Independence Rock State Historic Site
State Historic Site; National Historic Landmark · Alcova, Wyoming
A whale-backed granite dome beside the Sweetwater River, the best-known landmark of the Oregon, California and Mormon trails in Wyoming. Emigrants tried to reach it by the Fourth of July to be sure of crossing the mountains before snow, and thousands carved or painted their names on it, which earned it the name Register of the Desert. It is now a highway rest area and National Historic Landmark with a trail around the base, and many old inscriptions can still be read. Free and open year-round. It sits beside WY 220 about 55 miles south-west of Casper, with a rest area, interpretive signs and a path to the base. Emigrants hoped to reach it by the Fourth of July to stay ahead of snow in the western mountains.
Wyoming Highway 220, Alcova, Wyoming, 82620, United States
Open year-round, day use. Rest area facilities available all year.
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