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You'll find lots of Trilobites (Pseudogygites Latimarginatus) and brachiopods (mucrospirifer) just about anywhere you look in southern Ontario. Keep an eye out for shale piles left by construction, or if you're driving around in rural areas look for road cuts through sedimentary layers, the layers are exposed at the side of the road and you can easily find exposed fossils there. You'll need tools and safety equipment: a standard builder's hard hat is the minimum that should be worn in areas that are liable to falling rocks, especially cliff faces and within quarries, a high visibility jacket will improve your chances in case of an accident. Pick up a geological hammer if you don't have one. It's got a square head on one side, and a chisel tip on the other side. Useful for splitting the layers. Also, safety glasses are essential. You don't want to get a rock splinter in your eye. There's a more comprehensive tool list here "Most of Ontario's fossil record is found in the Paleozoic rocks that cover much of southern Ontario and the James Bay Lowlands. These rocks were deposited during the Ordovician, Silurian, and Devonian periods (450-350 million years ago) when Ontario was repeatedly covered by warm, shallow inland seas. The seas were fed by rivers draining from the bordering highlands of the Canadian Shield and acted as settling basins for thousands of meters of sand, mud, and clay. Eastern and northern boundaries of Paleozoic outcrop run roughly through the southern borders of Muskoka and Haliburton just east of Kingston (where Ordovician rocks lap onto Precambrian rocks). Ordovician rocks here abound with fossil snails, clams, squid-like nautiloids, trilobites, starfish, and sea lilies. Late Ordovician and Silurian rocks form the Niagara escarpment that runs from Manitoulin Island to the Niagara Peninsula and on into New York State. The escarpment was formed by rivers draining highlands to southeast. Fossils are scarce here. Silurian corals formed reefs that are now exposed as fossils on Manitoulin Island. Devonian rocks on shore of Lake Huron near Kettle Point contain abundant corals and trilobites, sea lilies and other marine invertebrates. Even the bony skin plates of early armored fish have occasionally been found. Unconsolidated deposits of Pleistocene Epoch are the next great chapter in Ontario's fossils. One of the most complete successions of interglacial sediment is exposed in Toronto Brick Pit. Fossils found here include wood, insects, freshwater clams and snails, antlers of deer, skulls of large bears, groundhogs, bison and giant beaver. Near Welland mastodons, wooly elephants, and pollen grains have been found." Ontario's Fossil Story By: Kristina Anderson, assistant curator Answer from 248_RPA on reddit.com
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U.S. National Park Service
nps.gov › subjects › fossils › fossil-parks-list.htm
Fossil Parks—Master List - Fossils and Paleontology (U.S. National Park Service)
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Skip to global NPS navigation · Skip to the main content · Skip to the footer section · National Park Service Search · Cancel · Fossils and Paleontology ·
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University of Waterloo
uwaterloo.ca › earth-sciences-museum › educational-resources › fossils › paleozoic-fossils-ontario
Paleozoic fossils in Ontario | Earth Sciences Museum | University of Waterloo
November 6, 2024 - On Manitoulin Island, Silurian corals formed reefs that are now exposed at the surface as fossils, and on the shore of Lake Huron near Kettle Point, there are abundant corals, trilobites, sea lilies and other marine invertebrates that can be found. ... Please note that you may need to ask permission to collect fossils at these sites.
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American Museum of Natural History
amnh.org › explore › ology › paleontology › finding-fossils2
Finding Fossils | AMNH
Good places to find fossils are outcrops. An outcrop is a place where old rock is exposed by wind and water erosion and by other people's digging. ... Make sure that you plan to dig in a place where it is okay to collect fossils. Check with an adult if you're not sure. ... Be ready to spend a lot of time looking. Fossil hunting can take lots of time and patience, but what you may find is worth the wait!
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/askto › tips for beginner fossil hunting in toronto and area?
r/askTO on Reddit: Tips for beginner fossil hunting in Toronto and area?
July 5, 2017 -

Someone experienced was supposed to take me fossil hunting but that fell through.

They said it's not too hard to find stuff.

I'm looking for locations and tips.

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Easiest is to find some shale by the lake and start breaking pieces open. You can find small plants and trilobite looking things. I've had decent luck on the rocky beaches in Whitby, with a 5% hit rate or so, maybe a little lower.
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You'll find lots of Trilobites (Pseudogygites Latimarginatus) and brachiopods (mucrospirifer) just about anywhere you look in southern Ontario. Keep an eye out for shale piles left by construction, or if you're driving around in rural areas look for road cuts through sedimentary layers, the layers are exposed at the side of the road and you can easily find exposed fossils there. You'll need tools and safety equipment: a standard builder's hard hat is the minimum that should be worn in areas that are liable to falling rocks, especially cliff faces and within quarries, a high visibility jacket will improve your chances in case of an accident. Pick up a geological hammer if you don't have one. It's got a square head on one side, and a chisel tip on the other side. Useful for splitting the layers. Also, safety glasses are essential. You don't want to get a rock splinter in your eye. There's a more comprehensive tool list here "Most of Ontario's fossil record is found in the Paleozoic rocks that cover much of southern Ontario and the James Bay Lowlands. These rocks were deposited during the Ordovician, Silurian, and Devonian periods (450-350 million years ago) when Ontario was repeatedly covered by warm, shallow inland seas. The seas were fed by rivers draining from the bordering highlands of the Canadian Shield and acted as settling basins for thousands of meters of sand, mud, and clay. Eastern and northern boundaries of Paleozoic outcrop run roughly through the southern borders of Muskoka and Haliburton just east of Kingston (where Ordovician rocks lap onto Precambrian rocks). Ordovician rocks here abound with fossil snails, clams, squid-like nautiloids, trilobites, starfish, and sea lilies. Late Ordovician and Silurian rocks form the Niagara escarpment that runs from Manitoulin Island to the Niagara Peninsula and on into New York State. The escarpment was formed by rivers draining highlands to southeast. Fossils are scarce here. Silurian corals formed reefs that are now exposed as fossils on Manitoulin Island. Devonian rocks on shore of Lake Huron near Kettle Point contain abundant corals and trilobites, sea lilies and other marine invertebrates. Even the bony skin plates of early armored fish have occasionally been found. Unconsolidated deposits of Pleistocene Epoch are the next great chapter in Ontario's fossils. One of the most complete successions of interglacial sediment is exposed in Toronto Brick Pit. Fossils found here include wood, insects, freshwater clams and snails, antlers of deer, skulls of large bears, groundhogs, bison and giant beaver. Near Welland mastodons, wooly elephants, and pollen grains have been found." Ontario's Fossil Story By: Kristina Anderson, assistant curator
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Fossil Guy
fossilguy.com › sites › index.htm
Fossilguy.com: Where to Find Fossils - Fossil Hunting Locations, directions, identification, tips, and fossil examples
Take some fossil hunting trips with your family or friends! BROWN: Fossil Collecting allowed. BLUE: Fossil Viewing ONLY ... This fossil saturated area contains Oligocene to Pleistocene fossils. The main draw is shark teeth, including Megalodon sharks! From Myrtle Beach down to Tybee Island, this is a nice location to fossil collect because it can be done by beachcombing.
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The Globe and Mail
theglobeandmail.com › toronto › life › toronto’s fossil hunters are unearthing the history of the city
Toronto’s fossil hunters are unearthing the history of the city - The Globe and Mail
October 5, 2023 - So without amateurs and avocational collectors going on and finding this material, we would never see it all.” · Looking to start fossil hunting? Here are some popular sites around the country. Be sure to check with provincial authorities first as some provinces require permits to collect fossils. Toronto’s Mimico Creek: In this offshoot of the Humber River, you can find molluscs, crinoids, bryozoans, corals and even trilobites by digging in the bends where sediment and loose gravel accumulate.
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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 12, 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.
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Cottage Life
cottagelife.com › home › latest › 4 places in ontario for top notch fossil hunting
4 places in Ontario for top notch fossil hunting - Cottage Life
April 24, 2024 - The Rock Glen Conservation Area encourages fossil hunters to collect specimens and it also has a large display of local fossils and First Nations artifacts, making it a great Plan B if your trip is rained out. There are horn-shaped corals everywhere, plus branch corals, fragments of trilobites (which grew to a metre long, but finds are typically 2 to 3 cm long), shells, and even pieces of body armour from primitive fish. You can pick up fossils from the ground and rinse them off with water.
Find elsewhere
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Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › List_of_fossil_sites
List of fossil sites - Wikipedia
November 8, 2025 - This list of fossil sites is a worldwide list of localities known well for the presence of fossils. Some entries in this list are notable for a single, unique find, while others are notable for the large number of fossils found there. Many of the entries in this list are considered Lagerstätten ...
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Fossil
stores.fossil.com › index › on
Fossil Store locations in Toronto, On | Fossil Watches, Wallets, Bags & Accessories
WE'VE REOPENED SELECT STORES Find out if a store near you has opened. Read more about store reopenings and retail updates ... Toronto Eaton Centre 220 Yonge St.
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Toronto Life
torontolife.com › home › you can find 350-million-year-old fossils less than three hours from toronto
You can find 350-million-year-old fossils less than three hours from Toronto - Toronto Life
August 6, 2025 - Subscribe to Toronto Life! ... Sure, Jurassic World: Rebirth may be getting lukewarm reviews, but don’t let Hollywood’s franchise fatigue kill your childhood obsession with paleontology. Instead, spark some real wonder with a day trip to Rock Glen Conservation Area, where 350-million-year-old fossils are scattered along the trails—and admission is just $4.25.
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Field Museum
fieldmuseum.org › blog › fossil-hunting-101
Fossil Hunting 101 - Field Museum
October 11, 2016 - We typically look for fossils in desert areas, where there’s sedimentary rock instead of metamorphic or igneous rock. A main rule for determining where to search is geologic age: if you know the age of the rocks in an area, you can begin to search for animals that lived during that time.
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SkullStore
skullstore.ca
SkullStore.ca // Buy Real Skulls, Taxidermy, Fossils, Oddities Online | SkullStore Inc.
We are the world's biggest oddity shop! We have thousands of ethical animal skulls, skeletons, taxidermy mounts, fossils, crystals, ancient artifacts & more for sale! We even have real human skulls! Buy natural history specimens and antiquities online or at our storefront in Toronto.
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Nova Scotia Museum
museum.novascotia.ca › blog › fundy-field-notes-where-find-fossils
Fundy Field Notes – Where to Find Fossils | Nova Scotia Museum
July 31, 2023 - Sometimes, even the pros can search for a whole day without finding a single fossil. Never fear! You are guaranteed to spot one at Joggins’ fossil cliffs.
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CityPASS
citypass.com › articles › toronto › dinosaurs-royal-ontario-museum
Exploring ROM's Dinosaurs: The Fossils That Shaped History | CityPASS® Blog
Dinosaurs have an incredible way of sparking curiosity and wonder, captivating both kids and adults alike. At the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), you'll find an extraordinary collection of real dinosaur fossils and exhibits that bring these prehistoric creatures to life.
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The Fossil Forum
thefossilforum.com › fossil discussion › questions & answers
What kind of fossils can you find in Toronto, Canada? - Questions & Answers - The Fossil Forum
August 12, 2024 - Hey, im a upcoming undergrad moving to Canada at the Univeristy of Waterloo in Toronto. Up till 6th grade, I lived in India, and then moved back to New Jersey (where I was born) for one year. In that year, I went to the Big Brook preseve and a few other locations where I found awesome things by s...
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U.S. National Park Service
nps.gov › subjects › fossils › fossil-parks.htm
Visit Park Fossils - Fossils and Paleontology (U.S. National Park Service)
You may explore fossils of the national parks either virtually through this website or by visiting a park. Fossils from national parks are also on exhibit in museums around the country where millions of people can experience them.
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FossilEra
fossilera.com › fossils
Where To Hunt Fossils? Fossil Parks & Pay-Per-Dig Quarries - FossilEra.com
U-Dig Fossils is a pay quarry situated in the desert west of Delta, UT. The quarry is in the heart of the famous Wheeler shale which has many types of beautifully preserved Cambrian trilobites, including the famous Elrathia trilobites.
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Creationresearchontario
creationresearchontario.com › kids-fossil-id.html
KIDS FOSSIL ID - The Creation Research Museum of Ontario
Fossil Identification Web Page for Kids We are fortunate to live in a Province that within a 2 hour drive radius we have available a wide range of fossils and rocks to collect. They are located...