Research what fossils exactly are found there and what layers they are exposed in. Then you have to see what areas have those exposures. Not all rivers and creeks will have the same exposures. Also sometimes it’s just like that, you might even know exactly what you are looking for and spend a whole day not finding anything. This depends heavily on the area and what you are looking for. Some places might be loaded with fossils while others have a few spread around here and there. Answer from rufotris on reddit.com
The Fossil Forum
thefossilforum.com › fossil discussion › questions & answers
What part of the stream should I look for in order to find the most fossils? - Questions & Answers - The Fossil Forum
June 27, 2017 - Hello, I am going fossil hunting in a stream called Big Brook in NJ. It's mostly a stream ankle high. So I was wondering where should I dig and sift to find the most fossils? Should I dig deep? Should I go where all the rocks are? Should I dig on land? Thanks.
Fossil Guy
fossilguy.com › sites › index.htm
Fossilguy.com: Where to Find Fossils - Fossil Hunting Locations, directions, identification, tips, and fossil examples
This fossil collecting location contains Cretaceous marine fauna, including fossil shark teeth, and the occasional Mosasaur. Fossil here come from formations that erode out of stream banks in central New Jersey. They are found by walking the streams...
Videos
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How to Find Thousands of Oceanic Fossils in... Ohio? - YouTube
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Creek Collecting in South Carolina and Fossil Hunting Q & A - YouTube
15:50
FOSSIL QUEST: A Different Kind of River Hunt - YouTube
06:16
How to Fossil Hunt - YouTube
05:35
Shark Teeth Hunting In a Tiny Creek - YouTube
Scout Life
scoutlife.org › home › hobbies & projects › fun stuff to do › how to find fossils
How to Find Fossils
October 7, 2024 - Also the river systems are running much lower than usual exposing a lot more of the edge shore, and in some areas you can even get to the bottom of where the water is still running. This makes for a great location as you are able to get to many older rocks that have not even been seen for years, let alone looked at in search for fossils! All along the Appalachian trail you will find dried up streams, creeks, and river beds!
FossilEra
fossilera.com › fossils
Where To Hunt Fossils? Fossil Parks & Pay-Per-Dig Quarries - FossilEra.com
With this permit, they will also give you a nice little "Common Fossils" pamphlet that describes the types of fossils you will find. Also be sure to view the displays of the fossils that you can find at the spillway. No tools are allowed, and you can only to collect fossils that fit in the palm of your hand. Website · Brachiopod fossils on the floor of the Caesar Creek spillway
Reddit
reddit.com › r/fossilhunting › how on earth does someone find river fossils?
r/FossilHunting on Reddit: How on earth does someone find river fossils?
April 26, 2025 -
After reading there have been fossils found in this area on this stream before (DC area) I tried a look today. Quickly realized I have no idea what I’m really looking for. It’s easy enough reading to look for sandstone or limestone ledges or cliffs but I look around and only think “hm that’s a rock… that’s another rock…”
I’m primarily interested in paleobotany but any beginner advice would be helpful! I attached some pictures along the 2 miles of stream I tracked to see if anyone could point out specific areas in there they would like to search
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Research what fossils exactly are found there and what layers they are exposed in. Then you have to see what areas have those exposures. Not all rivers and creeks will have the same exposures. Also sometimes it’s just like that, you might even know exactly what you are looking for and spend a whole day not finding anything. This depends heavily on the area and what you are looking for. Some places might be loaded with fossils while others have a few spread around here and there.
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OK, fess up. Who else zoomed all the way in and scanned every rock?
American Museum of Natural History
amnh.org › explore › ology › paleontology › finding-fossils2
Finding Fossils | AMNH
Anyone can find fossils. This handy how-to guide tells you where to look and what to do.
Cincinnati Museum Center
cincymuseum.org › home › finding fossils
Finding Fossils - Cincinnati Museum Center
September 21, 2023 - River, creek, and stream valleys. Moving water gradually cuts downwards, exposing layers of rock. Cuttings. Artificial “valleys” cut for roads, railways, and other pathways are some of the best places for finding fossils, but the noise and activity of a busy road require extra caution.
YouTube
youtube.com › the great courses
Fossil Hunting 101 | Where to Look for Fossils, and How to Find Them - YouTube
Want to stream more content like this… and 1,000’s of courses, documentaries & more? 👉 👉 Start Your Free Trial of Wondrium https://tinyurl.com/335prcy6 👈...
Published July 18, 2022 Views 98K
Answers in Genesis
answersingenesis.org › fossils › how-are-fossils-formed › look-for-fossils-in-your-backyard
Look for Fossils in Your Backyard | Answers in Genesis
Search, search, and keep on searching. ... The best fossils are often those that have eroded out of the rock naturally, for example, in talus slopes at cliff bases and in sands and gravels of a creek or beach.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/paleontology › easy fossil hunting
r/Paleontology on Reddit: easy fossil hunting
November 19, 2022 -
If you ever want to fossil hunt, here's what to do. Go to your nearest creek and find a spot in the water with the most gravel and shells. Then sift around the gravel. It does take a little while to find something, but this is an amazing way to get fossils for yourself. I have found lots of teeth , fossilized shells, and petrified coral this way.
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It’s not as simple as that. Knowing the local geology is FAR more important. You can screen and dig all you want. But if you have nothing but glacial debris and Proterozoic gravel, you ain’t finding shit.
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This is some of the most horrific fossil hunting advice possible for anyone who doesn’t live in Florida. The world isn’t all Florida
Texaskidsadventures
texaskidsadventures.com › home › post oak creek fossil hunting
Post Oak Creek fossil hunting - Texas Kids Adventures
August 27, 2020 - You will be fossil hunting in the creek under the bridge, so park on the roadside area. You will see car tracks where others have driven down closer to the creek, and I wouldn’t recommend that in case someone blocked your exit or getting stuck ...
NYTimes
nytimes.com › 2019 › 09 › 10 › magazine › how-to-find-fossils.html
How to Find Fossils - The New York Times
September 10, 2019 - Look for fossils in sedimentary rock, including sandstone, limestone and shale, preferably where the earth has been cleaved by road cuts, construction sites, rivers or streams. Identify hunting grounds by consulting geologic maps and paleontology ...
WTTW
wttw.com › prehistoric-road-trip › detours › where-to-find-fossils-in-your-state
Where to Find Fossils in Your State | Detours | Prehistoric Road Trip | WTTW Chicago
June 18, 2020 - Visit Trammel Fossil Park just outside Cincinnati or Fossil Park near Toledo. You can find plenty of brachiopods and other small marine fossils at Caesar Creek State Park, an hour northeast of Cincinnati, though the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has a few rules to keep in mind.
Quora
quora.com › Where-can-I-start-searching-for-fossils-Not-specifically-but-any-tips-on-how-and-what-rocks-to-search-for-them
Where can I start searching for fossils? Not specifically, but any tips on how and what rocks to search for them. - Quora
Answer (1 of 10): Fossil hunting is a wonderful hobby. There is so much information on the Internet and in hard copy concerning how to get started fossil hunting. I have been fossil hunting for some time. I got into this in New Mexico. Now I hunt fossils in Maryland. Different places have differ...
Reddit
reddit.com › r/fossilhunting › what's the best area to legally find fossils (and how do i get started)
r/FossilHunting on Reddit: What's the best area to legally find fossils (and how do I get started)
September 13, 2023 -
I don't live in a mountain area, but that doesn't really matter, I'm sure people have asked this question beforez but my two questions are, what areas do I look in and how do I know I'm following the law of my state? How do I start my journey? I'm interested in trilobites and ammonites, and other stuff.
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Well, it would be great helpful if you said what state you lived in.
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The first rule of fossil hunting is that your region means more than the landscape around you. It sometimes surprises people starting out to hear that being near mountains, lakes, beaches, rivers, or even cities has absolutely no bearing on what sort of fossils you can find - or even if you can find fossils at all! Fossils like trilobites or ammonites are millions of years old. The ammonites went extinct with the dinosaurs 66 million years ago and the youngest trilobite is still 250 million years old! That is, quite literally, older than the mountains. The world looked very different so long ago. You're probably familiar with the old supercontinent Pangea, and how all the landmasses shifted about over millions of years to form the world we know today. Mountains form in only a few million years, seas can drain in hundreds of thousands, rivers can come and go in millennia. Theoretically any rock, fossiliferous or not, can make up or underlie these landscapes. The only thing relevant to finding fossils is the very specific history of your specific region (city, state, etc), which has, I guarantee, been logged and tracked obsessively by one geologist or another. This information will tell you where you can find fossils. Now, all that said, some areas are still better for finding fossils, though it's not specific as to what kind. You want somewhere where nature is doing the heavy lifting of getting rid of the overlying rocks; eroding cliffsides or rivers are very good candidates for this. You could also try places where people dig a lot (with permission) like an old quarry or road excavation. Look up your country/state/region's geology, and then look for areas where rock is exposed there. For ammonites you want Jurassic or Cretaceous marine rock for the best chances. For Trilobites the Silurian is better. There are lots of publicly accessible geological maps and regional fossil hunting guides available for a reasonable price, but it might be easier for you to find a local forum where people will share local fossil hunting sites. This is the absolute best way for a beginner to find fossils. These will often cite local laws as well. Generally it's legal to pick up ex-situ (loose on the ground) fossils from any public land, or private land with the landowners permission. Don't dig into the rock face unless you are absolutely certain you're allowed to do so and won't damage the rock.
Fossil Guy
fossilguy.com › sites › peace-river › index.htm
Fossilguy.com: Peace River Fossil Hunting: Shark Teeth and Ice Age Fossils.
Above is the Zolfo Springs river gauge height provided by the USGS: Looking for fossils is fairly simple. It requires finding a gravel area on the bottom of the river and sifting it with a shovel and sifter.
Fossil Guy
fossilguy.com › sites › caesar-creek › index.htm
Fossil Collecting at Caesar Creek State Park, Ohio
It's just north of the Spillway. Once there, simply go in and ask for a fossil hunting permit. They will go over all the do's and don'ts with you, you will initial it and sign off, then you can drive to the spillway to fossil collect.
Quora
quora.com › How-do-I-get-started-on-fossil-hunting-near-riverbeds
How to get started on fossil hunting near riverbeds - Quora
Answer (1 of 3): The first fossil hunters were geologists who saw funny rocks in sea cliffs and river banks. You need to recognize rocks. I had a classmate in high school who wanted to become a paleontologist but his parents wanted him to become a geologist and make the big bucks with oil compan...
Reddit
reddit.com › r/fossilid › tips for finding fossils?
r/fossilid on Reddit: tips for finding fossils?
January 12, 2020 -
i’ve never found a fossil before, but i’ve also never specifically looked for one, i have no idea where to start, a lot of the pictures on here just look like ordinary rocks to me, do you have any tips?
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Where do you live? You need to find the closest fossil bearing limestone formation to you.
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Do you live near any beaches, especially rocky ones? Definitely look there. It can be hard to find fossils when you don’t know exactly what you’re looking for, but a nice general rule I’ve heard before is that if you can see any symmetrical patterns, keep the rock and look more into it.
Alaska Outdoors Forums
forums.outdoorsdirectory.com › more forums › alaska prospecting forum
Prospecting for Fossils? | Alaska Outdoors Forums
June 9, 2008 - You find all sorts of fossils with Ammonites being very common. Ammonites are a variety of chambered nautilius or cephlapod. This is a very cool place to go. Sincerely, Thomas · Click to expand... ... Probably a little late for this year....but the Healy area is a good place to look around for fossils, We've found some in most any creek drainage that we've poked around in down there.