Fossil sites near Destin Florida

[Boneheadz]

Looking for sharks teeth, shells, anything fossilized, staying for the week in the Destin area and wouldn't mind taking home some treasures. Thanks.

[ynot]

When?

 

I can not help, but am sure the Florida Guys will want to know.

 

Good luck.

[Boneheadz]

Arrived yesterday and will be here all week.

[ynot]

@digit, @Sacha, @jcbshark, @Peace river rat

 

Maybe someone can point You in the right direction.

[Peace river rat]

Destin is pretty far north, if you make it as far south as Arcadia, I could show you some spots in the peace, cant promise gold, but sometimes cool things turn up!

[jcbshark]

That's 500 miles north of me, never hunted there myself.

[digit]

That's pretty much at the other end of the state from where us South Florida guys (and gals) hunt. I've heard that fossils can be found in the Wacissa and Aucilla Rivers which are in the Panhandle but closer to Tallahassee. This is an old site but might provide some potential clues:

 

http://www.treasuresites.com/nfl.htm

 

You might also enjoy visiting Florida Caverns State Park as a related geological site. As I remember there is a fossilized shark tooth embedded in the ceiling of the cavern (obviously no collecting).

 

https://www.floridastateparks.org/park/Florida-Caverns

 

When we visited the Panhandle many years ago we did not have fossil hunting on our minds. It was also the last week of December and quite chilly (for a resident of the other end of the state) and slopping around in a river was not on the agenda. We were mostly being tourists and enjoying the vast sugar sand beaches of the Panhandle, seeing the above cavern, and photographing carnivourous pitcher plants that are more commonly found in that area.

 

http://floridahikes.com/pitcher-plants

 

If you get down to this end of the state during the dry season (non-hurricane season) check in with TFF as there are several members here who could help satisfy the itch for fossil hunting.

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

 

 

[minnbuckeye]

There are many fossil clubs in Florida. See if any has a field trip during your stay that is within your driving distance

 

Mike

[Boneheadz]

Thanks everyone for the response and ideas. Wish I could make it down to the Peace or Arcadia, have hunted there before and had good luck. Bit to far for this trip. Tallahassee would be doable though, also like the caverns idea. I'll see what I can come up with.

[Cris]

You may want to look into the Chipola River/Ten Mile Creek where it exposes the Chipola formation since you specifically mentioned shells.

[calhounensis]

The productive localities on Ten Mile Creek are all on private land last I had checked. The landowner has not allowed any collecting and has been known to fire warning shots at trespassers. The creek is considered non navigable. Therefore he owns the waterway where the exposures are.

 

Chipola River is a possibility but you need a boat and knowledge of where the localities are on the river.

 

Farley Creek also has exposures of the Chipola Fm. but I believe that is all on private property as well.

 

Alum Bluff has exposures of the Chipola Fm. and Jackson Bluff Fm. I have heard you can ask for permission to access by land from the Nature Conservancy. The only other way to access it is by the Apalachicola River by boat.

[SailingAlongToo]

@MikeR might be able to help you out with some possible hunting locations.

[TNCollector]

Honestly there are not really any fossils sites in Destin. The beach is formed from deltaic outflow of the Mississippi, so any deposits of the right age are buried. The closest I can think of is probably Point A Dam in Alabama. I have never been there, and don't know anything about it, but others on this forum have.

[gordywilliams]

There were some sites in the panhandle that were productive at one time but I tried the publicly accessible ones with no luck. There are some shell sites south of I 10, you'll need to look up alaqua creek shell beds.