National Monument · Wyoming

Fossil Butte National Monument

Fossil Butte National Monument is a United States National Monument managed by the National Park Service, located 15 miles (24 km) west of Kemmerer, Wyoming, United States. It is managed by the National Park Service. In 2025, it drew 21K visitors.

Photo: Phil Stoffer (USGS), Public domain

Visitors in 2025

21K

record 22K in 2017 · National Park Service

Busiest month

July

75% of visits Jun–Sep

Where

12 mi west of Kemmerer

6 places to stay in Kemmerer

Established

1972

National Park Service

In brief

A national monument, 12 mi west of Kemmerer

Winters are cold

January nights drop to 5°, with about 50" of snow a year. When to go ↓

75% of visits come in Jun–Sep

July is the busiest month, with about 4,365 visitors. January sees about 96. When to go ↓

Kemmerer is the nearest base

Kemmerer is 12 miles east, with 6 places to stay. Where to stay ↓

Best months: Jul and Aug

July and August are the mild months, with highs of 79–81°. When to go ↓

Established in 1972

Fossil Butte National Monument dates from 1972 and is run by National Park Service. About ↓

Written from National Park Service visitor counts, NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia. Updated when the Park Service posts a new month.

When to go

Busy months and weather

Crowds at Fossil Butte rise and fall through the year, as below.

Jan29° / 5°96

Feb32° / 7°118

Mar42° / 17°303

Apr51° / 23°571

May61° / 32°2.3K

Jun72° / 38°4.2K

Jul81° / 45°4.4K

Aug79° / 43°3.2K

Sep70° / 34°3.1K

Oct56° / 25°1.2K

Nov41° / 15°232

Dec30° / 6°137

Bars: average monthly visitors, 2022–2025. Line: the typical afternoon high. Green months are mild and quieter than average. Visitors: National Park Service visitor use statistics, recreation visits. Weather: NOAA 1991–2020 normals for Kemmerer. Kemmerer’s full climate →

About

Fossil Butte National Monument

Fossil Butte National Monument is a United States National Monument managed by the National Park Service, located 15 miles (24 km) west of Kemmerer, Wyoming, United States. It centers on an assemblage of Eocene Epoch (56 to 34 million years ago) animal and plant fossils associated with Fossil Lake—the smallest lake of the three great lakes which were then present in what are now Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado. The other two lakes were Lake Gosiute and Lake Uinta. Fossil Butte National Monument was established as a national monument on October 23, 1972.

Type: National Monument
Established: 1972
Elevation: 7,096 ft
Run by: National Park Service
Wikipedia readers: 6.6K a year
Official site: nps.gov/fobu

From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Facts: Wikidata.

Plan your visit

Entry, hours, address

Address864 Chicken Creek Road, Kemmerer, WY 83101(307) 877-4455

HoursSunrise to sunsetVisitors may enter the park any day sunrise to sunset, but visitor services and motor vehicle access vary throughout the year. Camping is not available.

Getting thereBy car: Travel 9 miles west of Kemmerer, Wyoming on U.S. Highway 30. There is a highway sign near mile post 44; turn right onto Lincoln County Road 300. The Historic Quarry Trail is approximately 1/2 mile on the right. Continue west on County Road 300 for approximately 1.5 miles to Chicken Creek Road which provides access to the visitor center, scenic drive…

National Park Service. Check the park’s site for closures and alerts.

Where to stay

Where to stay near Fossil Butte National Monument

Places to stay start in Kemmerer (6), and Garden City has the most rooms in the area (28).

Visitor centerPark landHighways12Places to stay in town

20 min drive

Kemmerer

6 places to stay · 3 hotels · 3 motels

The closest town with somewhere to stay.

2,353 people

12 mi east of Fossil Butte Visitor Center · 9 mi to the park

20 min drive

Diamondville

2 places to stay · 1 hotel · 1 RV park

513 people

13 mi east of Fossil Butte Visitor Center · 10 mi to the park

30 min drive

Cokeville

2 places to stay · 1 motel · 1 inn or B&B

486 people

19 mi northwest of Fossil Butte Visitor Center · 15 mi to the park

45 min drive

Laketown

1 place to stay · 1 lodge or cabins

287 people · 24% vacation homes

29 mi west of Fossil Butte Visitor Center · 27 mi to the park

The big base · 50 min

Garden City

28 places to stay · 13 hotels · 2 motels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 5 lodges & cabins · 3 campgrounds · 3 RV parks

The most places to stay in the area, and a base for a longer trip.

876 people · 73% vacation homes

34 mi west of Fossil Butte Visitor Center · 31 mi to the park

Compare 5 towns

Town	From the visitor center	Drive	Places to stay	People	Typical home
Kemmerer	12 mi east	20 min	6 3 hotels · 3 motels	2,353	$179K
Diamondville	13 mi east	20 min	2 1 hotel · 1 RV park	513	$145K
Cokeville	19 mi northwest	30 min	2 1 motel · 1 inn or B&B	486	$245K
Laketown 24% vacation homes	29 mi west	45 min	1 1 lodge or cabins	287	$406K
Garden City 73% vacation homes	34 mi west	50 min	28 13 hotels · 2 motels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 5 lodges & cabins · 3 campgrounds · 3 RV parks	876	$655K

Day trip from

Straight-line miles.

Salt Lake City95 mi southwest

Getting there

Nearest airports with airline service, from the visitor center

OGDOgden Hinckley78 mi

RKSSouthwest Wyoming Regional90 mi

SLCSalt Lake City · major hub96 mi

Places to stay: Overture Maps (hotels, motels, inns, lodges, campgrounds, RV parks; not vacation rentals) · roads: Overture Maps / OpenStreetMap contributors · park boundary: National Park Service · town figures: U.S. Census ACS · airports: OurAirports. Distances are from Fossil Butte Visitor Center; drive times are estimates.

Make a day of it

Around Fossil Butte

Each of these is within 69 miles.

130 mi LakeBear Lake 61 mi Ski areaPowder Mountain Ski Resort155 runs · 2,755 ft vertical 40 mi Ski areaBeaver Mountain54 runs · 1,607 ft vertical 217 mi Ski areaPine Creek Ski Area33 runs · 1,361 ft vertical 50 mi Ski areaCherry Peak Ski Area37 runs · 1,210 ft vertical 68 mi Ski areaNordic Valley Resort (Wolf Mountain)41 runs · 1,717 ft vertical 54 mi MuseumNora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art

69 mi MuseumBrigham City Museum-Gallery

Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons

Photo credits

Bear Lake: kla4067, CC BY 2.0 · Brigham City Museum-Gallery: Ntsimp, Public domain

Visitors

Visitor numbers: 20,626 in 2025

Here are the yearly counts from 2016 to 2025.

Every full year the Park Service has counted. 2020 (gold) was the pandemic year. Green is the record (2017). National Park Service visitor use statistics, recreation visits by calendar year.

Common questions

Planning a visit to Fossil Butte

What town is Fossil Butte National Monument near?

Kemmerer, WY, about 12 miles east.

When is the best time to visit Fossil Butte National Monument?

July and August, with highs of 79–81°. July is the busiest month (about 4,365 visitors).

How many people visit Fossil Butte National Monument each year?

20,626 in 2025, according to the National Park Service. The record is 21,978, set in 2017.

What is the closest airport to Fossil Butte National Monument?

Ogden Hinckley (OGD), about 78 miles away. The nearest big hub is Salt Lake City (SLC), about 96 miles.

Where should I stay near Fossil Butte National Monument?

Kemmerer (12 mi, 6 places to stay) and Garden City (34 mi, 28 places to stay).

From locals

Questions for Kemmerer

Be the first to share a tip in Kemmerer’s Town Square.

When do you go to beat the crowds at Fossil Butte? Where do you eat after a visit to Fossil Butte? Is Fossil Butte worth it with small kids? What do visitors to Fossil Butte usually miss?

Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · National Park Service visitor use statistics · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.