovell

Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)

Best months: March to October. Typical highs run 83°F in midsummer and 28°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 4°F.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, LOVELL station (18 mi away), adjusted for elevation.

Geology at Lovell

This spot sits on Mowry and Thermopolis Shales, mapped as shale that formed roughly 145 to 100 million years ago. Sedimentary layers like these are where fossils are typically preserved, and fresh exposures after rain or in active cuts tend to produce best.

Mapped unit

Mowry and Thermopolis Shales

Age

145–100 Ma (Early Cretaceous)

Rock types

shale

Elevation

4,710 ft

Geologic mapping via Macrostrat and the underlying state geological survey maps (CC BY 4.0). Bedrock at the surface can vary within a mapped unit.

Sources & verification

Spot details combine the public RockHoundR location dataset, normalized mineral labels, agency land-status checks in the app, and community submissions. Coordinates are approximate until verified in the field.

State guidance last verified: April 1, 2026

• BLM Wyoming
• Wyoming State Geological Survey
• Fossil Butte National Monument
• Community submissions reviewed against published agency rules