Independence Rock | |
 | |
  Location in Wyoming  Location in United States | |
| Location | 60 mi (97 km) SW of Casper on WYO 220, Natrona County, Wyoming |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 42°29′38″N 107°07′59″W / 42.494°N 107.133°W |
| Area | 170 acres (69 ha) |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000757[1] |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHL | January 20, 1961[2] |
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, which is in southwestern Natrona County, Wyoming along Wyoming Highway 220. During the middle of the 19th century, it formed a prominent and well-known landmark on the Oregon, Mormon, and California emigrant trails. Many of these emigrants carved their names on it, and it was described by early missionary and explorer Father Pierre-Jean De Smet in 1840 as the Register of the Desert.[3] The site was designated a National Historic Landmark on January 20, 1961[2] and is now part of Independence Rock State Historic Site, owned and operated by the state of Wyoming.
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ a b "Independence Rock". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on April 3, 2009. Retrieved March 22, 2009.
- ^ Official State Highway Map of Wyoming (Map). Wyoming Department of Transportation. 2014.