Trilobite Sites Near Western Maryland

[crimsonfossils]

Hello all!

 

I'm looking to do some more fossil hunting this summer and I would love to find a good spot for trilobites. I am in western Maryland, and am willing to travel up to 2 hours. Most of the sites I've searched so far have been largely dominated by brachiopods and crinoids (which are still cool), but I really would love to find other species. If anyone has a good site which has trilobites (or anything else super cool) please let me know!! Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated! 

 

PS: I understand wanting to keep your spot secret, so if you don't want to post in this thread, don't hesitate to PM me!

Edited May 31, 2022 by crimsonfossils

[bockryan]

8 minutes ago, crimsonfossils said:

Hello all!

 

I'm looking to do some more fossil hunting this summer and I would love to find a good spot for trilobites. I am in western Maryland, and am willing to travel up to 2 hours. Most of the sites I've searched so far have been largely dominated by brachiopods and crinoids (which are still cool), but I really would love to find other species. If anyone has a good site which has trilobites (or anything else super cool) please let me know!! Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated! 

 

PS: I understand wanting to keep your spot secret, so if you don't want to post in this thread, don't hesitate to PM me!

 

You should definitely check out "Fossil Collecting in the Mid-Atlantic States" by Jasper Burns, it looks like there are used copies on Amazon for relatively cheap at the moment. The sites he lists in Gore, VA and the Lost River sites in WV have both been very fruitful for me in terms of trilobites. They're not everywhere, but a couple hours of good searching usually produces at least a couple, usually Rana but occasionally other species as well. 

[crimsonfossils]

15 minutes ago, bockryan said:

You should definitely check out "Fossil Collecting in the Mid-Atlantic States" by Jasper Burns, it looks like there are used copies on Amazon for relatively cheap at the moment. The sites he lists in Gore, VA and the Lost River sites in WV have both been very fruitful for me in terms of trilobites. They're not everywhere, but a couple hours of good searching usually produces at least a couple, usually Rana but occasionally other species as well. 

 

Thanks for the response! I do actually have that book, but unfortunately it's a little outdated and a lot of the localities have been shut down. However, the ones that I've visited have never failed to turn up some cool stuff!

[bockryan]

Just now, crimsonfossils said:

 

Thanks for the response! I do actually have that book, but unfortunately it's a little outdated and a lot of the localities have been shut down. However, the ones that I've visited have never failed to turn up some cool stuff!

 

Ah good, yes I've ran into that too though with some of the sites. I've been to Gore very recently and that'd be my go-to if I absolutely needed to find a trilobite, I've had the most luck amongst the rocks that host the small yellow brachiopod impressions that are fairly common a bit past the church across the road

[crimsonfossils]

13 minutes ago, bockryan said:

Ah good, yes I've ran into that too though with some of the sites. I've been to Gore very recently and that'd be my go-to if I absolutely needed to find a trilobite, I've had the most luck amongst the rocks that host the small yellow brachiopod impressions that are fairly common a bit past the church across the road

 

Awesome, I'll check out that one next! And if you're ever looking for a bunch of brachiopods, be sure to check out Locality 29 - it's absolutely loaded with them.

[EMP]

The two best sites have been covered up by MDOT, unfortunately. There are other sites in PA, WV, and VA, however, not too far from western MD. I spent over a decade collecting in that region so if you want some tips shoot me a PM.

[Kane]

This is where doing a deep dive into stratigraphy can really pay off. If you know the formations, and can follow them using the maps to whatever roadcuts or even quarry spoil dumps are out there, you optimize your chances. Sadly, many sites that have been published generally have been picked clean. The older the source, the more likely it has been mostly collected or turned into private property. 

 

Maps are your friend. Prospecting may only yield a gainful site 1 out of 10 or even 100 tries. It could be just a few feet of exposed strata that can be exhausted in an afternoon. Sometimes new construction in an area can yield a surprise! If you're up for the adventure, prospecting something off the beaten path (or not published) can be a true bonanza. I've done so, and have been rewarded after a lot of effort.

[EMP]

52 minutes ago, bockryan said:

 

You should definitely check out "Fossil Collecting in the Mid-Atlantic States" by Jasper Burns, it looks like there are used copies on Amazon for relatively cheap at the moment. The sites he lists in Gore, VA and the Lost River sites in WV have both been very fruitful for me in terms of trilobites. They're not everywhere, but a couple hours of good searching usually produces at least a couple, usually Rana but occasionally other species as well. 

 

All of the western MD sites he listed are along the modern I-68 and aren't accessible legally, I believe. Even then the McKenzie and Foreknobs Formations are pretty poor for trilobites. I only ever found one partial phacopid thorax in the Foreknobs (in the book he might call it the Chemung Formation, but the name got changed back in the late 80s/90s/00s to Foreknobs).

Edited May 31, 2022 by EMP