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Hi, I'm looking for advice as a fist time collector. I was thinking of taking a trip to Hell Creek Montana to look for T -rex teeth. I know it's a long shot in regards to finding one but it sounds like fun in my head anyways. I was wondering if anyway could give me advice (links etc) where I can pay to collect or look on public lands (if possible). I'm want to do this for fun but would like to get my hands dirty, no pun intended :-). I realize law enforcment take this stuff seriously so I don't want to get into trouble!

Dear FFers: I’ll be in Bakersfield for the week before Christmas, spending some time looking for shark teeth on the hill and doing some research and reporting for Fossil News magazine. I was wondering whether anyone would be willing to share me any information about publicly accessible invert sites within an hour or so of there. I have a vague memory of reading that there were some road cuts with freshwater and marine mollusks, but I’ve no specific information. I was also wondering whether it was still possible to get permission from Chevron to visit the Kettleman Hills site. Does anyone know? I’d be up for a collecting buddy, too, if anyone’s available during that busy week! Wendell

Don’t worry, fossil collecting sites are all around, and may be easier to find than you might think! Here in my area of Kentucky, we have landscape rock that is sold as “local river rock” at about every garden/landscape center. This “local river rock” contains a lot of fossils. From brachiopods, to horns (corals), and bryozoans, etc. It is also very inexpensive. Many people in my area also use crushed limestone as a covering for driveways and parking areas. I have found many a trilobite in someone’s driveway. Finding fossils this way isn’t the most glamorous or scientific, but for someone new, or someone who is thinking about starting to collect, it may just be the spark that gets them into it. Finding a few fossils this way is what brought me back to the hobby. It’s a lot easier to ask a friend/family member to give up a rock out of their driveway or landscaping than to ask a complete stranger to go dig around on their property. What are some of the other newbie friendly “sites” are that you have come across? P.S. I’ll try and post a few pictures of some of my finds when I get a chance later tonight.

Hi - first post on forum. I'll be travelling to South Dakota (Badlands & Black Hills) from Kansa City during the first 2 weeks of September. If anyone would have tips on collecting ammonites in the area, I'd appreciate the help. I've collected ammonites in Texas but never found a location in South Dakota. Thanks in advance - Tom

My son (12) and I are going back to my home state of Wisconsin for a trip this week. Can anyone point us to a few spots that do not need permission to collect, or provide the names/numbers/places of the good places? We will be in the Madison area for several days, and then north to near Phillips (side trips okay). Nik wants to be a paleotologist and the fossils here in California are few and far between relative to WI. Your help would be greatly appreciated. I want to continue his interest in fossils, but it is hard to peak their interest if you can't find anything!

Hello Fossil Forum! I just moved to western TN north of Memphis. I want to get into collecting the Coon Creek formation as well as some of the Paleozoic deposits in the area. I am completely ignorant of the laws surrounding fossil collecting in TN, and a google search hasn't gotten me anywhere. What are the laws about state land? Thank you, Jarm

The wife and I are planning our trip back out west to collect for our personal collections and for two museums. We have decided to delay our trip till late August or early September due to early spring commitments. So we will be heading straight to Wyoming(Kemmerer) then to Yellowstone down to Utah where we will base in Delta and explore Millard County. My question is does anyone know which agency in Wyoming I would have to contact for a permit to collect some of the rare specimens for the museums? The second question we will be spending at least 2 weeks in Delta and would love to meet and collect with any FF members in the area. Know this is way early but we like to plan ahead.

Hi There! I'm going to be travelling down good 'ol Route 66 from Illinois to Arizona, and looking for some good fossil collecting localities (i.e., roadcuts, etc), near the Mother Road. I am especially interested in Missouri, Oklahoma, anything in the Amarillo area, and New Mexico. We're going to be staying at grandma's house in Gold Canyon, Arizona - and since grandma sleeps a lot I figure I'll have some time to sneak out and explore that area too! Suggestions? Any help would be appreciated immensely. Thank you, and have an aweosme day! -Roadcut Hannah, her fossil-collecting family, and friends (Paleo Heather, Brachio Barbara, and DinoGabe).