Untitled | Eon Codex

title: "Where to Find Fossils in the USA — A State-by-State Guide" description: "From the dinosaur-rich badlands of Montana to trilobite beds in Ohio, the United States offers hundreds of publicly accessible fossil hunting sites across all 50 states." category: "Collecting" date: "2026-03-30"

The United States possesses a vast and diverse geological record, offering a window into hundreds of millions of years of Earth’s history. From the Cambrian explosion to the Pleistocene ice ages, the sedimentary rocks of North America preserve a spectacular array of ancient life. For amateur paleontologists and fossil enthusiasts, the country offers numerous accessible sites where one can legally collect and study fossils.

This guide details fossil hunting locations across 20 states, highlighting the geological formations, specific fossil taxa, historical context, and access regulations for each site.

The Legality and Ethics of Fossil Hunting

Before embarking on any fossil hunting expedition, it is critical to understand the legal framework governing paleontological resources in the United States. The Paleontological Resources Preservation Act (PRPA) of 2009 established strict guidelines for collecting on federal lands, including those managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the United States Forest Service (USFS), and the National Park Service (NPS).

Under federal law, the collection of vertebrate fossils (such as dinosaur bones, shark teeth, and mammal remains) on federal land is strictly prohibited without a scientific research permit. These permits are generally issued only to qualified paleontologists affiliated with museums or universities. However, amateur collectors may casually collect reasonable amounts of common invertebrate and plant fossils on certain BLM and USFS lands for personal, non-commercial use.

State parks have their own regulations; most prohibit collecting entirely, though a few designated parks allow it under specific rules. On private land, fossils are the property of the landowner. Collecting requires explicit permission, and any commercial agreements or access fees are determined by the owner. Always verify local regulations and land ownership before collecting.

The Northeast

New York: Penn Dixie Fossil Park and Nature Reserve

Located in Blasdell, New York, the Penn Dixie Fossil Park exposes the Middle Devonian Windom Shale, dating back approximately 380 million years. First studied extensively by paleontologist Amadeus Grabau in the 1890s, this site was once a shallow, tropical marine environment. Visitors commonly find brachiopods, horn corals, crinoids, and the state fossil of New York, the trilobite Eldredgeops rana (formerly Phacops rana). The site is owned by the Hamburg Natural History Society and is open to the public for a small admission fee. Visitors are allowed to keep the fossils they find. The best time to visit is between May and October.

New Jersey: Big Brook Park

Big Brook Park in Monmouth County cuts through the Late Cretaceous Wenonah Formation and Mount Laurel Sand, dating to roughly 70 million years ago. The stream beds yield marine fossils from a time when a shallow sea covered the region. Collectors frequently find the fossilized guards of belemnites (squid-like cephalopods measuring 2 to 4 inches long), goblin shark teeth (Scapanorhynchus texanus), and occasionally mosasaur teeth. Collecting is permitted in the stream bed, but digging into the banks is strictly prohibited to prevent erosion. A trowel and a sifter with quarter-inch mesh are the best tools. Spring and summer, particularly after heavy rains, offer the best collecting.

Pennsylvania: Montour Preserve

The Montour Preserve in Montour County features an exposed borrow pit of the Mahantango Formation, dating to the Middle Devonian (roughly 390 million years ago). The dark gray shale is packed with marine invertebrates. Common finds include the brachiopod Mucrospirifer, gastropods, and bivalves. The preserve is open year-round from dawn to dusk, and collecting is free and legal within the designated fossil pit.

The Mid-Atlantic and Southeast

Maryland: Calvert Cliffs

Stretching for 24 miles along the Chesapeake Bay, the Calvert Cliffs expose Miocene epoch deposits (10 to 20 million years old) of the Calvert, Choptank, and St. Marys formations. First documented by early American geologists in the 1800s, the cliffs are famous for marine mammal bones and shark teeth, including those of the massive Otodus megalodon, which can reach up to 7 inches in length. Calvert Cliffs State Park allows fossil collecting on the open beach, but digging into the cliffs is illegal and highly dangerous due to frequent collapses. Winter storms and spring tides often wash new material onto the shore.

Virginia: Westmoreland State Park

Similar to Calvert Cliffs, Westmoreland State Park along the Potomac River exposes Miocene deposits. Visitors can comb the beaches for shark teeth, ray dental plates, and fossilized whale bones. Collecting is limited to surface finds on the beach. The best time to visit is during low tide in the early morning.

North Carolina: Aurora Fossil Museum

While the massive Nutrien phosphate mine in Aurora is closed to public collecting, the Aurora Fossil Museum provides "reject piles" of Miocene and Pliocene sediment brought directly from the mine. Dating back 5 to 15 million years (Pungo River and Yorktown formations), this material is rich in shark teeth, including Megalodon, Carcharodon hastalis, and various marine mammal bones. Collecting from the museum's pits is free, legal, and accessible year-round.

Florida: Peace River

The Peace River in central Florida cuts through the Miocene Hawthorn Group and Pleistocene deposits, creating a mixed assemblage of marine and terrestrial fossils. Collectors wade into the shallow river with shovels and floating sifters to find dugong ribs, Pleistocene horse teeth, mammoth ivory fragments, and massive shark teeth. A Florida Fossil Permit (issued by the University of Florida) is required to collect vertebrate fossils, though shark teeth are exempt. The best time to hunt is during the dry season (November to May) when water levels are low.

The Midwest

Ohio: Caesar Creek State Park

Caesar Creek State Park in Waynesville exposes Late Ordovician rocks (approximately 450 million years old) of the Waynesville, Liberty, and Whitewater formations. The area was a shallow sea teeming with invertebrate life. Collectors find massive quantities of brachiopods, bryozoans, and fragments of the large trilobite Isotelus maximus. To collect, visitors must first obtain a free permit from the Army Corps of Engineers visitor center. Collecting is restricted to the designated spillway area, and tools are prohibited; only surface collecting is allowed.

Illinois: Mazon Creek

The Mazon Creek fossil beds in northeastern Illinois are a world-renowned Lagerstätte preserving Late Carboniferous (Pennsylvanian) life from 309 million years ago. Fossils are preserved in ironstone concretions that must be split open. Discovered in the mid-19th century, the site yields exquisitely preserved ferns, insects, and the bizarre state fossil, the Tully Monster (Tullimonstrum gregarium), described by Eugene Richardson in 1966. Collecting is permitted at the Mazonia-Braidwood State Fish and Wildlife Area from March 1st to September 30th. A free day permit must be downloaded and carried.

Indiana: St. Leon Roadcuts

Southeastern Indiana features numerous roadcuts exposing the Late Ordovician Dillsboro Formation. The roadcuts around St. Leon are famous among amateur paleontologists for their abundance of brachiopods, horn corals, and trilobites like Flexicalymene. Because these are public right-of-ways, collecting is generally tolerated provided collectors stay well off the pavement, park safely, and do not dig into the bedrock.

Michigan: Rockport State Recreation Area

Located on Lake Huron, this former limestone quarry exposes the Middle Devonian Traverse Group (about 390 million years old). The site is famous for its abundant Petoskey stones (fossilized Hexagonaria rugose corals), crinoid stems, and brachiopods. Visitors are allowed to collect up to 25 pounds of rocks and fossils per year from Michigan state parks. Summer is the most accessible time to visit.

Iowa: Rockford Fossil and Prairie Park

This county park in Floyd County preserves the Late Devonian Lime Creek Formation (365 million years old). The soft shale weathers easily, leaving fossils sitting loose on the surface. Visitors can find perfectly preserved brachiopods, gastropods, and crinoids. The park allows visitors to collect and keep fossils for personal use. It is open from sunrise to sunset, with spring and fall being the most comfortable seasons to visit.

The Great Plains

South Dakota and Nebraska: The Brule Formation

The White River Badlands of South Dakota and Nebraska expose the Oligocene Brule Formation (roughly 30 to 34 million years old). Pioneering paleontologist Joseph Leidy first described fossils from this region in the 1850s. The formation is famous for its mammalian fauna, including oreodonts (sheep-sized artiodactyls), early horses like Mesohippus, and saber-toothed nimravids. Legality: In Badlands National Park (SD), all collecting is strictly illegal. However, on the Oglala National Grassland in Nebraska (such as the Toadstool Geologic Park area), visitors can view these fossils. While vertebrate collecting is illegal on these USFS lands without a permit, the region offers unparalleled opportunities for fossil photography and observation in the summer and early fall.

North Dakota: Pembina Gorge

The Pembina Gorge exposes the Late Cretaceous Pierre Shale (about 80 million years old). This marine deposit yields fossils of mosasaurs, plesiosaurs, and the diving bird Hesperornis. While vertebrate collecting on public land here requires permits, the North Dakota Geological Survey organizes public fossil digs during the summer. These state-sponsored digs allow the public to excavate alongside paleontologists, though the vertebrate fossils remain state property.

Texas: Mineral Wells Fossil Park

Located west of Dallas, the Mineral Wells Fossil Park exposes the Pennsylvanian-aged Mineral Wells Formation (roughly 300 million years old). The site is a heavily eroded borrow pit where visitors can find crinoid stems, brachiopods, and trilobites. The City of Mineral Wells owns the park and explicitly encourages fossil collecting; visitors may keep whatever they find. The park is open year-round, but spring and fall offer the best weather.

The West and Rocky Mountains

Montana: Hell Creek Formation

The Hell Creek Formation spans eastern Montana and dates to the very end of the Cretaceous period (68 to 66 million years ago). It is famous for yielding the first Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton, discovered by Barnum Brown in 1902. The formation consists of fluvial sandstones and mudstones containing fossils of Triceratops, Edmontosaurus, and diverse microvertebrates. Legality: Collecting vertebrate fossils on BLM land in Montana is illegal. However, much of the Hell Creek Formation lies on private ranch land. Several commercial operations and ranches near Glendive and Ekalaka allow visitors to pay a daily fee to prospect and dig for dinosaur fossils. Depending on the ranch's rules, visitors may be allowed to keep common fossils like teeth and bone fragments.

Wyoming: Fossil Butte Region

Southwestern Wyoming contains the Eocene Green River Formation (roughly 50 million years old), a series of ancient lakebed deposits. Paleontologist Edward Drinker Cope studied these beds extensively in the 1870s. The fine-grained limestone preserves complete, articulated skeletons of fish (such as Knightia and Diplomystus), stingrays, birds, and palm fronds. Legality: Fossil Butte National Monument prohibits all collecting. However, just outside the monument boundaries near Kemmerer, several private quarries operate on private land. For an hourly or daily fee, visitors can split shale and keep the common fossil fish they find. Rare finds (like mammals or birds) must typically be surrendered to the quarry owner. Summer is the only viable time to visit due to harsh winters.

Utah: U-Dig Fossils

Located in the House Range of Millard County, the Wheeler Shale dates to the Middle Cambrian (approximately 505 million years ago). This site is world-renowned for its dense concentrations of the trilobite Elrathia kingii. U-Dig Fossils is a private commercial quarry where visitors pay a fee to split the gray shale. Visitors are allowed to keep all the trilobites they find. The quarry is open from April to October.

The West Coast

California: Sharktooth Hill

Located near Bakersfield, the Sharktooth Hill Bonebed is part of the Middle Miocene Round Mountain Silt (15 to 16 million years old). First noted by Charles Morrell in 1853, it is one of the most significant marine vertebrate deposits in the world, yielding fossils of extinct whales, dolphins, sea turtles, and the giant shark Otodus megalodon. Legality: The original Sharktooth Hill is a designated National Natural Landmark and is closed to collecting. However, the bonebed extends across a vast area of private property. Several private landowners and local museums (such as the Buena Vista Museum of Natural History) occasionally offer guided, fee-based digs where participants can screen sediment for shark teeth and keep their finds.

Washington: Stonerose Interpretive Center

Located in Republic, Washington, the Klondike Mountain Formation dates to the Eocene epoch (roughly 49 million years ago). The site preserves a temperate forest ecosystem in fine lacustrine (lake) shale. Visitors commonly find beautifully preserved leaves of extinct maples, ginkgoes, and dawn redwoods, as well as fossil insects. The Stonerose Interpretive Center manages the site. For a small admission fee, visitors can rent tools, split the shale, and keep up to three fossils per day, provided they are not deemed scientifically significant by the staff.