Gros Ventre Slide Geological Area

The Gros Ventre (pronounced GROW-VAUNT, French for "large belly") Landslide is located about 7 miles (11 Km) east of Jackson Hole and Grand Teton National Park. On June 23, 1925, the landslide occurred when the rain-saturated hillside gave way on the north slope of Sheep Mountain. The devastation can still be seen in the foreground. The landslide created a huge dam across the Gros Ventre River, backing up the water and forming Lower Slide Lake. On May 18, 1927, a portion of the landslide dam failed, resulting in a massive flood that was 20 feet (6 meters) deep at a distance of 25 miles (40 Km) downstream. Here is a close-up of the landslide scarps.

Print No. A01NW-23-8

Fossil Butte National Monument

Fossil Butte National Monument in southwest Wyoming was established in 1972 to protect the fossils and related geologic features. The bluffs are exposures of the 50 million year old (Eocene Epoch) Green River Formation, which is composed of laminated limestone, mudstone, and volcanic ash. From the deposits of the ancient Fossil Lake, some of the most perfectly preserved fossils have been found here, including fish with preserved teeth, scales, and even skin.

Print No. A01NW-40-11

Como Bluff Fossil Site

The first major discovery of dinosaur fossils was in 1877 at Como Bluff, located in southeastern Wyoming. The lighter band in the low hillsides seen here are exposures of the Jurassic-age Morrison Formation. This site has produced numerous dinosaur skeletons, including the well known apatosaurus, stegosaurus, and allosaurus. Also captured in the lower left quarter of this image is a prong-horned antelope.

Print No. A01NW-41-1

Vedauwoo Rocks

Vedauwoo Rocks (pronounced VEE-DAH-VOO, from the Arapaho word "biito'owu" meaning earthborn) is a popular rock-climbing area located between Laramie and Cheyenne in southeast Wyoming. These rocks are composed of the 1.43 billion year old (Precambrian) Sherman Granite.

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