BonemanX3 Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 Yo guys I've been to the Swatar State park fossil pit a number of times and found over 2 hundred fossils-if you want to discuss experiences or cool fossils you've found you can do it here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShadowElite951 Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 I should visit there I'm only a few counties away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheFossilHunter Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 sure, lets discuss Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 Yo guys I've been to the Swatar State park fossil pit a number of times and found over 2 hundred fossils-if you want to discuss experiences or cool fossils you've found you can do it here Post some pics; that will get the discussion rolling! "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigjohn835 Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 I've only been there twice, as I am new to collecting. I plan to be there alot when it warms up some. Would love to see your stuff, or maybe get together for some rock busting. Maybe learn a thing or two. With rocks in my head, and fossils in my heart.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BonemanX3 Posted February 10, 2009 Author Share Posted February 10, 2009 I've only been there twice, as I am new to collecting. I plan to be there alot when it warms up some. Would love to see your stuff, or maybe get together for some rock busting. Maybe learn a thing or two. Sure,anytime. I'd love to go out fossil hunting sometime. I've been trying but i'm been having trouble posting any pictures lately but I'll try. I'm in the process of moving so I'm not sure that I have any pictures of them and because I'm moving their packed away in boxes right now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamalama Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 Where is the pit that you are talking about? In Swatara State Park? Is this the Suedeburg site I've heard of? Tell me more!!!! -Dave __________________________________________________ Geologists on the whole are inconsistent drivers. When a roadcut presents itself, they tend to lurch and weave. To them, the roadcut is a portal, a fragment of a regional story, a proscenium arch that leads their imaginations into the earth and through the surrounding terrain. - John McPheeIf I'm going to drive safely, I can't do geology. - John McPheeCheck out my Blog for more fossils I've found: http://viewsofthemahantango.blogspot.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommabetts Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooo, let's see some of the things you have found. Come on, put up some of your wares!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 From the website: "Fossil Collecting: The geology of Swatara State Park is predominately sedimentary rocks formed in a shallow ocean during the Middle Devonian Period of the Paleozoic Era, about 375 million years ago." "An Upper Mahantango Formation that contains significant marine fossil beds is exposed at a site along Old State Road and provides excellent opportunities for fossil collectors." Link to website: http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/parks/swatara.aspx "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommabetts Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 Thanks Auspex, that gives me good info on the location and an idea as to what can be found there. Thanks for posting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 Thanks Auspex, that gives me good info on the location and an idea as to what can be found there. Thanks for posting. Found another page; the info is what we're looking for! http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt...sa%3DN%26um%3D1 "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest solius symbiosus Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 The fossils shown at that link are Ordovician??? http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/topogeo/collec...arafossils.aspx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommabetts Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 The fossils shown at that link are Ordovician???http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/topogeo/collec...arafossils.aspx You beat me to it, I was just going to post the link. It is a good read, worth saving for anyone collecting in that area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbstedman Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 The nice publication at this link -- http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/topogeo/parkguides/pg16.pdf -- might help clear up some confusion. No date on it so I don't know how old this publication is. According to this piece, a Swatara Gap Fossil site (Late Ordovician) is off limits because irresponsible collecting undermined the highway bridge at that site. There is another site in that park -- the Suedberg Fossil Site (Middle Devonian) -- that is still accessible. Does this square with what's known by folks familiar with the park? Besides fossils, I collect roadcuts, Stream beds, Winter beaches: Places of pilgrimage. Jasper Burns, Fossil Dreams Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
non-remanié Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 I believe the swatara spoil pile material which was loaded is long gone. It was hauled away by the truckload by collectors within months and then the rest disintegrated over the first winter leaving only small rock fragments. ---Wie Wasser schleift den Stein, wir steigen und fallen--- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tuscarora-th Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 I've never been, but Im only a couple hours south on 81. Sounds like an excuse for a road trip! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigjohn835 Posted March 15, 2009 Share Posted March 15, 2009 takes some looking, but there's still stuff left. All this stuff is from there. Sorry pics arent that good. With rocks in my head, and fossils in my heart.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BonemanX3 Posted March 16, 2009 Author Share Posted March 16, 2009 Don't worry guys I'll post some pics of my spoils soon enough. Like I said earlier their all packed away in boxes right now for my move to CO. Hopefully I'll be able to take em' out soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossilcollector Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 Ah, Swatara Gap; I remember the good old days of collecting there as a kid and watching as the collecting zone slowly undermined the highway above it (Interstate-81). Every minute chunks of rock would fall from this 40 ft overhang that hung over half the site. The brave collectors climbed right under the overhang for the fresh matrix material. Ya... The collecting became even heavier after the mass publication of Jasper Burns' "Fossil Collecting in the Mid-Altantic States" which features the site. So eventually the state realized that people could literally undermine the highway and cause it to collapse, so they covered the ENTIRE site in concrete and cement chips. Before they did that, they hauled 17 dump trucks of fossil bearing matrix to a secondary site within Swatara State Park for collectors to collect at. Unfortunately, the material is highly organic shales, which weathers extremely fast. Between collectors and weather, ALL of it was gone after the first winter. So, swatara gap is now gone as a fossil site; until someone finds the zone popping out at another site or gap in the ridge... I'll post some starfish pics later. -YvW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryan Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 Hello all. I have been planning a trip to Swatara with the kids. We are interested in collecting rocks and fossils. Is there any location in the Swatara park area to do some fossil hunting? I read somewhere that there is a quarry with fossils in this area near or in Swatara State Park, with parking. Any information on fossil hunting here would be greatly appreciated. I would imagine if this area was so rich with fossils that there are other areas where the fossils can be found in this area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fluffy Posted April 18, 2011 Share Posted April 18, 2011 Hello all. I have been planning a trip to Swatara with the kids. We are interested in collecting rocks and fossils. Is there any location in the Swatara park area to do some fossil hunting? I read somewhere that there is a quarry with fossils in this area near or in Swatara State Park, with parking. Any information on fossil hunting here would be greatly appreciated. I would imagine if this area was so rich with fossils that there are other areas where the fossils can be found in this area. went to the suedburg site its great Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kempie Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 (edited) Any luck with that site? I'm in SouthEastern PA and my 8 year old son wants to go fossil hunting. I would love to be able to take him to somewhere other than a gift shop to buy fossils, it's the thrill of the hunt... Edited January 16, 2012 by kempie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
likestodig Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 Hi folks. Uhhhhh, not totally true about the fossils being completely gone. Yes, the piles are long gone, but there are still many fossils left at that site. If you park at the west end of the large area (where the piles used to be – it’s about the size of a football field with a high embankment) and walk down to the creek you can find many varieties of fossils along the bank. You can also find them in the area that you park at, just start kicking stones around and you'll find some. We've been going there for the past 3 years and can still find a nice variety of fossils. I was just there last month and am planning on going back next week, probably Tuesday or Wednesday. So, come on out, bring a lunch and something to drink and have a relaxing day digging to your heart’s content! Also, I've spoken to the park ranger, Angel, if we are limited to certain areas of the park in which we can dig for fossils and he said "No limitations, you are allowed to dig anywhere in the park and you are able to keep any fossils you find.” Many places you go to only allow you to dig in certain areas, or, you can only take so many fossils per person, or you have to be a member of a club/organization. This was obviously a no brainer for us as far as a place to go fossil hunting. So, we made the hour and 15 min drive to the park and after being there for not even 5 minutes we started finding fossils. We only keep the ones we really like, the others that we have found we will put back on a pile for others to check out. By the way…like most places, there are no port-a-potties or any other facilities like that around, so come prepared! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vordigern Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 hmmm might have to make a trip out there. are there any trilos left? I recently pulled out some old swatara gap material I had collected before they closed the site and started splitting it down further and finding alot of Cryptolythus cephalons though I was hoping to find a Brittle Star Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
likestodig Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 hmmm might have to make a trip out there. are there any trilos left? I recently pulled out some old swatara gap material I had collected before they closed the site and started splitting it down further and finding alot of Cryptolythus cephalons though I was hoping to find a Brittle Star Yes, there are some left, I found three partial trilos last time, but they seem to be few and far between. Also, this is a great site to take the kids to because of how easy it is to find fossils. We took our grandkids there last year, gave them each something to put they're "finds" in and let them loose in the big open area...they were happy for hours! :Bananasaur: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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