About Fossils For All

Fossil collecting is one of the few hobbies where a complete beginner can walk outside, look down, and hold something 400 million years old in their hand. We think that experience should be available to everyone — not just people with geology degrees or museum connections.

Our Mission

Fossils For All exists to make fossil collecting accessible, understandable, and responsible. We believe that connecting people with the deep history beneath their feet builds curiosity, respect for the natural world, and a genuine appreciation for science.

Every guide we write is designed to help someone go from “I don’t know where to start” to “I found one.” Whether you’re a parent looking for a weekend activity with your kids, a retiree picking up a new hobby, or a student exploring geology for the first time, we want to give you everything you need to get out there and start finding fossils.

What We Offer

We’ve built a comprehensive set of free resources for fossil collectors at every level:

• 50 State Guides — Detailed collecting information for every US state, including specific sites, what you’ll find there, land access rules, and directions to get there.
• Fossil Identification — Visual guides and descriptions to help you figure out what you’ve found, from common brachiopods to rare trilobites.
• Legal Guide — Plain-language explanations of federal and state laws so you know your rights and responsibilities before you dig.
• Gear Reviews — Honest recommendations for tools and equipment at every budget level, from free (your eyes and a bag) to fully equipped.
• Beginner’s Guide — A complete introduction to the hobby for people who have never collected before.
• Shark Teeth Guide — A dedicated resource for one of the most popular types of fossil collecting in the US.
• Glossary — Definitions for every technical term we use, so jargon never gets in the way.

Our Approach

Beginner-first. Every page assumes you might be reading about fossils for the first time. We avoid jargon where possible and define it where necessary. If something is confusing, that’s our fault, not yours — and we want to hear about it.

Scientifically accurate. We take accuracy seriously. Fossil identifications, geologic ages, formation names, and legal information are researched carefully and updated when new information becomes available. When we’re uncertain about something, we say so rather than guess.

Practical above all. We focus on information you can actually use in the field. GPS coordinates, parking directions, what to wear, which tools work, and what you’ll realistically find — not theoretical overviews or paywalled content. Our goal is to get you outside and finding fossils, not reading about them forever.

Always free. Our guides, identification resources, and state pages are free and always will be. Fossil collecting shouldn’t require a subscription.

Ethical Collecting Principles

We believe fossil collecting and scientific responsibility go hand in hand. Every piece of advice on this site is built around these principles:

1. Know the law. Always check land ownership and collecting regulations before you go. Our legal guide and state guides make this straightforward.

2. Collect responsibly. Take only what you’ll keep and care for. Leave productive sites in good condition for the next person. Don’t strip a site bare — leave fossils for others to enjoy and for scientists to study.

3. Report significant finds. If you find something rare, unusually complete, or scientifically important — especially vertebrate material — report it to a museum or university. A properly excavated specimen advances knowledge far more than one pulled from the rock without context.

4. Record your data. A fossil without location and formation data has lost most of its scientific value. Always label your finds with where, when, and what formation they came from. This costs nothing and preserves information that can never be recovered once lost.

5. Respect access. When landowners or agencies grant access, follow their rules completely. Abuse of privileges leads to site closures that hurt the entire collecting community. If a gate is locked, a sign says no entry, or a landowner says no — respect it.

6. Protect the science. Amateur collectors have made some of the most important paleontological discoveries in history. That tradition depends on collectors who work with, not against, the scientific community.

Who This Site Is For

We write for anyone who’s curious about what’s under their feet. That includes:

• Complete beginners who’ve never collected a fossil but want to try
• Parents and educators looking for a hands-on science activity
• Casual hobbyists who collect on weekends and vacations
• Traveling collectors visiting a new state and wanting to know the best sites and local rules
• Students studying geology or paleontology who want field experience

If you already have years of experience and a garage full of specimens, you’ll still find our state guides and legal information useful. But our primary audience is the person who hasn’t started yet.

How to Contribute

Fossils For All is a growing resource, and we welcome help from the collecting community:

• Submit a site — Know a productive, legal collecting location that isn’t in our guides? Let us know the details and we’ll research it for inclusion.
• Send corrections — Spotted an error in a fossil ID, an outdated regulation, or a wrong turn in our directions? We want to fix it immediately.
• Share photos — Quality field photos of fossils in situ and collecting sites help other collectors know what to look for. We credit all contributors.
• Suggest topics — Is there a guide, species page, or how-to article you wish existed? Tell us what would help you most and we’ll prioritize it.

We especially value input from collectors who know their local sites well. You are the experts on the ground, and your knowledge makes these guides better for everyone.

Contact

Have a question, correction, or contribution? Reach us at [email protected]. We read every message and do our best to respond within a few days.

You can also find us on social media, where we share collecting tips, recent finds from the community, and updates to our guides.

For press inquiries, partnership proposals, or collaboration requests, please use the same email address with “Press” or “Partnership” in the subject line.