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Fossil Butte National Monumentweekend quarry program
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Fossil Butte National Monument
Natural Features & Ecosystems

natural features & ecosystems includes:

Fossils
Geologic Formations
 
Fossil Lake was approximately 50 miles long and 20 miles wide. The light colored ridges, visible from Cundick Ridge, are what's left of the Fossil Lake deposits.

NPS photo

View from Cundick Ridge.

Fossil Butte National Monument offers a window into life in southwestern Wyoming 50-million years ago during the Eocene Epoch. Today's high-desert environment of the national monument is a stark contrast to the sub-tropical lake environment of the past.
visitor center mural  

Did You Know?
Plant fossils, like palm fronds, tell us that 50 million years ago, southwest Wyoming's climate was much like Florida's is today.

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Last Updated: August 23, 2006 at 17:26 EST