Ron E. Posted July 19, 2009 Share Posted July 19, 2009 My beautiful bride is going out of town next Friday, and I've already put in for a day off I'm thinking that I'll have Friday and Saturday all to myself to go find fossils. And I'm thinking a drive somewhere may be in order. So, members, please draw, say, a 120 mile circle around Bentonville, Arkansas, and tell me where to find some cool stuff, if you please! I've already driven as far south as Ft. Smith, and discovered that fossils there are few and far between. My favorite strategy is to find a dirt road and follow it. I usually find a creek, or a mess of rocks to the side, somewhere. Then, all I have to put up with is the puzzled looks of locals driving by, wondering what that bald-headed idiot is doing hammering rocks! Any suggestions, folks? I'd like to get into a different time period from early Mississippian, if possible. Thanks in advance to the greatest forum members I've found in 15 years on the web! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeepinthemud Posted July 19, 2009 Share Posted July 19, 2009 Does your wife know youve asked the day off? haha.. As for a location, I would specifically look for a river within the mile range, and see if you can find some smaller streams that lead into it (usually they are just to either side. ;-) ) also google the rivers names and look for images... clear water (if any) might be an added.... also look at the surround rocks, etc, and ask yourself "would I want to spend all day there?" and dont forget to pack a lunch! "To do is to be." -Socrates "People are Stupid." -Wizard's First Rule "Happiness is a warm Jeep." -Auspex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron E. Posted July 19, 2009 Author Share Posted July 19, 2009 Does your wife know youve asked the day off? haha.. Shhhhhhhhhh... Has anyone hunted for fossils in SW Missouri? Barry county seems to have a lot of upper Mississippian stuff, might make for some gastropods and fish evidence, rare on my home turf. I'm getting the info from this site: http://www.fossilsites.com/STATES/MO.HTM Has anyone out there checked out that area? And I'm still open for other suggestions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashcraft Posted July 19, 2009 Share Posted July 19, 2009 Don't know much about SW MO, but if you want to drive to SEMO (Cape Girardeau area), I can hook you up with some Cretaceous and Ordovician material. Saturday the EMSP from St. Louis is going on a collecting trip to Coldwater Creek in St. Louis for Pleistocene material. Brent Ashcraft ashcraft, brent allen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron E. Posted July 19, 2009 Author Share Posted July 19, 2009 Don't know much about SW MO, but if you want to drive to SEMO (Cape Girardeau area), I can hook you up with some Cretaceous and Ordovician material. Saturday the EMSP from St. Louis is going on a collecting trip to Coldwater Creek in St. Louis for Pleistocene material.Brent Ashcraft Thanks for the kind suggestion, but unfortunately, there just ain't no good way to get there from here. I have interstates heading north, south, and west, but heading straight east means curvy two-lane roads for 400 miles! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seldom Posted July 19, 2009 Share Posted July 19, 2009 Ron E take a lot of water it might get hot. And take a box you can fell for me if you mail it on monday I get by Friday. and Thanks I have never hunted up there so have no leads sounds like a job for Google sorry. Good luck and stay cool. Galveston Island 32 miles long 2 miles wide 134 bars 23 liquor stores any questions? Evolution is Chimp Change. Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass; it's about learning to dance in the rain! "I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully. Most people never listen." Ernest Hemingway Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashcraft Posted July 19, 2009 Share Posted July 19, 2009 Too bad, but here is a site that might help, I think it has listings for the springfield area http://www.dnr.mo.gov/pubs/pub665.pdf Also, google Riverbluff cave in Springfield, if you can get in, it is supposed to be worth the trip, I have heard the guy who runs it speak, and he is very good. Brent Ashcraft ashcraft, brent allen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron E. Posted July 19, 2009 Author Share Posted July 19, 2009 Ron E take a lot of water it might get hot. And take a box you can fell for me if you mail it on monday I get by Friday. and Thanks I have never hunted up there so have no leads sounds like a job for Google sorry. Good luck and stay cool. Will do, Seldom! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron E. Posted July 19, 2009 Author Share Posted July 19, 2009 Too bad, but here is a site that might help, I think it has listings for the springfield area http://www.dnr.mo.gov/pubs/pub665.pdf Also, google Riverbluff cave in Springfield, if you can get in, it is supposed to be worth the trip, I have heard the guy who runs it speak, and he is very good. Brent Ashcraft Great resource, ashcraft! Thanks a ton. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crinus Posted July 20, 2009 Share Posted July 20, 2009 HI Ron I don't know if Barry County is any good. I think is it too far west for the great Mississippian fossils found around Springfield. Roadcuts abound in the Springfield area. All are of Missisippian age and mainly the Burlington Formation. Crinoid are prolific in the Burlington Limestone. The rock is all crinoidal pieces. If I were you, I would start in Burlington, Arkansas (not the city for which the Burlington Limestone is named, that would be Burlington, Iowa) and head north on US 65. There will be many roadcuts all along the hwy going to Sprinfield MO. Most will have fossils. Crinoids and blastoids plus all sorts of other stuff. The closer you get to Springfield the better. Once you are in the Springfield area drive down any road (west or north) and you will eventually find more roadcuts. East of Hwy 65 is only good for about a mile before it all is gone. Going west you can go 10 miles before it starts to thin out. I have never gone further and that is why I am not sure of Barry County. Interstare 44 is also very good. I have found stuff in the Ozark, Nixa and Battlefield areas. And anywhere in between. In all these area you will probably see saw marks. This is usually an indication of a good hunting area but it also will mean that someone has been there. Look for construction sites or new road construction. There are quarries in the area but good luck getting in. You should come home with blastoids, some crinoid calyxes, brachs and other stuff. Crinoids crowns are rare but possible. You will probably need a saw to get them out. Do not attempt to chisel out a crinoid crown. You will probably break it. Note the area and come back with a saw. If you go to my web site, you will find a section of Burlington Limestone crinoids. 8 out of the 12 crinoids there are from the Springfield area. And if you go to the "Echinoderm" section and look at the Pentremites right next to Dexter, you will see an example of a blastoid from the Burlington, Arkansas area. The area around Sprinfield is one of my favorite collecting areas. If you have two days head there. Drive at night and save every of bit daylight for the roadcuts. crinus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron E. Posted July 20, 2009 Author Share Posted July 20, 2009 If I were you, I would start in Burlington, Arkansas (not the city for which the Burlington Limestone is named, that would be Burlington, Iowa) and head north on US 65. There will be many roadcuts all along the hwy going to Sprinfield MO. Most will have fossils. Crinoids and blastoids plus all sorts of other stuff. The closer you get to Springfield the better. Once you are in the Springfield area drive down any road (west or north) and you will The area around Sprinfield is one of my favorite collecting areas. If you have two days head there. Drive at night and save every of bit daylight for the roadcuts.crinus Now THAT's what I'm talkin' about!!! Crinus, I shall follow your sage advice, and will report later on the results Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crinus Posted July 20, 2009 Share Posted July 20, 2009 Now THAT's what I'm talkin' about!!!Crinus, I shall follow your sage advice, and will report later on the results Also, keep an eye out for Evactinopora in the road cuts around Burlington. Last time I was there, a friend of mine found one about 4 inches across. It was very nice. Don't know what an Evactinopora is? It is a star shaped bryozoan. A lot of people think they have a starfish. There is one pictured on my web page under "other fossils". The one in the picture is only about a inch, and that is typical. Also, shocked by the amount of information I gave you? Well I don't believe in taking all the knowledge I have to the great collectng spot out there. I believe in passing it on to the next generation. I am not about to kick the bucket but I can clearly see 60 and after that anything can happen. I hope to collect for at least 20 more years but I will also pass on what I have learned now. Enjoy Springfield. I hope to make it out there this fall, my usual time for collecting down south. crinus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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