Guided Fossil Hunts

[Johntwatts5280]

Hello Everyone,

    My name is John. I live in Colorado and I have 8 year old triplet boys and they are crazy for fossil hunting. I have taken them to Kemmerer for fish fossils, Nebraska for mammal fossils and here in Colorado in Florissant for leafs and bugs and Kremling for Amonites and Baculites. We are now in search of our next location for fossil hunts. I don't mind pays me someone as a guide as it will help ensure that my boys find what they're looking for. Does anyone have any suggestions as to where we could go for our next adventure? Even if it's Nebraska as we enjoyed those trips. Thanks in advance.  

[Jeffrey P]

Hi John. Welcome to the Fossil Forum from the Hudson Valley, NY. I am a former Denverite (over thirty years ago). Nice to hear you are exposing your boys to this great hobby and sounds like you've been to some great places already. I've heard there is a paleontological society in Denver that runs outings and would likely be a source of information about other sites you could visit. I've heard that Douglas Pass- Western Slope area is another great site for insects and plants. Reports from there have been posted on the Forum. Congratulations and good luck.

[Bev]

Hi John,

There are lots of wonderful people on TFF who may help you and the boys find fossils in many different locations.

That said, if you are ever traveling through southeastern Minnesota on I-90 I live just 15 miles south of it in the most fossiliferous county in Minnesota. We hunt Ordovician fossils. I have a website and a fossil blog and do fossil hunting tours, sell fossil hunting maps where you can go out on your own to proven fossil hunting sites, and now a little Airbnb named Whispering Winds.

Also, every year in the first week of April MAPS holds the largest fossil only show in the world down in SE Iowa and it always has many activities for kids.

If you do come out this way, I suggest watching the 26 minute documentary "Mysteries of the Driftless". You can find it on my blog under the post: Bluff Country an Outdoor Paradise with Lots of Links or just search the video category. Most of the documentary was filmed within 75 miles of here! We have a great little fossil park just 4 miles from here that not only has wonderful cliff, a creek (great trout fishing) that gives up mammoth teeth and Native American artifacts, but also has a cave, abandoned quarry and two great dry washes, one of which leads to a creek that disappears 6 miles away and then reappears at the base of the bluff sometimes carrying out Silurian fossils.

And we have Quarry Hill Nature Center in Rochester which has a replica of Stan the T-Rexs head and of course both Mystery Cave and Niagara Cave.

Fossil hunting presents such great adventures for children! I take the grandkids out hunting whenever they are around.

Bev :-)

 

 

[Sharks of SC]

7 hours ago, Johntwatts5280 said:

Hello Everyone,

    My name is John. I live in Colorado and I have 8 year old triplet boys and they are crazy for fossil hunting. I have taken them to Kemmerer for fish fossils, Nebraska for mammal fossils and here in Colorado in Florissant for leafs and bugs and Kremling for Amonites and Baculites. We are now in search of our next location for fossil hunts. I don't mind pays me someone as a guide as it will help ensure that my boys find what they're looking for. Does anyone have any suggestions as to where we could go for our next adventure? Even if it's Nebraska as we enjoyed those trips. Thanks in advance.  

Hey John, 

I work for a company here in Charleston SC that offers guided fossil hunts for vertebrate material - both marine and terrestrial. The site we hunt is an uninhabited barrier island, so it makes for a great adventure. I know it would be a bit of a haul for you and your boys for a fossil trip, but if you guys find yourself on the east coast anytime soon, give us a holler at Charleston Outdoor Adventures.

Take care,

SOSC

[RJB]

Ive been told many times that Me and my twin brother were little terrors when we were young.  But triplets!!!  Yikes!!!  

 

  What about U-Dig for trilobites in Utah?

 

RB

[Johntwatts5280]

Thank you all for your quick reply. I plan to do a Utah U-Dig trip soon. And I would love to plan a larger Florida and SC trip as I hear you can find many great fossils in both locations. That will take more planning than I probably can do this summer, maybe that's our 2018 trip. Minnesota is a trip I could do sooner. And the western slope, I could do in the very near future. You will all be going in my resource book and when I set my trips you'll know. Thank you all for helping me provide an adventure for myself and my boys. Graciously, John 

Edited June 15, 2017 by Johntwatts5280

[smt126]

I'm currently on a trip in Montana and just spent a few days doing the Baisch dinosaur digs. Just google them or find them on face book. It's 100 bucks a day and kids under 12 are free. My now 7 year old daughter has had a great time. 

Also @Bev is awesome too if you go to Minnesota. I wish I had time to swing by again on our way home but time isn't permitting

[foresterab]

Went to Stonerose Interpretive Center in Republic, Washington state last summer...they have a small quarry literally just up the street from the shop where you can go looking for your own fossils.   Plants and the odd insect to be found and saw a few families there.

 

Cheers,

foresterab

[CBOB]

7 hours ago, smt126 said:

I'm currently on a trip in Montana and just spent a few days doing the Baisch dinosaur digs. Just google them or find them on face book. It's 100 bucks a day and kids under 12 are free. My now 7 year old daughter has had a great time. 

Also @Bev is awesome too if you go to Minnesota. I wish I had time to swing by again on our way home but time isn't permitting

Pics! Pics!

[ynot]

If You like to travel, You should do the Ernst quarries near sharktooth hill in bakersfield California. Miocene shark and marine vertebrate fossils.

Then there is always the Virgin Valley in northern Nevada. If You go to "Rainbow ridge mine" They sell skip loader buckets of unpicked matrix that can be quite rich in material. (can also be void of material)

 

Good luck!!

[smt126]

9 hours ago, CBOB said:

Pics! Pics!

It's going to take a few. I promise I will get back to you on it. Most was micro material but we did find one nice chunk of bone. i would definitely recommend a day or 2

[FossilDudeCO]

Hey @Johntwatts5280 I am in Denver as well. Welcome to the forum.

 

As mentioned WIPS (Western Interior Paleontological Society) Would be a good place for your boys.

They offer a kids club that meets once a month, heading into the summer they do LOTS of trips.

 

Shoot me a PM if you are interested in more details. I have taught a few of their classes!