Plumbago Canyon
Wyoming
Find: Labradorite
GPS: 41.63558, -105.45522
Alternate Spot: 41.62078, -105.47084 (State Land)
Nearest city: Laramie, WY
Recommended Vehicle: Any
Summary:
There is labradorite in the Sybille Road area that is around an hour Northeast of Laramie, Wyoming. Some of the pieces that have come from the region have full spectrums of color that rival something from Newfoundland or Madagascar.
However, these coordinates may be somewhat underwhelming due to the land ownership in the area.
Be warned, these coordinates will take you to labradorite, but is not very exciting or high-grade. Along the road cut itself you will find small outcroppings of labradorite, especially after driving in a few miles to where the road goes uphill, then flattens out.
I found a few small samples of blue flash labradorite. However, the pieces I found weren’t very high grade in terms of either flash or color. I am sure there are great pieces to be found within larger outcroppings in the region, but the land around the road is owned by private ranches.
To give you something extra to consider, I have listed coordinates for a parcel of state land that is nearby that I didn’t get a chance to explore while I was out there. I am not sure if there is a clear path to access the land, but it is within the same area that the labradorite meets the surface. Wyoming allows rockhounding on its state lands.
Note: When visiting this location, please be courteous of the private land out here and stay within the road easement if you’re exploring the first set of coordinates.
3 Helpful Tools
Hiking Backpack
When exploring new areas, I like to pack a light pack with a significant amount of water. I included this for if you choose to explore the alternate set of coordinates I listed. It’s a large area of land.
Geology Pick
A geology pick is useful for flipping over embedded stones or giving pieces a quick crack to see what’s inside.
Spray Bottle
A spray bottle is useful for getting a better look at the dry stones you’ll find to examine their flash.