Paleo Park Or Lance Creek Fossil Area?

[autographcollector11]

Hi Fossil Forum-I need your help

I have read about a couple of fossil areas in WY-

Paleo Park and Lance Creek Fossil Area.

Has anyone heard of them or know more about what they offer? I was not able to find too much information on the internet.

Any help would be apprciated.

Thanks

Eric

[jpc]

Eric... yes I know about it all.

Paleo Park is run by a local ranch family. They are good folks and run a good operation and have a great guest house to stay in. All the info you need is on their web site. The sticky part is that you don't get to keep very much.

The Lance Creek Fossil Area is a huge area of Lance Formation outcrops in eastern Wyoming. The area is huge... the outcrops are not necessarily so, as they are primarily in the gullies, and on buttes. Lots of grass-covered areas here. There are dinosaur bones to be found in the Lance Fm. Maybe a quarter or a third of the area is State, BLM and National Forest land, so is off limits for collecting without a permit. The rest is private land. Finding dinosauar chunks is easy. Finding permission to hunt on this private land is much more difficult. A lot of the places are leased to commercial collectors and to other hobbists. A lot of ranchers just don't want dino hunters on their place. And the rest are OK with it... as long as you ASK PERMISSION. Some will charge you money. PM me if you want help getting onto one of these places. Like I said, finding dino chunks and occasional small dinos bones is easy. Finding bigger bones is not uncommon, but collecting these big ones can be a challenge. They are fragile and defintley need plaster jackets, and are a lot of work back in the lab.

There now that I've scared you away, I'll tell you them same situation exists in the badlands of South dakota (as per your other post), except there is even less private land up there.

jpc

[val horn]

it has been a very long time since this post.  I am in a similar position, finding myself in wyoming  briefly in early june. Are there any legal/public sites in eastern wyoming  that someone would like to suggest.  valerie

[Castle Rock]

I've been to the Lance Creek area on a ranch a few miles south of the "town" WAY BACK in 1977!  But I will echo previous remarks on this post....Location, Location, Location and Connections, connections and CONNECTIONS.....it's ALL about WHERE you go and WHO you know.  Good luck.......Dave

 

[jpc]

1 hour ago, Castle Rock said:

I've been to the Lance Creek area on a ranch a few miles south of the "town" WAY BACK in 1977!  But I will echo previous remarks on this post....Location, Location, Location and Connections, connections and CONNECTIONS.....it's ALL about WHERE you go and WHO you know.  Good luck.......Dave

 

South of town... then you were in the White River Fm, right?  All the Lance Fm is north of town.  

[jpc]

On 5/19/2021 at 4:46 PM, val horn said:

it has been a very long time since this post.  I am in a similar position, finding myself in wyoming  briefly in early june. Are there any legal/public sites in eastern wyoming  that someone would like to suggest.  valerie

As per my original relpy above, PaleoPark is no longer in business.  

PM me and I might be able to hook you up.  

[Castle Rock]

On 5/21/2021 at 2:34 PM, jpc said:

South of town... then you were in the White River Fm, right?  All the Lance Fm is north of town.  

That is correct. I knew NOTHING about the specific location of the Lance Creek Fm. and simply saw some rocky hills on the east side of the road south of "town". The rancher was kind enough to allow me to camp on his land for a couple of days and look around.  I did find some nice teeth and large bone fragments in a pale green colored sand/conglomerate. LONG TIME AGO!  

[jpc]

On 5/22/2021 at 3:26 PM, Castle Rock said:

That is correct. I knew NOTHING about the specific location of the Lance Creek Fm. and simply saw some rocky hills on the east side of the road south of "town". The rancher was kind enough to allow me to camp on his land for a couple of days and look around.  I did find some nice teeth and large bone fragments in a pale green colored sand/conglomerate. LONG TIME AGO!  

You must have been in the lower White River Fm.. the titanothere beds.  Called the Chadron Fm  in Nebraska but just White River in Wyoming.