 I'm standing on one of the four so-called Pumpkin Buttes in Southern Campbell County. The Buttes afford spectacular views of the Bighorn Mountain Range and the Powder River Basin. In an era of cleaner air, you could even see Laramie Peak and the Black Hills from here. Because of their prominence, the Pumpkin Buttes make great places for communication towers. They contain another of Wyoming's great energy resources. Rich deposits of uranium were discovered here in 1951. Geologically, the Pumpkin Buttes are the youngest rocks in the Powder River Basin. They are erosion remnants of the White River Formation, a complex of volcanic ash and other sediments that were deposited about 30 million years ago. The rock layers on the Pumpkin Buttes are nearly flat here, but the older geologic strata that they rest upon are folded deep underground. Campbell County's famous coal and methane deposits are about 2,000 feet below this point. And the groundwater in the Madison Limestone is almost three vertical miles down, that's two miles below sea level. The Pumpkin Buttes are truly spectacular, but they are on private land. And as with any private land in Wyoming, you should always check with the land owner before you visit. I'm Gene Gade of the University of Wyoming Cooperative Extension Service.