Trip To Caesar Creek State Park In Waynesville Oh

[Kyleontheweb]

Today I went to Caesar Creek State Park in Waynesville, OH. You have to get a free collecting permit from the Vistor Center, and then you collect at the spillway, where there is a huge wall of fossil rocks on both sides of the road. I was hoping to find my first trilobite, but I didn't find one. I did find some cool things, however.

I think the coolest thing I found is the nicest specimen of a cephalopod I have ever collected:

I also found a couple of things that I think look like some kind of clams or something. The one on the matrix is the better looking one, the other one is harder to recognize from the picture I think. Here is the one I found on the matrix:

The only thing I could think that it might be is a clam, that's what I think it looks like.

Here is the other one I found:

I found this thing that has some nice detail, but I wasn't sure what it was. It is pictured here with a small snail I found also:

Here is a picture showing several things I collected, including some individual brachiopods as well as some on small slabs. The items in the previous picture are also in this one in less detail:

Finally, I also went to a road cut on US 42 just northeast from the area. I didn't find a lot there, but I picked up a couple of things:

I plan on getting out a lot more this year, and I am going to find my first trilobite, somewhere!

Kyle

[Guest solius symbiosus]

The third pic is the colonial coral Favostella sp. and the snail is Cyclonema varicosum

[Kyleontheweb]

The third pic is the colonial coral Favostella sp. and the snail is Cyclonema varicosum

Awesome, thanks for the info!

You think those other things are some kind of clam?

[Guest solius symbiosus]

They could be. If they are, they are internal molds. That first one almost looks like it has some muscle scars

[Guest N.AL.hunter]

I can't see the clam thing clear enough, but could it be a sponge? Does it have very small "dots" or "dimples" all over it?

[Kyleontheweb]

I can't see the clam thing clear enough, but could it be a sponge? Does it have very small "dots" or "dimples" all over it?

No, they are pretty smooth. No little dimples or anything. I think this one on the rock has to be a clam, but I'm not so sure about the other one which isn't in as good of shape. This one on the rock though, in person it looks just like a clam. On one edge it juts out from the matrix, and it seems to be symmetrical on the bottom like the other half of a clam shell should be.

[Desmond]

No, they are pretty smooth. No little dimples or anything. I think this one on the rock has to be a clam, but I'm not so sure about the other one which isn't in as good of shape. This one on the rock though, in person it looks just like a clam. On one edge it juts out from the matrix, and it seems to be symmetrical on the bottom like the other half of a clam shell should be.

I found quite a few Int Molds of clams at Caesar Creek in the last few years almost no whole shell though so it's a very good possibility.

There are rumored to be intact Isotelus there but mainly Flexicalimine Meeki / Minus.

If you go there again Kyle try looking for the expsed very light shale (looks more like bright grey mud) out on the flat and looking for the tiny brachiopods Zygospira. About 1 in 30 Zygospira I find there is realy a very small Minus and usualy pick up 1-3 larger ones about the size of a nickle or 1 is as large as a quarter.

Spot specificly on that open flat bed is hard to give but I'll give it a shot...

Start by parking on the south side of the road (away from the lake) walk straight back twards the woodline on the south. About 100 feet before hitting the woods and about 3/5 of the way east from the embankment on the west you'll encounter a weed patch sitting right on top of the bright grey clay. around the base of that is a huge quantity of Zigospria (say 40-50 of them on surface per square foot). Right in there I have perty good luck on finding the larger ones (though still no prone ones Grr)

I have better luck at southgate hill though over all, it's on the locations map.

Des

Ps quite a nice gathering for one day trip though bud =)

[Uncle Siphuncle]

Kyle

I first hunted that spillway in 1980 and found a perfect enrolled Isotelus in the first 20 minutes. I remember my Dad getting a nice crinoid crown there as well and I have lots of nice cephalopods like yours, Streptelasma/Grewingkia horn corals, etc. There are pyritized gastropods and brachs there too if you look hard enough. I think the place has been hunted much faster than it can weather in the last 30 years, but I dropped by there last August for nostalgia's sake while home for a few days. I was still finding occasional enrolled Flexis down on the flat 10-15 years ago. I've probably been there 5-6 times since 1980.

[worthy 55]

Sweet!!!

[Kyleontheweb]

Thanks guys!

Desmond, I'll try looking in the area you described next time I get back.

I might have to check out this South Gate Hill area too. I looked at the spot on the location map. Is that a park or something? I'm not familiar with the site.