Browse Map

Explore away

Explore Map Collection

Check out our basemaps

Print a Map Plus

Generate a high-quality PDF

Field Guide

Discover local flora, fauna, geology, and more

Local Flora & Fauna

Learn the ecology of your area

Local Geology

Learn the geologic formation at your feet

Get Started or Sign In

Welcome

Continue with Apple

Already have an account? Sign In

MAP

Topo

Measure

Topo

Ecoregions

Public Lands

...

BASEMAPS

Default Weather

Temperature

Smoke

...

WEATHER

Independence Rock

Famous Oregon Trail Landmark

Monolith on Schounmaker Ditch in Rocky Mountains near Muddy Gap, WY

Independence Rock is a distinct granite dome located on the Oregon Trail that Father De Smet called "The Great Register of the Desert".

National Register of Historic Places

Print Map

Generate High-Quality PDF

On the Web

On Wikipedia

Independence Rock is a large granite rock, approximately 130 feet (40 m) high, 1,900 feet (580 m) long and 850 feet (260 m) wide, in southwestern Natrona County, Wyoming, along Wyoming Highway 220. During the middle of the 19th century, the rock was a prominent and well-known landmark on the Oregon, Mormon, and California emigrant trails. Many of these emigrants carved their names on the rock, and it was described by early missionary and explorer Father Pierre-Jean De Smet in 1840 as the Register of the Desert. The site was designated a National Historic Landmark on January 20, 1961. It is now part of Independence Rock State Historic Site, owned and operated by the state of Wyoming.

Inscriptions

Independence Rock was a popular spot for travelers of the Oregon Trail to leave inscriptions. The travelers also noted that the rock was home to petroglyphs from Native Americans who came long before them. (source).