Few outdoor activities deliver the same jolt of excitement as splitting open a piece of shale and finding a creature that has been locked inside rock for hundreds of millions of years. Fossil hunting is inexpensive, accessible to all ages, and available across the United States at public parks and preserves where you can dig for — and keep — your finds. The five sites below represent some of the best fossil hunting destinations in the country, spanning geologic time from the Devonian period (roughly 380 million years ago) to the Miocene (around 5–23 million years ago). Each one is open to the public, family-friendly, and requires no prior experience.
1. Penn Dixie Fossil Park & Nature Reserve — Blasdell, New York
Penn Dixie Fossil Park is a 54-acre site on the grounds of a former cement quarry in Hamburg, New York (near Buffalo), and is widely considered one of the best fossil parks in the country. The fossils here date to the Middle Devonian period, approximately 380 million years ago, when western New York was submerged beneath a warm, shallow tropical sea. Visitors can dig for and keep trilobites (the star attraction), brachiopods, horn corals, crinoids, bryozoans, and other marine invertebrates. Trilobites — the extinct, segmented arthropods that dominated Paleozoic oceans — are found by splitting layers of shale in the quarry; finding an enrolled (curled-up) specimen is common, while a fully prone trilobite is a genuine prize. The park is staffed by trained guides who help visitors identify their finds and provide age-appropriate instruction. Penn Dixie is open seasonally from approximately late April through late October, and a small admission fee applies. They also host special events including “Dig with the Professionals” days where visiting scientists assist with identification and bring additional tools. If you are in the Buffalo or Niagara Falls area, this is a must-visit.
2. Fossil Park — Sylvania, Ohio
Fossil Park in Sylvania, Ohio (near Toledo) is one of only two premier Devonian-era fossil sites in the world, and it is completely free. The 5-acre, ADA-accessible digging pit is filled with shale delivered from the nearby Hanson Aggregate quarries, which expose the famous Silica Formation — a geological layer rich with roughly 375-million-year-old marine fossils. The shale is soft enough to split with your bare hands (tools are prohibited), making this site especially well-suited for children and first-time fossil hunters. Common finds include brachiopods, horn corals, bryozoans, and crinoids; dedicated hunters can also turn up trilobite fragments and occasionally complete specimens. The park has interpretive signage to help identify your finds, covered work stations, restrooms, and a walking trail. It is open seasonally from mid-April through the end of October. For a free, accessible fossil hunting experience with a near-guaranteed chance of finding something, Fossil Park is hard to beat.
3. Westmoreland State Park — Montross, Virginia
Westmoreland State Park sits on the Potomac River’s Northern Neck in Virginia, and the riverbank cliffs here erode constantly, releasing a steady supply of Miocene-era fossils (roughly 5–23 million years old) onto the beach. The most sought-after finds are megalodon teeth — the massive, extinct shark (Otodus megalodon) that grew up to 50 feet or more and is estimated to have carried around 250 teeth at any time across five rows. As teeth were lost and replaced throughout the animal’s life, enormous numbers ended up embedded in the seafloor sediment that now forms the Potomac cliffs. Erosion from waves and rain exposes them on the beach below. Beyond megalodon teeth, fossil hunters regularly find teeth and bones from Miocene-era whales, dolphins, rays, bony fish, and crocodilians. Follow the Beach Trail from the visitor center down to the river for the best collecting. Low tide and the period after storms are the most productive times. The park also offers camping, swimming, fishing, and hiking, making it easy to combine fossil hunting with a weekend trip. Fossil collecting is allowed on the public beach — you may keep what you find. For more Virginia outdoor ideas, see our guide to Shenandoah National Park.
4. Big Brook Park — Colts Neck, New Jersey
Big Brook Park in Monmouth County, New Jersey is a surprisingly productive fossil site where the brook has cut through Late Cretaceous sediments (roughly 66–72 million years old), exposing fossils from the final age of the dinosaurs. The most common finds are shark teeth — from species including goblin sharks, crow sharks, mackerel sharks, and sand sharks — along with ray dental plates, fish vertebrae, and belemnites (the internal shells of squid-like cephalopods). Fragments of mosasaur bone (mosasaurs were large marine lizards) have also been found here. New Jersey has a proud paleontological history: the first nearly complete dinosaur skeleton found in North America — Hadrosaurus foulkii — was discovered in nearby Haddonfield in 1858. At Big Brook, fossil hunting is done by wading into the shallow creek and sifting through gravel and sediment. A sifting screen or mesh bag is the most useful tool; many collectors bring a bucket and sort through material on the bank. The site is free, open year-round, and located in a pleasant wooded park setting.
5. Purse State Park — Nanjemoy, Maryland
Purse State Park, within the Nanjemoy Natural Resources Management Area in southern Maryland, is a day-use park on the Potomac River that offers another excellent opportunity to hunt for Miocene and Eocene-era shark teeth along the riverbank at Wades Bay. The site is less well-known and far less crowded than Westmoreland State Park across the river in Virginia, which is part of its appeal — you are likely to have long stretches of beach to yourself. Common finds include the teeth of various shark species, ray plates, and occasional whale or dolphin bone fragments. The park has no facilities — no restrooms, no concessions, no running water — so come prepared with food, water, and everything you need for the day. Access involves a roughly one-mile walk from the parking area to the beach. The trade-off for the lack of amenities is a quiet, uncrowded collecting environment and free admission. For more outdoor adventure ideas, see our guide to Shawnee National Forest.
What to Bring Fossil Hunting
Most fossil sites require minimal equipment, but a few items make the experience significantly better. A sifting screen or mesh bag is essential for creek-bed sites like Big Brook. A bucket, a spray bottle of water, and a soft brush (an old toothbrush works well) help clean and identify finds in the field. Wear closed-toe shoes — you will be walking on broken rock — and bring sun protection: hat, sunscreen, and water are non-negotiable at open quarry sites like Penn Dixie and Fossil Park, where shade is minimal. Knee pads or a cushion reduce discomfort at sites that require kneeling. Safety glasses are recommended if you are splitting shale. Check each site’s specific rules before bringing tools — some parks (like Fossil Park in Sylvania) prohibit hammers and chisels entirely, while others welcome them. And at every site, respect the rules about what you may and may not take — these parks exist because of community and conservation efforts, and following their guidelines keeps them open for future visitors. For more trip-planning ideas, see our guide to California national parks and family activities in Rexburg, Idaho.
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