Roundtop Mountain (more precisely a butte) rises some 600 feet above the town of Thermopolis, Wyoming. In 1986, the family of Lewis Freudenthal donated the butte to the people of Hot Springs County so it could be preserved in its natural state in his memory. Today, a ten-minute hike on a moderate trail will lead you to the flat top of the formation.
Geologically, buttes are formed
when hard caprock overlies a layer of less resistant rock that wears away
through erosion. In this case, the
harder rock is fossil-bearing limestone.
While that alone is enough to please me, I enjoyed the trail and
panoramic views from the top immensely.
Hiking to the top of Roundtop
proved one of my favorite adventures in Thermopolis. Desiree felt some trepidation when traversing
the trail carved into the steepest inclines, but loved the adventure and the views
as a whole.
I will share a bit more about the
fossils later.
Roundtop Mountain from a Distance
Desiree and Natalia on the
Trail
Marshall, Me, and Desiree
Thermopolis Below
Desiree and Open Country Beyond
Desiree and Me on Top
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