Fossil Hunting in Massachusetts
Why Massachusetts?
Massachusetts has a special place in paleontological history. In the early 1800s, Amherst College professor Edward Hitchcock assembled the world’s first major collection of dinosaur tracks from the Connecticut Valley, though he believed they were made by giant birds. The Pioneer Valley portion of the Connecticut River rift basin extends into Massachusetts, carrying the same Early Jurassic track-bearing formations found in Connecticut. Actual collecting opportunities are limited, but the historical and educational value is outstanding.
What You’ll Find
Dinosaur tracks are the headline fossils. Eubrontes, Grallator, and Anomoepus tracks occur in Early Jurassic sandstones and siltstones of the Deerfield and Hartford basins. Small fish fossils, including semionotids, are known from the same formations. Plant impressions also occur. Outside the rift basin, Massachusetts is mostly crystalline metamorphic and igneous rock, which does not preserve fossils. Glacial erratics scattered across the state occasionally contain fossils from their source rocks in Canada or northern New England, but these are chance finds.
Best Time to Visit
Spring through fall. Riverbed exposures along the Connecticut River are best viewed at low water in late summer and early fall. The Beneski Museum is open year-round and should be your first stop. Fall foliage season makes a Massachusetts fossil trip especially scenic.
Tips for Massachusetts Collecting
Start at the Beneski Museum of Natural History at Amherst College, which is free and contains Hitchcock’s extraordinary track collection. This gives essential context for anything you find in the field. Turners Falls and the Route 2 roadcuts in the Deerfield basin offer the best chances to see fossils in situ. Be honest with yourself that Massachusetts is more of a fossil-viewing state than a collecting state. Most significant sites are protected. If you find tracks on exposed river ledges, photograph them and leave them in place. Combining a Massachusetts visit with Connecticut’s Dinosaur State Park makes for a complete Connecticut Valley ichnology trip.
Collecting Sites
Barton Cove / Turners Falls
Free Public AccessGill, Franklin County
Early Jurassic sediments along the Connecticut River preserve dinosaur trackways and fish fossils. Some tracks are visible at low water on rock ledges.
Beneski Museum of Natural History
Free Public AccessAmherst, Hampshire County
Amherst College museum housing Edward Hitchcock's historic collection of Connecticut Valley dinosaur tracks, one of the finest ichnology collections in the world.
Legal Rules for Massachusetts
Many dinosaur track sites in Massachusetts are on protected land or private property. Collecting from riverbeds and state-owned land is generally restricted. The Beneski Museum is free and open to the public. Always verify land ownership and rules before collecting.
Read our full legal guide for federal laws and more details.
Key Geological Formations
- Portland Formation (Early Jurassic)
- Turners Falls Formation (Early Jurassic)
- Deerfield Basin (Triassic-Jurassic)