Fossil Hunting in Vermont
Why Vermont?
Vermont’s geology is dominated by metamorphic rocks of the Green Mountains, which are not fossil-friendly. But along the western margin near Lake Champlain, a strip of relatively undeformed Cambrian and Ordovician sedimentary rocks preserves Vermont’s claim to paleontological fame. Isle La Motte hosts the Chazy Reef, one of the oldest known coral reefs in the world at roughly 480 million years old. And Vermont’s state fossil, the Charlotte whale, is a Pleistocene beluga skeleton found in marine clay deposited when the Champlain Sea flooded the valley after the last ice age.
What You’ll Find
Ordovician stromatoporoids, tabulate corals, gastropods, and cephalopods are visible in the reef limestones of Isle La Motte. Brachiopods and crinoid fragments appear in Ordovician shales and limestones along the Lake Champlain shore. Cambrian trilobite fragments have been reported from the Dunham Dolomite but are rare. Pleistocene marine shells from the Champlain Sea occasionally turn up in clay deposits in the Champlain Valley. The total diversity is limited, but what is here spans an impressive range of geological time.
Best Time to Visit
Late spring through early fall. Isle La Motte is accessible from May through October. Lake Champlain shoreline exposures are best at low water levels in late summer. The Perkins Museum at the University of Vermont is open year-round and is the essential stop for seeing the Charlotte whale.
Tips for Vermont Collecting
Visit Isle La Motte first. The Goodsell Ridge Preserve has a self-guided fossil trail where Ordovician reef organisms are exposed in natural pavement outcrops. These are for viewing and photography, not collecting. For hands-on collecting, Ordovician limestones and shales along the Lake Champlain shoreline south of Burlington offer the best legal opportunities, though fossils are sparse. The Perkins Museum at UVM is small but excellent and free. Be realistic about Vermont, most of the state is metamorphic rock where fossils simply do not exist. Confine your search to the narrow Champlain Valley sedimentary belt and enjoy the scenery elsewhere.
Collecting Sites
Isle La Motte
Free Public AccessIsle La Motte, Grand Isle County
The Chazy Reef on Isle La Motte is one of the oldest known coral reefs in the world (Ordovician). Fossils are visible in outcrop. The Goodsell Ridge Preserve allows viewing but not collecting.
Burlington waterfront area
Free Public AccessBurlington, Chittenden County
Ordovician limestones and shales along the Lake Champlain shore occasionally expose marine invertebrate fossils in building stone and natural outcrops.
Perkins Museum of Geology
Free Public AccessBurlington, Chittenden County
University of Vermont museum housing the Charlotte whale skeleton and Vermont geological specimens. Free admission.
Legal Rules for Vermont
Fossil collecting rules vary by land ownership. Isle La Motte's Goodsell Ridge Preserve is a viewing site only. State lands generally discourage collecting without permission. The Charlotte whale was found on private land. Most accessible outcrops are along Lake Champlain's shore. Always ask before collecting on private property.
Read our full legal guide for federal laws and more details.
Key Geological Formations
- Stony Point Formation (Ordovician)
- Isle La Motte Reefs (Ordovician)
- Dunham Dolomite (Cambrian)