uka9HBNd%|i=p` "(^#I*$c&EG?Ryu#p,T[N ThKBqK3R~Z*@2s 5Cq%ux~r{qt$eM.m(zE5YX> m [hc6 ,m1$d+32/N.jCRmR12P?m`q6 V+{!2) u]wM25`TF$aMQ3{,5vgh 6MBU)! 307 548-5406 On Black Canyon's north facing (shadowed) slopes Douglas Fir can be found. Find information about forest planning, current projects, forest resource management and programs. On sedimentary areas forests cover less that 50% of the area and are composed of Pseudotsuga menziesii or Picea engelmannii-Abies lasiocarpa. have inhabited the Big Horn region, using mountain resources to improve their The most common mammals in the Bighorn Basin today (pronghorn antelope, horses, and even people!) The Bighorn National Forest offers a little for everyone with breathtaking scenery, a diversity of recreation experiences, nearly 192,000 acres of wilderness, and over 1,200 miles of trail for visitors to explore. Fire, insects, and diseases are natural disturbances that change age, distribution, and density of forest communities. Although an adult mountain pine beetle measures a scant 1/8 to 1/3 inch long, the impact they have on their environment is sometimes anything but small. There are usually groups in and around the South District, especially areas like Crooked Creek Bay where there is also a 20-site campground, as there is on the Wyoming side at Horseshoe Bend. BIGHORNMOUNTAINS.COM, LLC It took more than 1,000. In 1991, a 95 percent completeAllosaurusskeleton, now at the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, Montana, was collected at the Howe Quarry. 2023 Smithsonian Magazine Ponderosa Pine The Sparkling Effect Wiley is a global provider of content and content-enabled workflow solutions in areas of scientific, technical, medical, and scholarly research; professional development; and education. Historically, fire was the most significant factor to influence the Bighorn Mountains. How could the worldget so warm so far away from the equator? The devices that measure earthquakes form a network that lets geologists diagnose what is going on beneath Yellowstone, just like a surgeon uses a CT scan to look into a human body. T% {XlSN)1o|=! The horse is startled by the rustling leaves and starts to run over to the fast-flowing stream cutting across the forest floor. 2013 Eastside 2nd Street Recreation Opportunities Located in north-central Wyoming, the Bighorn Mountains are a sister range of the Rocky Mountains. */ There are some decent fishing spots in and around the dam, where plenty of trout fishing is available. District Office. *Closed federal holidays. 1. The rusting process in the sediments often destroys the remains of plants and animals that would otherwise become fossilized, so very few fossils have been discovered in the Chugwater over the years. There is no menace, only the muffled footfalls of massive herbivores. Expect to find black bear, mule deer, elk, and porcupine along with such birds as Clarks nutcracker and the Red-breasted nuthatch. n+wSJ`4M34?3f#UqeGP%qc+xHl4`~nI."4Z9K(lsBl?F4&i%UG5b@$@Pe e? Download the official NPS app before your next visit, Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area South District Visitor Center. Wyoming's Bighorn Basin is an oval scooped out of the northwest quadrant of the state and encircled by neatly aligned mountain ranges. Trees that are under stress due to old age, drought, crowding, and diseases are most susceptible to an attack, but will often mount their own defense against an invasion; the presence of white or reddish-brown pitch tubes on the trunk indicate an attempt to drown beetles with resin as they bore into the inner bark. 20 North Tisdale Avenue if (year < 1000) The 2,184 sq. Dispersed camping is allowed on Bighorn Lake below the high watermark of 3640 feet elevation in undeveloped areas, although some of these sites may not be available during high waters. Cities & Towns, Big (307) 548-5406 is the South District in Lovell, WY. Interspersed with mountain meadows are large patches of cool evergreen forests extending from just above the foothills to the timber line. Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) # 12053 This picture shows mountain pine beetle at work in the ponderosa forest near Sand Turn. The Bighorn River lower down is reportedly a world-class trout fishing area. MLS # 22304833 } This is a fairly easy and short hike that makes for a good day hike into the canyon region with some decent views looking out over Bighorn Canyon. Visit the National Forest Store to see what maps are available for this Forest and others you may want to visit. No region in Wyoming is provided with a more diverse landscape -- from lush grasslands to alpine meadows, from crystal-clear lakes to glacial carved valleys, from rolling hills to sheer mountain walls. Today, much remains the same. views. Because of its geology, the Bighorn Basin contains layers of rock older than 2.5 billion years, as well as many, many younger rock layers. They extend out of south-central Montana near Big Sky before rising high up into the plains and stretching beyond them. Lurking under the brackish water are armored fish, snails, and brachiopods. Rushmore and Yellowstone National Park, the Big Horns are a great vacation destination in themselves. var daym=mydate.getDate() 307.674.2600 stream Black Canyon Campground and Day Board 9 are the two with boat access, and they are both free to use. When the three needles are held together they form a cylinder. Sign up for our FREE weekly email.Delivered to your inbox every Friday. Using layered rocks and fossils, geologists and paleontologists are able to envision what these lost worlds looked like. The Central Montana Plains lie to the north of the mountains along with the city of Billings and the Crow Reservation, and the Bighorns continue on past them to the Great Basin area of Wyoming . Wyoming northward into south central Montana. document.all.clock.innerHTML=cdate The northwestern corner of Wyoming is home to two of the nations most famous national parks: Yellowstone and Grand Teton. 2 0 obj For terms and use, please refer to our Terms and Conditions From local events, jobs, where to stay and the best things to see and do. The Bighorn Mountains are a collection of peaks belonging to the Rocky Mountains. United States. Roads Report. Visit the Bighorn National Forest and enjoy the multiple reservoirs, 32 campgrounds, 3 scenic byways, 14 picnic areas, 7 lodges, miles and miles of streams, 189,000 acres of Wilderness, 1,500 miles of trails, and much more that provide a forest experience unique to the Big Horns. Highways 14 and 14A. The trusty US 14, which winds its route through the mountains, is open all year, and will also allow you to reach them from Yellowstone in Montana. Off-highway vehicle users will find many opportunities for off-road enjoyment in the Bighorn National Forest. With the advent of fire suppression around the turn of the century, the patchy ground fires that created openings and variety in the forest composition were snuffed out, and forests have become more densely stocked. Streams are entering a coastal area and have cut into the surrounding bedrock of Bighorn Dolomite. These channels formed when sea level dropped during the Early Devonian, creating a coastal environment where streams flowed in from the adjacent land. True land scorpions are scurrying among the plants, hunting for other critters that have evolved into this new, wide-open ecosystem outside of the water. . Located in north-central Wyoming, the Big Horn Mountains are a sister range of the Rocky Mountains. For full source code, installation instructions, 100's more DHTML scripts, and Terms Of Use, One of the most fascinating aspects of Bighorn Canyon is that these diverse species are located in such a relatively small area. ft. home is a 2 bed, 3.0 bath property. xZn8}7@dNEi]l^(:J!ZHYq Ns3sCJm\,+2r~qZ/f9yq2tRwrtB(2E.%Q4gL'Rz=|NxNQ)`H-sv_DP[#,p+rg[N' r/kJ,9N(XQDR7,)^`n_f39&:zv}%M'@B:N6)O'WB2$cUF"|w=LiF2]mN(JGafZpOb=$ddC %/30I`Hz5E& S0\j EZd Each year, these parks see more than 3 million visitors who arrive from all directions, and those who come to Yellowstone from the east by way of Cody must pass through a vast, dry depression known as the Bighorn Basin. ( ;^_\mu S: sh8Q6;V,J(t(sYFI7ySABy5&)` );lq-0]VJI5hcu\,[>z;KGQ'^ `lg`*5DI E; This item is part of a JSTOR Collection. The Eocene Willwood Formation is exposed as red-and-beige-striped badlands throughout the middle of the basin. Arthropods, the evolutionary group that includes crabs, insects, and trilobites, were the first animals to be preserved as fossils from this new land-based ecosystem, but other soft-bodied groups were likely there also, leaving behind evidence in the form of burrows and tracks. As a result, insects, such as mountain pine beetle, play an increasingly active role in altering forest structure. website belongs to an official government organization in the A Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep looks at his surroundings while snacking on the . Rushmore and Yellowstone National Park, the Bighorns are a great vacation destination in themselves. 25 miles through high alpine meadows to Burgess Junction, where it intersects with the The site also has a boat ramp and there is a small beach area popular with swimmers in the warmer months. The basins main towns are Thermopolis, Cody, Powell, Lovell, Greybull, and Worland, but wed be remiss if we didnt mention Shell, Ten Sleep, Meeteetse, Basin, Otto, and Bridger. Thus soil-water relationships are important in determining vegetation pattern. This whole region is reportedly among the most fished in Montana, and not only trout but also walleye and bass are to be found in the waters. The best quality posters, , canvas prints, murals, stickers. Camping with Bears. Shell, Tensleep and Crazy Woman Canyons are among those that can be enjoyed from your car window. Found in the forested areas are coyotes, snow- shoe hares, red squirrels, marmots, chipmunks and blue grouse. Along with the dominant Douglas-fir and Ponderosa, there will be some Rocky Mountain juniper, Engelman spruce, common juniper, carrion flower, wax current, smooth sumac, Oregon grape, poison ivy, little bluestem, pasque flower, sticky geranium, golden pea, harebells, scrambled eggs and showy larkspur. Typically, management actions are not taken in remote or wild areas of national forests, as dead trees provide nesting sites for birds and small mammals, and the natural openings add habitat diversity with the increased grass, forb, and shrub growth. 307.674.2600 Plant roots and dead plant debris mixed in with weathered rock to form soils that started to live and breathe like the ones we have today. Joanna Poe/Flickr Though small in comparison to the bigger range they're part of, the Bighorns are expansive, extending about 200 miles on their own, and even running across the Wyoming/Montana border. if (minutes<=9) Request Permissions. The NFF is a 501(c)3 charitable, nonprofit organization. if (hours>12){ There are 3 campgrounds at the end of the canyon. Fishing is probably the main attraction in the canyon area as well as along the Bighorn River. The Beartooth Butte Formation contains a mix of marine (brachiopods and snails) and land (scorpions and plants) organisms, providing a perfect window into the very environment where this remarkable water-to-land evolutionary transition was taking place. The Ponderosa pine forest in the Sand Turn area is becoming a "taste treat" for the beetles, as the forests are the proper age, size and density for their spread. 1 0 obj 2013 Eastside 2nd Street Terms of Use There is plenty to see and do around the area, like taking in the rugged and natural scenery, the wildlife, and recreational opportunities like boating, fishing, ice fishing, camping, and over 12 hiking trails. Amenities include picnic tables and fire rings, and vault toilets and potable water are also available. The east face of the Pryor Mountains has a dense Douglas-fir Forest. The Bighorn Mountains are a collection of peaks belonging to the Rocky Mountains.They extend out of south-central Montana near Big Sky before rising high up into the plains and stretching beyond them.. connected to the .gov website. Maintenance levels and amenities vary greatly between some of the sites, but there will always be some nature to hand. The bear's welfare depends on the ability and willingness of humans to follow these basic safety rules when . In the Bighorn Basin, the formation is very colorful with hues of blue, red, orange, and brown, but it is famous for its immense and diverse dinosaurs. An event that happened 639,000 years ago is not necessarily something we need to worry about, but it does make us think about geologic time. teepee poles, lumber for nearby Fort Phil Kearny, beaver pelts, medicinal plants, abundant var dn="AM" Within minutes the cloud will collapse under its own weight and roll eastward at speeds in excess of 100 miles an hour. Browse 191 bighorn mountains wyoming stock photos and images available, or search for big horn mountains wyoming to find more great stock photos and pictures. if (!document.all&&!document.getElementById) An official website of the Or if you fancy a spot of camping up at Bighorn Canyon there are various campgrounds like Afterbay Campground, which is open all year and has 27 sites. This 58-mile highway is a road to adventure. dn="PM" Like all of the Paleozoic and Mesozoic formations in the basin, the Morrison crops outaround the basins rim. United States government. Animal And Plant Life Because the Bighorn Basin is a dry place, not many plants grow here today, so it is easy to see the rocks. Bear sightings occur from spring through fall, in the Black Canyon campground and in the Trail Creek campground at Barry's Landing. Horn Mountain Festival, State The Bighorn National Forest welcomes volunteers, partnerships, advisory councils, and research to accomplish work. Airborne ash will go farther still, covering most of the eastern half of the continent and smothering any life in its way. Some of the oldest specimens in the park can be found here, clinging to life, in some cases, for hundreds of years. and Bighorn National Forest! Even the three highways that pass through the Bighorn Mountains are so scenic and unique-looking that they got designated as Scenic Byways. The winds are broken by the trees. [3] The Morrison Formation was first described in Colorado, and rocks of this name stretch across Utah and up through Wyoming. Discovering Montana is a resource for those living and visiting the Treasure State. . When you are out on the plains heading west you will have watched the mountains slowly rise above the horizon for many miles. The precipitation is from 12 to 20 inches a year. The sites are close to Montanas Fort Smith and accommodate tents and RVs. The Woods. On land, life is now apparent. Lovell, From outer space or on the Wyoming Highway Map, the basin appears as a giant oval hole about 150 miles long by 80 miles wide. Hickory Tussock Moth Caterpillar ( Lophocampa caryae) These fuzzy caterpillars are white with black markings. [)Q ;nP United States government. In 1934, Barnum Brown from the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) in New York openedthe Howe Quarry east of Greybull, Wyoming. An official website of the include mule deer, bighorn sheep, black bears, and the elusive mountain lion. In 2020, the citizen-led Dispersed Camping Task Force provided Bighorn National Forest leadership several recommendations to improve dispersed camping management. *Closed federal holidays. if (document.all||document.getElementById) The middle point on the bract is longer, narrower and more pointed than the other two points. on official, secure websites. BIGHORNMOUNTAINS.COM, LLC 1973 Wiley This trail is located around 3 miles to the north of the Montana and Wyoming border off HWY 37. document.getElementById("clock").innerHTML=cdate You can check out the falls or continue up the Upper Layout Creek trail where youll see a great viewpoint. var month=mydate.getMonth() Excerpt fromAncient Wyoming:A Dozen Lost Worlds Based on the Geology of the Bighorn Basinby Kirk Johnson & Will Clyde. The Rocky Mountain plant group dominates the central and northern areas in the park. Fishing in the Recreation Area. If you had to pick one place in the world to tell the story of Earths history, you would pick this place. Offices hours 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.,M-F The higher elevations and north facing slopes retain the moisture and keep the temperatures lower than that found in the grasslands, juniper woodlands, and desert. A small local museum with a long history andexcellent samples of local fossils and minerals. The Big Horn Mountains and Bighorn National Forest are an outdoor paradise filled with recreational opportunities including hunting, fishing, camping, hiking and backpacking, horseback riding, mountain biking, picnicking, sightseeing, photography, snowmobiling, skiing, and sledding. mountain meadows, rugged alpine peaks, dramatic canyons, arid desert lands, and cascading The Big var hours=mydate.getHours() July and August are the best times to visit if you want the best of the warmer weather, otherwise, youll likely get high trails covered in snow. Wyoming's beautiful Big Horn Mountains Ponderosa forests share a common bond with other forest types in that they grow and change all the time. The Big Horn Mountains and Bighorn National Forest Rainfall in the adjacent mountains feeds the streams here, and the temperature is much warmer than in todays Wyoming. document.write(cdate) A five-foot-long predatory eurypterid is trolling the shallows in search of its next meal. Its bright-red color makes it stand out among the other more subdued colors of the adjacent formations. Relatively little contiguous aspen occurs in the Black Hills and Bear Lodge Mountains, Bighorn Mountains, Absaroka Range, Teton Range, or the Yellowstone Plateau (Nicholoff 2003). These scorpions of the water are some of the largest predators of the Paleozoic and close evolutionary cousins to spiders and horseshoe crabs. var year=mydate.getYear() For example, in timber production emphasis areas, timber harvest would be appropriate to reduce the beetle risk by thinning stands to a lower density. The Morrison Formation is perhaps the best window into the world of giant Jurassic dinosaurs, but the picture is cloudy because bones are much more frequently preserved than are plants. They have legs for walking and paddles for swimming, so they can easily move in and out of the water. Located in north-central Wyoming, the Big Horn Mountains are a sister range of the Rocky Mountains. sightseeing, photography, snowmobiling, skiing, and sledding. on official, secure websites. This came in conjunction with the Yellowtail Dam construction by the Bureau of Reclamation. From snowshoeing and skiing to snowmobiling, find out about these and other winter activities. The high points of the surrounding mountains reach more than 11,000 feet, while the low point of the basin is only 3,500 feet. hours=hours-12 Most of the rainfall comes during March, April, and May; precipitation is less than 30 mm per month during summer. Snowshoe past Copeland Falls and Calypso Cascades, which will be frozen into crystalline ice flows and sparkling like jewels among the spruce trees and drifts of snow. Our federal tax ID is 52-1786332. The Douglas-fir/Ponderosa Pine Forest is the dominant habitat in the higher, wider section of Bighorn Canyon. A geology tour with Kirk Johnson, Director of the Smithsonian Natural History Museum, and Will Clyde, a geology professor at University of New Hampshire. Just like a nail rusts when it is exposed to moisture and allowed to dry, sediments rust, and get red, when they experience cycles of wetting and drying. Douglas-fir The Second Tallest Tree } No chance of getting bored in Montana if you like the outdoors and you dont mind putting on your boots. And the goal ofour little bookis to give you the tools to read the big rock book of the Bighorn Basin. (c) Dynamic Drive (www.dynamicdrive.com) 2023 National Forest Foundation. On granitic substrates forests cover over 80% of the surface and are composed chiefly of Pinus contorta with Picea engelmannii-Abies lasiocarpa at higher elevations. Evidence of ancient massive eruptions clearly has relevance for people who live within range of these volcanoes. The Chugwaters red color is very common for rocks of this age all over the world. United States. Crocodiles lived above the Arctic Circle at this time, and the Willwood shows us that Wyoming hosted a whole array of animals and plants that are more typical of a tropical environment than the mid-latitude, continental interior that it actually was. Help keep America strong and united. The mosaic of beetle-killed trees interspersed with live trees in the pine forests of the Bighorns is a reminder that forests change, with or without human interventions. Afterbay Campground is right next to the dam of the same name, and the other two you can only get to by boat. The Chugwater, like the other Paleozoic and older Mesozoic units in the basin, is usually found along the basin margin, folded up during the subsequent rise of the Rockies. As this is an easy hike you wont run into anything like terrain that gets too steep. Bighorn Lake is more than 70 miles long in its entirety and is a great spot for some boat fishing. Information on seasons, licenses, and restrictions is available from the State department of fish and game. Highest Peak 13,179 feet (Cloud Peak, WY). 307 548-5406 So in all the Big Horn Mountainstaking into consideration the Bighorn National Forestare a massively accommodating area when it comes to outdoor recreational opportunities. Share sensitive information only They require greater moisture then species to the south. There are two visitor centers on the forestwith maps and books, interpretive displays, and helpful information specialists. Along with the dominant Douglas-fir and Ponderosa, there will be some Rocky Mountain juniper, Engelman spruce, common juniper, carrion flower, wax current, smooth sumac, Oregon grape, poison ivy, little bluestem, pasque flower, sticky geranium, golden pea, harebells, scrambled eggs and showy larkspur. The Big Horn Basin is located in the Rocky Mountains in northwest Wyoming. But the cloud will not stop there. Buffalo and the town of Tensleep, crosses the southern Bighorn National Forest and offers A number of these patches have become evident over the past few years. To get to the mountains from somewhere like Bozeman youd need to head south then east on the I-90 for close to 300 miles. :X_!Pz@>[@zU\ @=-,=NWk,KvQa&S'. Cookie Settings. BY WALT MARES Special to the Copper Era. It is also likely that large, powerful storm systems carried heat from the equator to the poles, bringing with them volatile weather conditions. Utah juniper and sagebrush are indicative species in this harsh and unforgiving environment. Precipitation comes from the east, which allows forest vegetation to reach lower elevations on the east than on the west slope. Contributions are tax deductible. The ash plume blew eastward and landed in measurable thickness as far east as Kansas City. Sharp claws on its back feet could be used to dig up roots to eat or to protect it from the vast array of crocodile-like predators that roam the landscape. In this world of rapid scientific advancement and never-ending environmental change, there needs to be room for the thoughtful integration of scientific ideas, data, and concepts that feeds the mind and guides the development of the maturing science of ecology. Open landscapes make for great wildlife viewing as well. Passage (US 14A) rises sharply from the Bighorn Basin near the city of Lovell and travels Sheridan, WY 82801 (307) 548-5406 is the South District in Lovell, WY. In fact, the Bighorn Basin may be the best place on Earth to tell the story of our planet. <> Small Business Tree Planting Partnerships, Treasured Landscapes, Unforgettable Experiences, Financial Accountability and Transparency, U.S. National Forest Campground Directory. Many non-motorized trails are open to hikers, cyclists, and equestrian users. Deeply colored red mudflats can be seen far into the distance. Greybull Museum, Greybull. It formed as the large Rocky Mountain ranges that encircle the basin the Bighorns, Beartooths, Owl Creeks, and Pryors continued to rise. The conical crown leads down to drooping side branches. The combined action of the beetle galleries and the bluestain fungi inhibits the flow of water in the tree. This splendid Montana retreat is nestled on 5 acres above the Clark Fork River with gated easement access to the water and room for your horses. The five acres with 450 feet of Bull River footage has views of both Cabinet Mountains and Scotchman Peaks as its backdrop. The thermal features suggest that there is great warmth in the ground beneath the park, and a series of seismic monitoring devices are now showing that hundreds to thousands of small earthquakes shake it each year. There are three major groups of plants in the park: Each of these groups contains trees and shrubs that thrive in extreme conditions. - Wyoming If the basin were the face of a clock, the Bighorn Mountains would run from 1 to 5 o'clock; the Bridger Mountains from 5 to 6 o'clock; the Owl Creeks from 6 to 8 o'clock; the Absaroka Range from 8 to 10 o'clock; and the Bear Tooth Mountains from 10 to . The mountains contain over a hundred named peaks, the highest being over the 13,000-feet mark by way of Cloud Peak in Wyoming. There are a dozen more that rise to over 12,000 feet (3,700 m). Find out where to cast your line for stream and lake fishing from the shore or a boat. Mountain pine beetle is a widespread and important insect in various pine forests throughout the Rocky Mountains. Bighorn National Forest Cookie Policy The Lower Layout Creek trail takes you to the vicinity of Cowley in Wyoming. Now it's time to act. Despite these efforts, mountain pine beetles are often highly successful. var mydate=new Date() View more property details, sales history and Zestimate data on Zillow. Plant species include both prairie grasses and wildflowers, such as big bluestem grass, purple prairie clover and blazing star. Populus tremuloides is present but unimportant as a vegetation type. As we say in Wyoming: "You Bet! Two peaks rise to over 13,000 feet (4,000 m): Cloud Peak (13,175 ft, 4,016 m) and Black Tooth Mountain (13,005 ft, 3,964 m). On the other hand, beetle outbreaks may be allowed to run their course in areas allocated to biological and species diversity emphasis. Mature trees have a reddish-orange bark made up of broad, irregular, scaly plates that are reminiscent of puzzle pieces. water, livestock forage, and minerals. var minutes=mydate.getMinutes() if (document.all) It will continue to the east for several hundred miles, burning a path of death and destruction as it travels. getthedate() WY Characteristics Sign-up for our email newsletter and stay connected. During the 1800's the Big Horns provided For many people visiting this region, the must-do hike is the Devil Canyon Overlook, which offers some pretty amazing views from the parking lot from the offset. The Web site is full of pictures and detailed descriptions to help you plan your next trip. var dayarray=new Array("Sunday","Monday","Tuesday","Wednesday","Thursday","Friday","Saturday") Conveniently located half-way between Mt. There are many wonderful hiking trails in the Bighorn Mountains where picturesque scenery awaits you. The Bighorn National Forest offers a little for everyone with breathtaking scenery, a diversity of recreation experiences, nearly 192,000 acres of wilderness, and over 1,200 miles of trail for visitors to explore. LockA locked padlock The highest peaks within the Bighorns are located in Wyoming in the 1.12 106 -acre (4,500 km 2) Bighorn National Forest. Here, we present five. Treatment of infestations is aimed at harvesting and burning, or chemically spraying, bug infested trees. [2] They support an ecotone or ecological transition zone, that including Yuccas and Joshua trees on the desert floor and stands of Jeffrey Pine at higher elevations. endobj The early Eocene, when the Willwood Formation was deposited, was a period of extreme global warming. The Bighorn Basin is a curious bit of topography, and it has one of the best geological stories on the planet. North America. The Willwood Formation is one of the thickest geological units in the Bighorn Basin as thick as 5,000 feet and it preserves one of the most abundant and diverse suites of fossil land animals and plants known anywhere in the world.