Fossil Butte National Monument is a quiet and pet friendly park in Wyoming
If you find yourself in southwestern Wyoming and need a place to walk your dog or have a picnic, Fossil Butte National Monument is the place. The park has 2 trails and 3 dirt-track roads which can also be hiked on with your pets. Chicken Creek Nature Trail trail has a nice shady picnic area. It includes BBQ grills, shade trees and a covered table at the end of a short boardwalk. The Historic Quarry Trail also has restrooms and picnic tables but doesn’t have the nice shady gazebo.
Two maintained trails and 3 unmaintained trails (dirt roads)
- Chicken Creek Nature Trail – restrooms, water, picnic area. 1.5 miles loop trail with 300 ft. elevation change.
- Historic Quarry Trail – restrooms, water, picnic area. 2.5 mile loop with 600 ft. elevation change.
- Candice Ridge Road – 2 miles round trip
- Eaglenest Point Road – 2 miles round trip
- Rubey Point Road – 3 miles round trip
Fossils on display at the visitor center
There are no visible fossils on the trails or the dirt roads.. There are over 300 fossils on display in the visitor center but pets have to stay outside. Summer temperatures can be extremely hot so take lots of water for you and your pet and don’t forget their feet get hot too. The park gets a 3-paw rating based on my rating scale which can be found on the National Park Dogs page.
Don’t forget to check the Fossil Butte National Monument pet regulations for any changes in policies.
