Vedauwoo facts for kids
Vedauwoo is a super cool place in southeastern Wyoming, United States, known for its amazing rock formations! Imagine giant stacks of rocks that look like they were born right out of the ground – that's what its name, "Vedauwoo," means in the Arapaho language: "earth-born."
This special area is part of the Medicine Bow - Routt National Forest. It's a popular spot for families to have a picnic or go camping. But most of all, Vedauwoo is famous for its incredible rock climbing.
You can easily find Vedauwoo just north of Interstate 80, between the cities of Laramie and Cheyenne. Just look for the signs on I-80, or take the scenic Happy Jack road.
Discovering Vedauwoo's Ancient Rocks
The incredible rocks you see at Vedauwoo are called Sherman Granite. They are super old, about 1.4 billion years old! These rocks are some of the oldest in Wyoming. They became visible on the surface because the Laramie Mountains started to push up about 70 million years ago. Over millions of years, softer layers of rock and dirt have worn away, leaving these tough granite formations.
The hard granite is made of large crystals of minerals like quartz, orthoclase, and plagioclase. Because it's so strong, wind and water have carved it into unique shapes over time. Just east of Vedauwoo, you can see sandstone cliffs that are about 300 million years old. These cliffs were formed from ancient sand dunes that met a shallow sea, and you can even find fossils of sea creatures like sea urchins and snails in them!
Wildlife at Vedauwoo
Vedauwoo is home to lots of amazing animals! You might spot mule deer, elk, or even a moose. Smaller creatures like Wyoming ground squirrels, yellow-bellied marmots, and least chipmunks are common. Look out for pronghorn, wild turkeys, and prairie dogs too.
Sometimes, you might see bigger animals like badgers, coyotes, or even mountain lions. In the creeks, beavers build their dams, creating homes for insects, frogs, and fish. High above, golden eagles and bald eagles soar with hawks and ravens. If you like fishing, you might find brook trout in the streams, though their numbers have gone down recently.
Rock Climbing Adventures
Vedauwoo is a dream come true for rock climbers! The rocks are made of weathered Sherman granite, which has a pinkish color because of a mineral called feldspar. These rocks form huge towers of giant blocks, rounded by wind and sand. They offer some of the best technical climbs in North America.
Even though the rocks don't have many cracks or easy handholds, they are great for "friction climbing" and "chimney climbing." Friction climbing means you rely on the rough surface of the rock to grip with your hands and feet. Chimney climbing involves wedging your body between two rock faces.
Many climbers, including college students from the University of Wyoming, love spending weekends here. It's a fantastic place to test your skills, rappel down cliffs, or just hike around and enjoy the rocky wonderland. Vedauwoo is especially famous for its "crack climbing," which is a type of climbing where you use cracks in the rock to move up.
