Independence Rock

Independence Rock is a large rock outcropping situated along Highway 220 in southwestern Natrona County, Wyoming. It is about 60 miles southwest of Casper and west of Pathfinder National Wildlife Refuge and the town of Alcova. It is over 6,000 feet above sea level, 136 feet tall, 1,900 feet long, and 850 feet wide. It served as an important landmark for pioneers traveling on the Emigrant Trail. They often wrote or etched their names into the rock. Jesuit priest Pierre DeSmet is famous for declaring the rock to be "the register of the desert". A general rule of the travelers was to reach the rock by July 4th so that they could have enough time to reach their final destinations before winter arrived. The site is a rest stop on the highway and a well marked path leads up to the rock. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and also designated a National Historic Landmark.

Lissandrello, Stephen. "Independence Rock", National Register of Historic Places. 10-15-1966. http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/nrhp/text/66000757.PDF "Independence Rock". National Historic Landmark. 1-20-61. http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=566&ResourceType=Site. Retrieved 4-13-15.