Independence Rock is a large granite rock, approximately 130 feet high, in southwestern Natrona County in the U.S. state of 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. It 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. The rock is a large rounded extrusion of Archean granite. It is located in the high plateau region of central Wyoming, north of the Green Mountains and close to the Sweetwater River.
The carvings of names on the rock serve to remind us of the varied history of the founding and settling of the United States. The rock derives its name from the fact that it lies directly along the route of the Emigrant Trail and that emigrant wagon parties bound for Oregon or California, which usually left the Missouri River in the early spring, attempted to reach the rock by July 4 (Independence Day in the United States), in order to reach their destinations before the first mountain snowfalls.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independence_Rock_(Wyoming)
America the Beautiful
Of course we climbed up Independence Rock.
And we took lots of pictures to remember it.
The kids were all thrilled to have such a great "rock-climbing" experience.
We got pictures of funny and excited faces.
Mckay who is trying to look cool is wondering if
Ryanne plans on taking a nap.
Ryanne was really goofy.
It's because she loved the rock.
And because she forgot how to smile nice.
Ryanne is Goofy.
Elias is Happy.
Leah is Grumpy.
Why is she Grumpy? Nobody knows.
Maybe Elias tried to push her off the rock.
"In Honor of the Mormon Pioneers"
who travelled this way.
Another hare.
The kids wanted to catch it.
But they couldn't
It sure blends in nicely.
Wes and Meliss sitting atop Independence Rock.
There are thousands of names carved all over
Independence Rock.
Ryanne was fascinated by the idea that she
was standing in the same place that
pioneers and explores had stood
hundreds of years before her.
She spent quite a while reading, dating, and
taking multitudes of pictures
of the names.
This is the kids exploring the top
of Independence Rock.
Some of the names were very old, some were newer.
Pictures by Ryanne.
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