Best Locations?

[ParchedChair]

So... Okay, I just started getting into hunting for fossils. I've always loved fossils and gems and the lot. I went gem mining for the first time when I was about 10 or 11 in McKinley, VA, and since then - I've loved it! My family went on a trip to Cherokee and the Smoky Mtns when I was younger, and we found all kinds of unearthed fossilized things and gem mines. Saturday, we went to Westmoreland State Park up in Montross for the first time, and even though it was chilly and rainy, we found five or six decent shark teeth. I've done a little research, but I'd prefer what other people - and not articles - have to say. Where's the best places to find fossils in VA? 

[Calvin Jenkins]

wow, really vague topic!  I would suggest narrowing it down to Virginia or Eastern Seaboard in terms of location or if you are willing to travel could you narrow it down in terms of age or type of fossils?

 

We are all opinionated here but seldom are people going to reveal the exact coordinates of their "best" hunting grounds.  It will take a bit of give and take plus a fair bit of learning here.  I urge you to search the forum and start learning.  VA does have several good opportunities for Shark Teeth as witnessed by past postings.

 

Welcome to the forum and why not show us your last finds from Westmoreland?  I was only able to eek 3 teeth out there last month and none were in the "really nice" category.  (I posted a fossil beach hunt...)

[Kane]

3 minutes ago, Calvin Jenkins said:

wow, really vague topic!  I would suggest narrowing it down to Virginia or Eastern Seaboard in terms of location or if you are willing to travel could you narrow it down in terms of age or type of fossils?

 

Last line of the OP's post?

[Littlefoot]

Waving a big hello to you! I was at Westmoreland on Sunday, so just missed you by a day!

 

Westmoreland is where I got started in fossil hunting, actually. It was there that I saw a young girl armed with nothing more than a plastic strainer pull a five-inch megaladon tooth from the water. "Holy macaroni!" I thought. "I want to find one of those!" I've been searching ever since.  I will say that Westmoreland hasn't been one of the most productive beaches for me, but I usually manage to find at least 3 or 4 decent teeth. I keep going back because I remember that megaladon. Congratulations on finding 6 teeth last Saturday! Do post them here! I'd love to see pictures!

 

This website has been my go-to for finding fossil sites in the Virginia-Maryland area: http://www.fossilguy.com/sites/calvert/index.htm

 

I've gone to Westmoreland, Stratford Hall (Lee's ancestral home, but has a small beach area), Brownie's Beach, Flags Pond, and Purse State Park. I've found fossils at all of them. I don't know if I'll rank one above the other -- mostly, I think it comes down to luck. I will say that I've never walked away empty-handed from any of those sites.

 

There are others who collect in those areas, and they can probably provide a lot more details as to the fossil sites in the Virginia-Maryland areas! In the meantime, I hope ths helps you out somewhat! Happy hunting!

 

 

[Fossildude19]

13 hours ago, ParchedChair said:

So... Okay, I just started getting into hunting for fossils. I've always loved fossils and gems and the lot. I went gem mining for the first time when I was about 10 or 11 in McKinley, VA, and since then - I've loved it! My family went on a trip to Cherokee and the Smoky Mtns when I was younger, and we found all kinds of unearthed fossilized things and gem mines. Saturday, we went to Westmoreland State Park up in Montross for the first time, and even though it was chilly and rainy, we found five or six decent shark teeth. I've done a little research, but I'd prefer what other people - and not articles - have to say. Where's the best places to find fossils in VA? 

 

 

Hello, and Welcome to the Forum. 

Please keep in mind, no one is going to give away their BEST  sites they may know of.   

Especially not on a website that has thousands of views per day.   

 

Your best bet would be to join a local fossil/mineral club, and get some knowledge there. 

You will meet like minded people who will be willing to help you. You may also get access (field trips) to places that won't normally let individuals in to hunt alone.

 

Then, you can start researching and striking out on your own, in search of pristine or productive sites. 

Temporary excavations/construction in fossiliferous areas are a great place to look. 

 

This website has lots of really old information, but, if you know how to use Google, you will find lots of helpful research information in there.

Best of luck to you , and welcome again. 

Regards,

 

[Calvin Jenkins]

2 hours ago, Kane said:

Last line of the OP's post?

Point is it should be in the title.

[HoppeHunting]

Hello! For sites in Virginia, options are a bit slim. Westmoreland SP and Stratford Hall nearby are your best bets for relatively easy access shark tooth sites. There are also Devonian exposures like Gore, VA and some Triassic valleys that have the occasional dinosaur footprint, but in all honestly the best hunting in the area is just over the border in Maryland. I too am a resident of Virginia, but I've found that the sites with the easiest access and best finds are in Maryland. If you're close to D.C. you should be able to get to some of the best sites like the Calvert Cliffs and Purse State Park in no more than two hours. The travel can be tedious, but if you're serious about hunting it can be well worth it. Also, Maryland is less strict with their state laws about collecting. In Virginia you must stay below the low tide line on private property or you will face serious offenses. However in Maryland, the law is below the high tide line, which allows for collecting on much more productive remote sites if you can gain access. Feel free to PM me if you'd like additional information on any of the local sites. Hoppe hunting!

[Fossildude19]

5 minutes ago, Calvin Jenkins said:

Point is it should be in the title.

It is in the tags, though.   

I know. I don't look at those either.  

[SailingAlongToo]

@ParchedChair

 

In VA you are limited to just a few places for fossil hunting with public access. York River State Park, Chipokes State Park and Westmoreland State Park (as you mentioned), all have public beach access for fossil collecting. All also charge a nominal fee to access the Park. Stratford Hall has a small public beach for fossil collecting and they too, charge a nominal fee for access. Caledon Nature Preserve has a public beach where fossils can be found, and that's about it in VA for publicly accessible "walk-in" locations. There are many more places accessible by boat, but I won't get into any of those, for obvious reasons. 

[Auspex]

Welcome to the Forum, and the fun of finding fossils (fricative alliteration unintended!).

Keep going back to Westmorland! I happily whiled-away many hours of my youth there, learning the winds and tides that filled my collection bag with Miocene goodness.

There are other sites to explore, but 'twas the Horse Head cliffs that I kept coming back to.

[ParchedChair]

I believe I'm going to try and go out to York River State Park when it gets a bit warmer (the low 60s is a bit too cold for me), because it's only about forty minutes from where I live. I looked into even getting a pass to Shark Tooth Island, but I think I'm going to head to YR and Chippokes first, for the simple fact that both of those are within an hour of me before I trek back out to the Potomac. My dad said something about looking along the Colonial Beach, which we were going to do Saturday, but the rainy weather ruined that plan. We thought about taking a trip towards the mountains if it warms up mid-March for my 18th birthday. We said something about going up to Wardensville, WVA. Anyone ever been? 

     And of course, I knew no one would give away any secrets, I just was wondering if anyone knew of public places I may had missed in my brief researching. I'm not home currently, but I'll get a pic of the finds when I do! 

[jpc]

My best site in VA is...  >97(*&%$98  

Darn the internet just died here.  

Oh, well.  

: )

 

 

[SailingAlongToo]

1 hour ago, ParchedChair said:

I believe I'm going to try and go out to York River State Park when it gets a bit warmer (the low 60s is a bit too cold for me), because it's only about forty minutes from where I live. I looked into even getting a pass to Shark Tooth Island, but I think I'm going to head to YR and Chippokes first, for the simple fact that both of those are within an hour of me before I trek back out to the Potomac. My dad said something about looking along the Colonial Beach, which we were going to do Saturday, but the rainy weather ruined that plan. We thought about taking a trip towards the mountains if it warms up mid-March for my 18th birthday. We said something about going up to Wardensville, WVA. Anyone ever been? 

     And of course, I knew no one would give away any secrets, I just was wondering if anyone knew of public places I may had missed in my brief researching. I'm not home currently, but I'll get a pic of the finds when I do! 

 

When you go to YRSP and Chippokes, go early as it pays to be 1st down the beach. Both sites face north, so going immediately after a nor'easter is generally productive. Just don't get caught digging in the cliffs or bluffs. That will ruin your day. Winter time is generally better as both places (as well as WSP) get hammered by people in warm weather.

 

My advice, if possible go mid-week, waning tide about 2 hours before slack tide. That way you get to hunt the last 2 hours of waning, the slack and the first 2 hours of waxing.

 

For WSP, take a floating screen with 1/4 inch mesh and long handle shovel. Wade out in the water between knee and waist deep. Look for the gravel or cobbles, then dig and screen that material. Big cobble is where the big teeth hide. It's also where you can find nice cetacean vertebrae. When you are at WSP and you see a big green jon boat with a black top, wave and I will come over and say HI.

 

If you want to know how to make a floating screen, PM me.

 

Cheers and good luck.