Sylvania Fossil Park

[Velociraptor99]

Hello Fossil Forum, it's Anthony again. Looks like I might finally be able to go on my first fossil hunting trip, besides finding weird shell-like creatures and brachiopods under my back deck. I've almost convinced my father to take me to the fossil park in Sylvania Ohio this Saturday morning. I just don't know if it's worth going though. As a newbie collector or hunter, I'm not sure what to look for in the Silica Shale. The main thing I'd like to find there is an intact or whole trilobite, hopefully freed from the matrix. Unfortunately I read that the trilobites are often found in pieces or segments...

There are two other problems. #1: The park is about a two hour drive away from where I live, I don't know if the drive will be worth it. #2: I've read mixed reviews on trip advisor about the park, most give it an excellent rating, but these come from families or parents who brought their young children. Being 16 years old and going in a park with tons of children, just doesn't make me feel comfortable, in fact, it makes me very uncomfortable. Do people my age or older come here, or have any of you guys gone without bringing children?

Dad says everything checks out with him, as long as Mother velociraptor doesn't have anything planned, such as yard work or American Patriotism... This may be my only chance this summer to go fossil hunting, as my mom and dad's schedules are very very limited. If I can't go now, or I choose not to go, I'll have to wait until the 18th of July at my next North Coast Fossil club meeting to reveal the location of our next field trip on the 25th of July, and if it's over 2 and half hours away, my mother or father won't take me. Now you're probably wondering, "you're 16, and you don't have your driver's license yet?". I'll admit I've been very lazy about the whole thing, I don't even have my temps yet. Some of it has do with laziness to study that stupid book, some of it has to do with me being caught up in school work earlier this year, and some comes from the fear of driving (the fear of dieing in a car crash, or being crippled from one) itself. I could have taken my temps, and over the past week my mother has taken me to take the temps test but as usual, the government is lazy and highly strict about what identifies my existence, as if me standing there talking to them isn't enough evidence... Finding out that the BMV isn't open on Monday's hasn't help change my opinion on our government either. So it won't be a while before I can drive all the way to Akron and Cincinnati.

So is the park worth the drive? Could you elder members and collectors share your experiences about the place and calm me down? Any advice would gladly be appreciated.

[ZiggieCie]

V99 Here s a recent link to someone that has been there recently.

http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/53740-fossil-park-sylvania-oh/?hl=sylvania

I was last there 25 years age before it was a park. I might try it but would not expect tilos. I look at all fossils are good, some better than others, but still, all are old. She found some nice fossils.

[ZiggieCie]

Another helpful link. Search Sylvania, in the forum section.

http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/46215-complete-newbie;-help-fill-in-my-understanding-in-a-step-by-step-guide-please-d/?hl=sylvania

[Velociraptor99]

Thank you once again for the very helpful links Ziggie! I see what you mean about not getting too hopeful about a trilobite, I'll view it as a success if I come with anything at all. I read the preparation guide, how and where would I gain access to an air abrasive brush though, because if I do find a trilo, I'd like to make it look as life-like as possible if you understand where I'm coming from. I wonder if there is a person/company that professionally cleans those buggers?

[Mediospirifer]

Hi, Velociraptor99!

My husband and I went to Sylvania last month, while we were vising his family in Columbus for a couple of weeks. We enjoyed the trip (and don't have any children). I wouldn't worry too much about going to a family-friendly place without kids.

We went on a Sunday. There were a few other groups that came and went while we were there, but the place wasn't what I'd call mobbed. There are several spoil piles to paw through, and we weren't directly competing with anyone for access to one.

One thing that makes the spoil piles a little tricky to hunt in is that (on that day, at least) everything is encrusted in dried mud. We found several nice brachiopods free from the matrix only because we noticed a suspiciously round, mostly flattened rock! There is a water station where you can wash (and scrub) any rocks you're interested in, so you don't have to carry them away before knowing whether you have anything good. I'd recommend bringing a toothbrush and a sieve for fossil washing--you can put a smaller fossil into the sieve, lower it into the water barrel, and swish it around without losing pieces if the surrounding matrix comes apart. It might be worth bringing a dishpan with you, and carrying a pan of water down to the spoil heap to give a quick rinse to random handfuls of rock and mud.

We found brachiopods (several varieties that I haven't identified yet), several gastropods, some horn corals, and a few Eldredgeops rana trilobite tails and a couple of heads, plus one possibly complete enrolled trilobite. That one was in the middle of a rock that I saw surface brachiopods through the mud and decided to wash. The rock is fragmented enough that I can probably extract the fossil, I just haven't gotten to it yet. All of that was in 2 or 3 hours of hunting.

I'd say it's worth the trip, especially if you're new to hunting. If you do go, take some time to look at the limestone bedrock uphill from the spoil piles. Tools for prying bits loose aren't allowed, but the bedrock has some huge gastropods in it! And if you look over the gravelly bits where the limestone has broken up a little, you may find some loose ones. We found maybe half a dozen, with another handful of broken pieces.

Good luck, and enjoy the trip! Just be prepared for direct sun, the site is fairly exposed.

[Mediospirifer]

Just an addendum: Depending on where you are in Ohio, it might not be too long a drive to visit Penn-Dixie quarry in Hamburg, NY. There is a small admission fee, and minimal facilities (port-o-pots only, no water source), but you can bring whatever tools you want, and there's a lot to find! We found 3 or 4 small, enrolled trilbites there last time, free of matrix. The only difficulty is spottin them! And I can guarantee you'll find horn corals there.

Just bring lots of water! The quarry is very exposed.

Good luck in your hunting!

[ZiggieCie]

Hey V99 go to your fossil club home page and check out the photos of past events. It will give you a view of what fossil areas and fossils found look like. A good place to start for a new person. You can see Penn-dixie and other areas we go to and the fossils found there. We as a group have not gone to Sylvania. Here is a link to our past trips.

http://ncfclub.org/past_events.html

[ZiggieCie]

On the NCFC home page is info on the annual club picnic on July 18. They are fun and have a fossil auction there. Also info on two of our next trips, one in July and one in Aug.

http://ncfclub.org/index.html

[Fossildude19]

Penn Dixie Website.

Well worth the extra hour or so it might take to go there.

Regards,

[Velociraptor99]

Thank you everyone! Living 45 minutes south of Cleveland, just trying to find something out here in this wasteland. I've gone looking under my deck for the fourth time now, completely unsuccessful, no fossils this time . Last time I found a very nice specimen, don't know what the heck it is though.

In response to Mediospirifer, thank you for the assertion that the park isn't just for kids. The problem now is, is that dad says we can't go if it rains, and it's a 60% chance of rain in Sylvania and Toledo on Saturday... Do you think I should try and convince them to take me on Sunday where it's only a 20% chance of rain?

I wish there was a site in my county, Ziggie do you know any place near you that's a good spot? Dad isn't fond of road cuts, thinks they are too dangerous.

Fossildude19, thank you for the recommendation. I live in NE Ohio, so driving to NY is too far in my parents' book. They aren't even all that willing to drive to Caesar Creek or Hueston woods, I don't think they'd drive me to Penn Dixie. The site, looks right up my alley though. Tons of complete trilobite specimens can be found it seems. One member in our locale club (not so local, about a half hour drive away) offered me and my mother to take a trip with him and his family to the site some time later in the summer. Very nice man, had a professionally cleaned phacops that was prone, and complete, my mother was even impressed (she doesn't like bugs).

Finally, Ziggie, I will be attending the Picnic on the 18th, I do not have any fossils that I wish to donate however, as I am just starting out. Maybe in the future, I will. I don't own any plant fossils, do you think it would be ok if I brought some of my other fossils?

Thank you everyone,

-Anthony

[ZiggieCie]

Hi Anthony,

Saturday looks like a washout, they are calling for inches of rain. Sunday is 50/50.

The picnic will be fun and don't worry about taking any fossils, people have been collecting for years and they have plenty of extras.

Being able to go to Penn Dixie with an experienced person is worth it's weight in gold, you would like that.

For Medina County, the only public place I know of is the Lodi city park, (it's on google). One of the few parks that allow fossil hunting.

I watch for new construction sites that get into the rock layers, they can be great or nothing. It is all a part of fossil hunting.

One of the reasons I joined the fossil club is to be able to get into restricted quarries for fossils. There are two trips coming up, they will be announced at the picnic. The dates are on the NCFC page, but no details till meeting.

Good luck

Ziggie