imjsun1 Posted June 1, 2018 Share Posted June 1, 2018 Does anybody know when or if fossil rock campground will reopen? I've heard rumors that it might reopen by next spring. Any truth to that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digit Posted June 1, 2018 Share Posted June 1, 2018 The real question is: will it reopen as just a campground or will they once again allow nodule hunters to dig holes in the overgrown tipple field in back of the campground area? This was such an awesome place to hunt for Mazon Creek nodules that it was a real shame to lose it due to ownership changes. Hoping that some of the local fossil hunters can contact the new owners and plead their case for this area to be reopened. Looking forward to any new information on Fossil Rock Campground. Cheers. -Ken 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nimravis Posted June 1, 2018 Share Posted June 1, 2018 In all of my years collecting at different sites around the area for Mazon Creek concretions, I never collected there. I have not seen or heard anything on this area re-opening, but if I do, I will re-post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nimravis Posted June 1, 2018 Share Posted June 1, 2018 2 hours ago, imjsun1 said: Does anybody know when or if fossil rock campground will reopen? I've heard rumors that it might reopen by next spring. Any truth to that? Just thinking out loud here, why do t you give Fossil Ridge Library in Braidwood a call and see if they have any information on that location, they also have nice displays of fossils to look at if you ever pass by there. Years ago I used to help guide trips with my “Fossil Mentor “ for the Fossil Ridge Library, we would take participants by bus to the “Tipple Area” and collect at that location. My son and I would “salt” the area with fossils before the bus arrived so that people would actually find something and then we gave each person a free bag of about 30 Mazon Creek fossils at the end and also held a free raffle for about 4 different, larger Mazon Creek fossils- a good time was had by all. Sorry for digressing. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deutscheben Posted June 1, 2018 Share Posted June 1, 2018 47 minutes ago, Nimravis said: Just thinking out loud here, why do t you give Fossil Ridge Library in Braidwood a call and see if they have any information on that location, they also have nice displays of fossils to look at if you ever pass by there. Years ago I used to help guide trips with my “Fossil Mentor “ for the Fossil Ridge Library, we would take participants by bus to the “Tipple Area” and collect at that location. My son and I would “salt” the area with fossils before the bus arrived so that people would actually find something and then we gave each person a free bag of about 30 Mazon Creek fossils at the end and also held a free raffle for about 4 different, larger Mazon Creek fossils- a good time was had by all. Sorry for digressing. That's a great story, thanks for sharing it! I have thought about stopping by that library myself, but have not yet (I'm a librarian, so I really should one of these days!) The new owners have a website up https://www.myfossilrock.com/ which states they will be opening up in "Spring of 2018". I called the number listed, but only got a message. They must be close to opening though, so hopefully we can find out soon if they will allow fossil collecting there again. I never got a chance to collect there before it closed either, so I hope they do allow it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digit Posted June 1, 2018 Share Posted June 1, 2018 Checked out the website and it looks promising. They actually mention "fossil hunting" on the website but I'm not sure if they are just referring to exploring nearby Mazonia-Braidwood State Fish Wildlife Area or are encouraging fossil hunting in their own tipple area in back of the campground proper. Looks like they are trying to encourage activities rather than just being a place where people parked permanent campers. Maybe this is a good sign that the new ownership will encourage fossil hunting. I'd be happy if they formalized the rather informal hunting permission of the past. In the old days, you paid the manager $5 and (sometimes) signed a liability release to get the gate code to drive through the campground to the hunting area out back. I'd be happy to pay for the privilege again as long as they didn't add rules on collecting that were too constraining. As digging in Mazonia-Braidwood is prohibited and only surface collecting is permitted, Fossil Rock was a change to dig down through the tipple area piles to get to concretions that hadn't weathered out on the surface. Fingers crossed for a fossil-hunting friendly campground in the near future. Cheers. -Ken 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Russell Posted June 2, 2018 Share Posted June 2, 2018 Fossil Rock closed primarily due to their water well drying up, and has remained closed due to the expense of redrilling one. I haven’t been down there since the last day they were opened to fossil hunters, and don’t know if the place has been kept up while being closed. It was set up for permanent year round camp sights. Along with short term camping. I think they wanted to get away from allowing permemant camping upon reopening. That said, they’ve got major clean up in all isles. Opposed to just one. Lol 1 Finding my way through life; one fossil at a time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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