New Jersey visit planning

[RFausta]

I am planning my second trip to New Jersey in a couple of weeks. I want to return to Big Brook and/or hit up Ramanessin. Last time I went I had a spectacular time at Big Brook, and one of my fossils is still pending identification with the NJ museum  Last time I parked at the Boundary Road lot and walked south to the riverbed, figuring less people probably went that way. Are there better sections to explore or better/different access points? Also pondering Ramanessin just for variety/the heck of it. Shown is the rough map of where I wandered last time. 

[butchndad]

i like entering via Boundary Road - the road less traveled

BUT there is/was a sign on the bridge saying no collecting to the left of your map ie further away from Hillsdale

others on the Forum have said that some of the bordering homeowners can get a bit testy too

also parking on Boundary is supposedly not allowed although i see no sign to that effect

[Jeffrey P]

I haven't been in that area that you're showing and none of my friends have mentioned it. I'm guessing it's off limits for collecting. 

[erose]

It has been a good fifteen years since I collected the brooks but even back then everyone had their favorite entrance and stretch to collect.  At first I only went in at Boundary Road. Then when the preserve put in parking at Hillsdale Rd I found that way more convenient.  During the 10-12 years I did collect BB and the Ram I found good fossils almost everywhere.  It honestly just depends on the currents, the amount of folks before you and luck.  Some days I found amazing stuff within yards of the bridges and on others I had to slog way up or down stream to find a productive local.  For example I found this big vert way downstream of Hillsdale Road where I was told it would be slim pickins. In fact it was just sitting in shallow water and on first view I thought I was getting a rusty can out of the stream.  I don't have good pictures but in the other direction way up stream of Boundary I once filled a frisbee with teeth from a single gravel bar maybe 10 feet long by 5 feet wide and it included some pristine sawfish rostrals.  But if you want to be certain of fossils stay between Boundary and Hillsdale or don't go more than a 1/4 to 1/2 mile either up or downstream of either.

 

Good luck, have fun, stay safe.

 

Erich