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Moab Utah


ohiofossilhunter

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Does anyone know of fossil collecting sites within 2 or 3 hours of Moab,Utah for a poss. week trip next summer.

Edited by ohiofossilhunter
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There are exposures of Cretaceous Mancos Shale in that area. I have had some luck hunting in the Mancos Shale, mostly ammonites and small bivalves.

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Look for the book "Gem trails of Utah" on Amazon or your local store. Lots of places to find fossils and minerals listed in there.

-Dave

__________________________________________________

Geologists on the whole are inconsistent drivers. When a roadcut presents itself, they tend to lurch and weave. To them, the roadcut is a portal, a fragment of a regional story, a proscenium arch that leads their imaginations into the earth and through the surrounding terrain. - John McPhee

If I'm going to drive safely, I can't do geology. - John McPhee

Check out my Blog for more fossils I've found: http://viewsofthemahantango.blogspot.com/

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There is an outcrop on the road northout of Moab with a small bit of Permian Elephant Canyon Fm... I htink. I'm running of my feeble memory here. I htink it is before oyu get to the entrance to Arches NP. The fossil layer is on the left (west) side of the road and is rather limited, but has lots of crinoid stem sections. Have a look at the geology map of eithe Arches or Canyonlands and you can see it on there.

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Maybe this could help to find the exact spot: going north from Moab to Green River, the Jp's Permian location is in front of the Arches N.P. entrance. The spot is on the left side of the road, just after (north) the big orange sand dune between the sand dune itself and the rail tracks ;) (crinoids, brachs and also trilos in the dark red/purple formation) B)

p.s. that spot lies on the Moab fault :)

Edited by Nandomas
  • I found this Informative 1

Erosion... will be my epitaph!

http://www.paleonature.org/

https://fossilnews.org/

 

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Did I send you guys there? Or is it isted in some fossils of Utah book? I can't remember how I found it all those years ago?

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Thanks for the ideas. I was also hopeing to collect ammonites or pet. wood( any suggestions). I don't have much of either in my collection. :(

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Did I send you guys there? Or is it isted in some fossils of Utah book? I can't remember how I found it all those years ago?

I knew about that place in Lin Ottinger rock shop in Moab in the middle 90's. From that time I did a lot of exploring around. There are similiar exposures from Potash road boat ramp to Canyonland N.P.

Be sure you are out of the N.P. borders.

All the places I knew about petrified woods are now protected. About ammonites, if you like scaphites, check around Ferron coal plant south of Price (also Ptycodus teeth show there, but they are far and few between) ;)

Erosion... will be my epitaph!

http://www.paleonature.org/

https://fossilnews.org/

 

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Aren't we aloud to collect pet.wood on public lands (other than n.p. or n.monuments)

Edited by ohiofossilhunter
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Aren't we aloud to collect pet.wood on public lands (other than n.p. or n.monuments)

You are still allowed to collect petrified wood on public lands with a weight limit. I never ask about that limit... coming in Usa from overseas, I never tought to bring home a whole petified wood trunk ;)

Here the photo of Moab Fault Permian collecting area from Arches N.P. first switchback :)

from Mesozoic to Paleozoic :D :D

post-1112-0-83253100-1294526619_thumb.jpg

Edited by Nandomas

Erosion... will be my epitaph!

http://www.paleonature.org/

https://fossilnews.org/

 

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There's some serious geology going on around Moab!

post-423-0-83415600-1294526877_thumb.jpg

"There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant

“Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley

>Paleontology is an evolving science.

>May your wonders never cease!

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You are still allowed to collect petrified wood on public lands with a weight limit. I never ask about that limit... coming in Usa from overseas, I never tought to bring home a whole petified wood trunk ;)

Here the photo of Moab Fault Permian collecting area from Arches N.P. first switchback :)

from Mesozoic to Paleozoic :D :D

Yes we can collect Pet Wood on BLM lands. (Nothing, of course, in the National Parks). 25 lbs per person per day plus one piece no more than 250 lbs. I think you need a permit to sell the stuff, if they allow that at all.

As for Nando's photo of the Moab fault, the fossil site is outside of Arches. I think he took the photo from in the park. I have collected from where this layer is exposed right next to the road. I think there is a small turnout for fossil hunters to park in.

Moab is a beautiful area, esp if you like the geology these fossils come form.

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As for Nando's photo of the Moab fault, the fossil site is outside of Arches. I think he took the photo from in the park. I have collected from where this layer is exposed right next to the road. I think there is a small turnout for fossil hunters to park in.

Yes, the fossil site is well out of the National Park, the photo was from Arches first hill ;)

Erosion... will be my epitaph!

http://www.paleonature.org/

https://fossilnews.org/

 

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There's some serious geology going on around Moab!

post-423-0-83415600-1294526877_thumb.jpg

Great Photo of the famous arch. I've sat right in the same spot myself.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Yeah, there's a lot of private, BLM, and National Park land around Moab so you want to make sure about where you pick up anything. If you end up not finding anything, you can always visit Lin Ottinger's rock shop on the main road into town and see some fossils and rocks for sale. Lin took me on a fossil hunt one day in the early 90's. We didn't find anything but he pointed out all kinds of stuff most people wouldn't notice.

I knew about that place in Lin Ottinger rock shop in Moab in the middle 90's. From that time I did a lot of exploring around. There are similiar exposures from Potash road boat ramp to Canyonland N.P.

Be sure you are out of the N.P. borders.

All the places I knew about petrified woods are now protected. About ammonites, if you like scaphites, check around Ferron coal plant south of Price (also Ptycodus teeth show there, but they are far and few between) ;)

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Hi -

We were just out in Moab (sightseeing...no collecting)as part of a vacation. We dropped into Ottingers and the lady behind the counter said they still did the occasional trip but mostly in the warmer months. Unfortunately, she didn't have too many details but was extremely helpful and suggested calling in the future to get more info. The website is also a little lean on information. http://www.moabrockshop.com/

Hope this helps a bit.

Gary

post-4868-0-10581800-1295992476_thumb.jpg

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Thanks for all the suggestions :)

Edited by ohiofossilhunter
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Don't forget to give a look for the beautiful petrified "Yellow Cat" red wood & barite pseudomorph ;) . The Yellow Cat dirt road depart south from I-70 (beetwen Green River and Cisco). Check for local map at Moab Info center :) and for reference in Utah Rockhound/Gem Trail books

Erosion... will be my epitaph!

http://www.paleonature.org/

https://fossilnews.org/

 

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  • 1 year later...

The area around Moab is ridiculously beautiful. Everyone should have it on their bucket list.

Context is critical.

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Been there last summer holiday, USA roadtrip and I must say that the area around MOAB was the highlight of my journey!

I know of a dinosaur trail that begins just a couple of miles north of MOAB, follow the road north towards Arches, keep on driving... after a few miles there is an unpaved road that crosses the railroad (left of the main road), follow this road for about 4 miles in the direction of copper canyon mill...

The dinosaur trail cuts through the jurassic morrisson formation..dinosaur bones everywhere! no collecting of course!

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