Fossil Hunting in PA

[sarahglass]

Hi!

I'm super new to fossil hunting and was looking for some advice! =)

One of my friends and I were going to head out to Beltzville State Park the end of the month to see if we can find any fossils at that site. I've been doing a lot of research on the internet and was wondering about some of the other sites I read about/am looking for not so well known sites.

I've read about the Swatara State Park site (but heard it is well picked over), the Montour Preserve (Also well picked over), St. Clair, and Deer Lake. Any advice on these sites would be great, as well as any advice on any other sites that may not be as well known.

Thanks so much!!

~~Sarah

[Fossildude19]

Hello Sarah, and Welcome to the Forum.

Unfortunately, the St. Clair site is now closed to collectors. Only School Field Trips with written permission from Reading Anthracite are allowed to collect there.

Deer Lake has undergone some changes since I was last there, about 8 years ago. The highway (Rt 61) has been widened, and I'm not sure the site still exists. You can check in at the Deer Lake Pub and Restaurant and see if you can do some hunting behind their place. There was a talus slope that was full of typical Devonian Mahantango Formation fossils. They were nice, and allowed us to park and hunt there.

Not too familiar with Beltzville, but I had the impression there wasn't a ton to find there.

You can do some more research starting with this website. Keep in mind, the information is old, (like, ... early 1900's old!) and may no longer be accurate. Sites may be gone, grown over, built over or on state or private property.

Google names like,... Seven Stars, Carbondale, Clearfield, and Red Hill, ... and join a local rock/gem/mineral/fossil club. Joining a club can get you into places you may otherwise not have access to - quarries and private properties. It also gives you access to seasoned veterans who can show you the ropes.

Good luck and let us know how you do!

Regards,

[Susan from PA]

I do believe that Montour Preserve is also closed now. It was owned by Pennsylvania Power and Light, who recently sold out to Talen Energy, and Talen closed it as a cost cutting measure last I heard.

Update: I stand corrected. It appears that money was raised for a private organization to take over, and it is still open.

Edited July 16, 2016 by Susan from PA

[PA Fossil Finder]

Yes, the Montour Preserve Fossil Pit is still open - I was just there recently for my birthday, actually. It is true that most of it is well picked over, but there is a layer about 4-6 inches thick a little ways up the hill that produces some nice fossils. Most of the hillside in the pit is completely covered in scree, but sometimes after it rains the water washes some of the scree off and exposes the bedrock. Searching the scree carefully can also yield loose brachiopods, corals, and the occasional trilobite head or tail. My favorite fossils from the Fossil Pit are the trilobites - our state fossil, Eldredgeops rana, and Greenops sp.. All I usually find are heads and tails, but I'm sure a complete one is lurking around somewhere.

Here's a nice little trilobite head I found on my most recent trip, in situ:

If you do visit the Montour Preserve, check out the visitor center first - there is a nice little display of the various fossils found in the pit. There's also a nice sign in the Fossil Pit that has pictures of the most common fossils from the site, as well as their age and other interesting information. If you have the right tools and you're willing to spend time splitting shale, there are nice fossils to be found. Most are common species, but they are still fun to find.

[CAtoPA]

I was just wondering about the Montour Pit! Nice to hear that it's still open... Thank you for the update!