Jump to content

Red Hill Fossil Hunting


HynerpetonHunter

Recommended Posts

On August 15 I went to Red Hill near North Bend, PA, with my parents, grandparents, and  aunt along with my friend.

The weather was not much better than now. It was searing hot. Our first stop was the North Bend Municipal Building, which housed the Red Hill Fossil Display. We met the discoverer of one of the earliest amphibians ever, Densignathus, named Douglas Rowe.

 

He led us back to Red Hill, and we started to fossil hunt. I was determined to carry on the hunt for a good transitional fossil, like  Hynerpeton. I immediately found a nice-sized Hyneria scale. After hunting for a good while, I had found lots of Hyneria material, as well as Turrisaspis, Ageleodus, Gyracanthus, Limnomis, and Megalichthys. But I knew that I could possibly never find a Hynerpeton in my entire life. But I kept going.

 

Finally, ten minutes before we left, I found something interesting. I was right below the place where Daeschler discovered Hynerpeton back in ‘93, and was feeling the effects of heat exhaustion. I was ready to give up when I saw a rectangular, centimeter-long chunk of bone. I was intrigued, but I had no time for hand ID. I needed water ASAP.

 

But the next day, I was observing a document of the fin model of Eusthenopteron. I noticed something small next to the fin support. It was rectangular, almost identical to my bone. It was a scute. To be sure that I had a scute of an amphibian like the one on the Eusthenopteron diagram, I looked to Ichthyostega. Sure enough, Ichthyostega’s scute was almost a carbon copy of mine. I had a Hynerpeton or Densignathus scute.

 

Images of my fossils will be coming soon!

 

27ED4647-C9F4-4503-88A3-B273CFA1B029.jpeg

7F848F78-5BFF-4FAE-881D-2650CB37E6E7.jpeg

7ABED8C3-68BD-42EC-9D1B-3A0AAD712F35.jpeg

167C86FA-541A-4CA2-AD2F-0C85A509C119.jpeg

F002FBF8-2137-4C45-B365-EEB71287DA9D.jpeg

DE3404B0-ECDB-49ED-BE61-780C983D5004.jpeg

  • I found this Informative 3
  • Enjoyed 8
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Neat report and finds! :)

Thanks for posting these. 

    Tim    -  VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER

   MOTM.png.61350469b02f439fd4d5d77c2c69da85.png      PaleoPartner.png.30c01982e09b0cc0b7d9d6a7a21f56c6.png.a600039856933851eeea617ca3f2d15f.png     Postmaster1.jpg.900efa599049929531fa81981f028e24.jpg    VFOTM.png.f1b09c78bf88298b009b0da14ef44cf0.png  VFOTM  --- APRIL - 2015  

__________________________________________________
"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks."

John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~   ><))))( *>  About Me      

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awesome finds! It is good to hear that people are back to collecting at Red Hill. It was long feared that the site was lost to public collecting by government authority.

Follow me on Instagram (@fossil_mike) to check out my personal collection of fossils collected and acquired over more than 15 years of fossil hunting!

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 hours ago, historianmichael said:

Awesome finds! It is good to hear that people are back to collecting at Red Hill. It was long feared that the site was lost to public collecting by government authority.

Thanks! Yeah, its a relief that you can still collect there, even though vertebrate sites are few in PA.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That trip was one of the most successful fossil hunting days of my entire life. Anyone know where that one site on Highway 15 in Lycoming County is? I would like some Holoptychius or Bothriolepis.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, HynerpetonHunter said:

That trip was one of the most successful fossil hunting days of my entire life. Anyone know where that one site on Highway 15 in Lycoming County is? I would like some Holoptychius or Bothriolepis.

There isn't one site along Rt 15, there are many, if you do some research you can easily find information about them

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, HynerpetonHunter said:

That trip was one of the most successful fossil hunting days of my entire life. Anyone know where that one site on Highway 15 in Lycoming County is? I would like some Holoptychius or Bothriolepis.

Be very careful. Route 15 has a lot of trucks driving over 70 mph and the road itself is posted with signs saying no stopping except for emergencies. It is not a stretch of road for young collectors.

  • I found this Informative 1

Follow me on Instagram (@fossil_mike) to check out my personal collection of fossils collected and acquired over more than 15 years of fossil hunting!

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 hours ago, historianmichael said:

Be very careful. Route 15 has a lot of trucks driving over 70 mph and the road itself is posted with signs saying no stopping except for emergencies. It is not a stretch of road for young collectors.

Would that not make it illegal to collect there?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, connorp said:

Would that not make it illegal to collect there?

 

There are a number of places where you can pull off the highway far enough for it to not be an issue, and a few areas where you can park near the on/off ramps.

If the police have an issue, they haven't stated so, in the past, after stopping. (1st hand anecdotal evidence) so long as you are far enough off of the road. 

I personally have only collected near the on/off ramps on 15.

  • I found this Informative 1
  • I Agree 1

    Tim    -  VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER

   MOTM.png.61350469b02f439fd4d5d77c2c69da85.png      PaleoPartner.png.30c01982e09b0cc0b7d9d6a7a21f56c6.png.a600039856933851eeea617ca3f2d15f.png     Postmaster1.jpg.900efa599049929531fa81981f028e24.jpg    VFOTM.png.f1b09c78bf88298b009b0da14ef44cf0.png  VFOTM  --- APRIL - 2015  

__________________________________________________
"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks."

John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~   ><))))( *>  About Me      

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 11/6/2021 at 8:04 PM, historianmichael said:

Awesome finds! It is good to hear that people are back to collecting at Red Hill. It was long feared that the site was lost to public collecting by government authority.

 

It is now under the Dept. of Transportation or Highway Dept. purview.  @Paul1719 knows the story there.

They do not allow collecting with any power tools, but you can use rock hammers and chisels - no issues.

  • I found this Informative 1

    Tim    -  VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER

   MOTM.png.61350469b02f439fd4d5d77c2c69da85.png      PaleoPartner.png.30c01982e09b0cc0b7d9d6a7a21f56c6.png.a600039856933851eeea617ca3f2d15f.png     Postmaster1.jpg.900efa599049929531fa81981f028e24.jpg    VFOTM.png.f1b09c78bf88298b009b0da14ef44cf0.png  VFOTM  --- APRIL - 2015  

__________________________________________________
"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks."

John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~   ><))))( *>  About Me      

Link to comment
Share on other sites

43 minutes ago, connorp said:

Be very careful. Route 15 has a lot of trucks driving over 70 mph and the road itself is posted with signs saying no stopping except for emergencies. It is not a stretch of road for young collectors.

I looked at where they found Sauripterus at Powys Curve and it seemed pretty safe, and without no parking signs, though the image on google maps was from 2018.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've had PA state police bother me for stopping alongside highways with this sort of marking. Nothing beyond a "please get moving, thanks" but they do take that seriously if they drive by.

  • I found this Informative 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't see how you would get sufficiently off the hwy with the guard rails there.  Personally I would be uncomfortable with less than a full car width between me and the road.  Sometimes people who are tired (or impaired) will just "follow" the car ahead assuming they are on the road, so if you are too close to the road they might just run right into your car. 

 

Don

  • I Agree 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

55 minutes ago, HynerpetonHunter said:

image.thumb.png.f3d0766a10dec05943b45b981521b661.png

 

 

There are typically spaces to pull off the berm onto grass on one or both ends of the roadcut, like here:

 

image.thumb.png.0a29e513477cfea0ada3a8708d6a140f.png

 

But my previous comment about PA State Police still stands.

  • I Agree 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I too have checked out several spots on Route 15 where fossils have been reported. I never stopped for more than a few minutes and even then I never felt incredibly comfortable stopping. The signs apply to the entire length of Route 15 and not just isolated spots. As Tim said, though, you might be ok stopping on an on/off ramp. Another word of caution: just because something has been reported at a certain spot does not mean you will find it there. A number of incredible finds are included in the papers on Route 15, but most were discovered during construction on the road. I have only ever found a few isolated scales and teeth. Other people have had more luck, but that is just my experience. Things to consider since you seem like a young collector who likes to collect with his friends and family. There are plenty of other more family friendly fossil sites in PA.

Edited by historianmichael
  • I found this Informative 1

Follow me on Instagram (@fossil_mike) to check out my personal collection of fossils collected and acquired over more than 15 years of fossil hunting!

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've long wanted to go to Red Hill. It's a few hours drive from me.

 

As far as U.S. 15 is concerned, it probably just depends on the mood of the officer who stops. I believe they are mostly concerned with public safety, including yours. If you are too close to the road, then perhaps it's time to move on.

 

One of the places I collect is a similar limited access highway. I've seen reports of people collecting along the highway, however it's a bit too busy and fast for myself. Another great place to find Ames Limestone is situated along a stretch of PA 28, another limited access highway. Unfortunately stopping along there is a nightmare. Cars fly by 20 mph over the posted 55 mph speed limit, and it can feel impossible even to get back onto the road. If I ever attempt it, it will be at 7AM on a Sunday or something, or perhaps during a football game.

 

Back to my favorite collecting site, I collect at an on-ramp and an off-ramp that are somewhat joined. They dug these down several hundred feet, creating them basically inside the hills the highway was caved into. This exposed a few prominent limestone exposures. I once had a state police officer stop. He asked me if I was "looking for fossils". I said yes, he said "have a nice day" and left. So far, so good. The real pain for me would be to encounter an officer that told me to leave. I would fear that returning to the spot and having that officer find me again would cause some trouble.

 

Great story about Red Hill. My biggest worry is that when I finally do go, I probably won't know the names of anything I'm looking at. :headscratch:

 

 

Edited by cngodles
  • Enjoyed 1

Fossils of Parks Township - ResearchCatalog | How-to Make High-Contrast Photos

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Your photos of Red Hill make me nostalgic for the place. I haven't been there since 2014 or 15. I miss collecting the Devonian fish fossils which are normally so hard to find. 

  • Enjoyed 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 11/8/2021 at 2:02 PM, historianmichael said:

Things to consider since you seem like a young collector who likes to collect with his friends and family. There are plenty of other more family friendly fossil sites in PA.

I have been to every "family friendly" site in PA - Montour Preserve, Swatara State Park (which is both Devonian and Ordovician, contrary to most popular belief) Seven Stars - tell me if there are more that I haven't heard of. But I will go to any site I can, as long as there are multiple fossils guaranteed by the discoverer. I just want to be able to try some new places. Though I will heed your warning, and be cautious of laws (and cars) at roadcuts and whatnot. Thank you for your comment.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

You're going to run out of spots real quick in any state if you want to go only to those where multiple fossils are "guaranteed."  I've been lucky to collect at several sites in California, a couple in Oregon, a few in Wyoming, Nebraska, Montana, and Florida.  I've found absolutely nothing several times.  It makes you appreciate the productive sites even more.  Also, sometimes, you find something interesting at one of those less-productive sites.  If you do get skunked, you can always say, "At least I tried it."

  • I Agree 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...