TNCollector Posted September 13, 2018 Share Posted September 13, 2018 Hello everyone, I will be in Denver in early October, and I was hoping to spend at least one day fossil hunting. Is there anyone here who would be willing to give me some tips. This is my first trip west of the Mississippi River and I probably will not be back for years, or possibly ever, so I obviously won't pick any sites clean. I am a vertebrate guy, so that is what I am hoping to concentrate on. Any help or tips on where to go and what sorts of fossils I can find would be tremendously helpful! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raggedy Man Posted September 14, 2018 Share Posted September 14, 2018 I hunt Colorado every year and im not aware of any fossil sites in the area that you can legally collect vert material. Unless you're on private land, its illegal and Colorado does not mess around when prosecuting those that violate this law. ...I'm back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TNCollector Posted September 14, 2018 Author Share Posted September 14, 2018 Yes I am aware of the BLM regulations, but figured that there may be a pay-to-collect type thing somewhere that I am not aware of. If there is not, then I am happy to settle for collecting inverts if that is all that is available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raggedy Man Posted September 14, 2018 Share Posted September 14, 2018 For verts, I do not of any pay to play sites..lol. There is a pay site for green river shale. You mostly find leaves and the occasional insect. Any major finds you're not allowed to keep as they send them to the university for study. I dont know how far you're willing to drive from Denver. ...I'm back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TNCollector Posted September 14, 2018 Author Share Posted September 14, 2018 I would like to stay 2 to 3 hours max away from Denver. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FossilDAWG Posted September 14, 2018 Share Posted September 14, 2018 This question seems to come up fairly regularly, so you might be able to search the Forum and glean some info. The whole Front Range is pretty built up from Colorado Springs to Fort Collins so 2-3 hours travel time north or south will hardly get you out of built up areas. I don't know of any accessible sites for vertebrates at all. There are some sites for invertebrates, such as Baculite Mesa near Pueblo. That one is on private property but you can phone ahead and possibly get permission to collect. Don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TNCollector Posted September 18, 2018 Author Share Posted September 18, 2018 Thanks for the help. I have scoured the forum and the internet but have not really found anything besides Florissant. I plan to visit the Florissant fossil quarry, which is a pay-to-dig site for plant/insect fossils. I have given up on finding any pay-to-dig vertebrate sites, as the closest ones I found are in Nebraska and Wyoming. Oh well. I would really love to find a nice ammonite, as I have never really had the chance to collect this "classic" fossil. I have read that there are a few sites in that area where ammonites can be found, but am still trying to find those sites. Wish me luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Siphuncle Posted September 18, 2018 Share Posted September 18, 2018 Hopefully Florissant will still be open on weekends in Oct. They are nearing end of season. I went there this past Sunday. Grüße, Daniel A. Wöhr aus Südtexas "To the motivated go the spoils." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minnbuckeye Posted September 18, 2018 Share Posted September 18, 2018 9 hours ago, TNCollector said: would really love to find a nice ammonite, as I have never really had the chance to collect this "classic" fossil Kremmling, Co has ammonites. We were just there over Labor Day. If you elect to drive that far, message me and I will help you locate a productive area in the hills around there. Six hours were spent wandering different areas and elevations until we found success, By then I only had about an hour, but that was all I needed. Mike 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TNCollector Posted September 19, 2018 Author Share Posted September 19, 2018 @minnbuckeye PM sent! @Uncle Siphuncle Thanks for letting me know, I will give them a call tomorrow to see if they will still be open. If they aren't, then I am really out of options. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaleoNoel Posted September 21, 2018 Share Posted September 21, 2018 If you're in the process of making any trip plans for next summer I highly recommend you look into PaleoProspectors as they're the best in the business . All on private land and you keep everything you find (unless it's an articulated, scientifically valuable specimen). Areas include Wyoming, Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska. Lodging and food is taken care of and you'll meet a bunch of good people with similar interests to you. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted September 21, 2018 Share Posted September 21, 2018 or if you want to work on a dino site for a museum, I would recommend the Tate Museum's dinos digs in Wyoming, They are run by a nice guy who is out on a Morrison Fm dig right now. You don't get to keep stuff, but it is reasonably priced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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