Grandmabarbie Posted August 23, 2017 Share Posted August 23, 2017 Where are the best fossil hunting grounds in southern Illinois, preferably with fossils from non-sea creatures? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted August 23, 2017 Share Posted August 23, 2017 Welcome to the Forum. As far as proven hunting grounds, you should really look into joining a local Rock/fossil/mineral club. Southern Illinois is comprised of older aged bedrock, and that means mostly sea creatures and plants are what will be found as fossils. What types of fossils were you interested in? Although fossil hunters as a group are generally pretty cool/laid back people, we can be a bit tight lipped about sharing our favorite spots. You may be forced to do your own research to come up with productive fossil spots. Here is a good link to start your research at. The information is very old, (like, ... 1890's old!) and most likely no longer accurate. Time and progress have done their work and sites may no longer be accessible. Good luck, and welcome again. Kind regards, Tim - VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER 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 More sharing options...
gavialboy Posted August 23, 2017 Share Posted August 23, 2017 hi and welcome to the fossil forum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miocene_Mason Posted August 23, 2017 Share Posted August 23, 2017 I extend my welcome as well, from Central Maryland! Mazon creek and the surrounding area can have plants which are from land (but mostly marine Fauna.). “...whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been and are being evolved.” ~ Charles Darwin Happy hunting, Mason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashcraft Posted August 23, 2017 Share Posted August 23, 2017 Non-sea creatures in Southern Illinois are pretty sparse. Coal beds have some. There is a Cretaceous deposit near Thebes that has petrified wood. Occasional ice age material found in the rivers. There is a thread in the state section under "Illinois" where we discussed a number of paleozoic sites with various access. I don't remember the name of the thread but shouldn't be too hard to track down. Brent Ashcraft ashcraft, brent allen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashcraft Posted August 23, 2017 Share Posted August 23, 2017 Here is a link to the specific thread. http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/forum/103-illinois/ Brent Ashcraft ashcraft, brent allen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandmabarbie Posted August 24, 2017 Author Share Posted August 24, 2017 Thanks so much for the warm welcome, all. I am not quite sure how to answer each person individually so I will just do a general response. The links from fossildude 19 are great, especially the catalogues by city and county in Illinois, the one that is really old. I can find some of those spots I am sure. I want to find close and easy spots to take my grandson. He really loves to look for fossils with my husband and I, we go every year to Lake Michigan and come home with bags of crinoids and corals, therefore looking for something different. Have seen ferns form So. IL and blastoids from nearby; the Smithsonian features blastoids from Millstadt and Chester, both very close to us. I have read your site for years, but never joined. I started finding fossils about 55 years ago, in the gravel in our clubhouse driveway and was lucky enough to help excavate "Woody", the T-rex's jawbone now on display at the St. Louis Science Center about 7 years ago...actually uncovered one of his teeth in the process. Have found pieces of triceratops frills, turtle shells, a few claws and lots of bone fragments from unidentified dinosaurs from our Montana hunt with the SLSC, but would love to help my grandson find more locally. We can find bivalves in the strip mines near here but again, looking for things other than sea life. Mazon Creek would be an overnight stay for us, and we have been trying to plan that, it sounds great, but has not happened yet. Thank you also for the Illinois forum link, I actually did start there and may go down near Carbondale to look, have a good friend with property down there. Got to get to bed, have a big day at work tomorrow morning. Thanks again for the kind welcome from all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max-fossils Posted August 28, 2017 Share Posted August 28, 2017 On 8/24/2017 at 1:01 AM, Grandmabarbie said: Thanks so much for the warm welcome, all. I am not quite sure how to answer each person individually so I will just do a general response. The links from fossildude 19 are great, especially the catalogues by city and county in Illinois, the one that is really old. I can find some of those spots I am sure. I want to find close and easy spots to take my grandson. He really loves to look for fossils with my husband and I, we go every year to Lake Michigan and come home with bags of crinoids and corals, therefore looking for something different. Have seen ferns form So. IL and blastoids from nearby; the Smithsonian features blastoids from Millstadt and Chester, both very close to us. I have read your site for years, but never joined. I started finding fossils about 55 years ago, in the gravel in our clubhouse driveway and was lucky enough to help excavate "Woody", the T-rex's jawbone now on display at the St. Louis Science Center about 7 years ago...actually uncovered one of his teeth in the process. Have found pieces of triceratops frills, turtle shells, a few claws and lots of bone fragments from unidentified dinosaurs from our Montana hunt with the SLSC, but would love to help my grandson find more locally. We can find bivalves in the strip mines near here but again, looking for things other than sea life. Mazon Creek would be an overnight stay for us, and we have been trying to plan that, it sounds great, but has not happened yet. Thank you also for the Illinois forum link, I actually did start there and may go down near Carbondale to look, have a good friend with property down there. Got to get to bed, have a big day at work tomorrow morning. Thanks again for the kind welcome from all. What an awesome experience! Here are three fossil locations in Illinois which might be worth taking a look at: Belvidere: https://english.fossiel.net/sites/fossil_site.php?plaats=522 Durand: https://english.fossiel.net/sites/fossil_site.php?plaats=520 Manteno: https://english.fossiel.net/sites/fossil_site.php?plaats=519 Unfortunately those all have sea fossils (mostly because at the time most life was marine, and not much on land was there yet). But that doesn't make them less interesting. Here's a personal anecdote: at first, I knew nothing and did not like much fossil seashells. But as the closest fossil hunting location for me (the Zandmotor) is filled with fossil seashells, I quickly got hooked. And now they're my favorite group of fossils! It's funny how the more you know/experience something, the more it becomes fascinating to you. Therefore I'm sure that you and your grandson, if you hunt at one of these locations above, will soon become addicted to trilobites etc. Follow my advice, and give those locations a try I'm sure you'll have a lot of fun! Best regards, Max Max Derème "I feel an echo of the lightning each time I find a fossil. [...] That is why I am a hunter: to feel that bolt of lightning every day." - Mary Anning >< Remarkable Creatures, Tracy Chevalier Instagram: @world_of_fossils Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandmabarbie Posted August 29, 2017 Author Share Posted August 29, 2017 Thanks Max! I hope we can find time to get down there soon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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