Where to Find Fossils in New York: 185 Mapped Sites
New York has 185 documented sites where fossils have been reported, and the best-known are Fogelsanger Quarry, 18 mile creek, and 18 Mile Creek. Every site is mapped below with GPS coordinates and links to a full report of access and what's been found there. 3 of the 185 sites are on public-access land.
Last updated: — data compiled by the Rockhounding.org Research Team · methodology
Fossils Map: New York
All 185 fossils sites in New York. Click a pin for the full site report.
Where Fossils Are Found in New York
Fossils live in sedimentary rock — limestone, shale, and sandstone. Fresh exposures are everything: roadcuts, creek banks after storms, quarry spoil, and eroding badlands beat weathered outcrop every time.
The richest reported sites in New York: Fogelsanger Quarry, 18 mile creek, 18 Mile Creek, 3123B, Leptaena-Megakozlowskiella community, Onondaga Limestone, NY, 3124B, Leptaena-Megakozlowskiella community, Onondaga Limestone, NY.
Local reporting distinguishes Silicified Coral (2 sites), Fossilized Coral (1 site).
Of the 185 sites, 3 are public access. Check each site report for current land status before you go.
All Fossils Sites in New York
- Fogelsanger Quarry — Public Access
- 18 mile creek — Other
- 18 Mile Creek — Other
- 3123B, Leptaena-Megakozlowskiella community, Onondaga Limestone, NY — Other
- 3124B, Leptaena-Megakozlowskiella community, Onondaga Limestone, NY — Other
- 3135, Atrypa-Coelospira-Nucleospira community, Onondaga Limestone, NY — Other
- 3137, Atrypa-Coelospira-Nucleospira community, Onondaga Limestone, NY — Other
- 3138A, Atrypa-Coelospira-Nucleospira community, Onondaga Limestone, NY — Other
- 3144A, Atrypa-Coelospira-Nucleospira community, Onondaga Limestone, NY — Other
- 43a. Limestone 1 mile east-northeast of Salem, Cambridge quadrangle — Other
- 473f. Finch farm, bend in road 1/8th mile east of E. A. Martin house. — Other
- Abandoned shale pit of Penn Dixie Corporation, Wanakah Shale locality Dgn-5 — Other
- Actinopteria zone, Syracuse Formation, Onondaga and Madison Cos., NY — Other
- Addison West — Other
- Afton East — Other
- Alexander — Other
- Allan Langheinrich quarry, between Elizabethtown and Spinnerville — Other
- Along Hendy Creek, where road turns SW from village of Hendy Creeks + 11 to cree — Other
- AMNH 3012. Road cut on east side of Swamp Road, ½ mi. s. of Gill Rd Intersection — Other
- AMNH 3013. Small quarry on east side of Swamp Rd, 1 mi. S. of Gill Rd. Intersect — Other
- AMNH 3014. Small quarry on west side of Old County Rd, 1.6 mi. S. of Gill Rd. In — Other
- AMNH 3015. Covered quarry on west side of Cole Rd, 0.2 mi. S. of US Rte 30/Morri — Other
- AMNH 3016. Small road cut on south side of US Rte 20, 0.2 mi. S. US Rte 46 — Other
- Attica — Other
- Bed VI 2, Quarry by railroad track, Fort Hunter hamlet, Florida — Other
- Belvidere — Other
- Blenheim 28D3 — Other
- Blenheim 28H4 — Other
- Bundy hollow — Other
- Canadaigua — Other
- Cayuga Lake — Other
- Corning quad — Other
- Cuba — Other
- Cuba Lake — Other
- D2. near farm-house on northwest corner of Valcour Island, Crown Point Fm. — Other
- Dansville — Other
- Eastern Area, Zone C' (Bioherm, Williamsville), Edgecliff Member, Onondaga Limes — Other
- Elmira quad — Other
- Eoplectodonta-Dicoelosia Subcommunity of the Rochester Shale at Densmore Creek — Other
- Erie County — Other
- Erratic boulder (Ft. Cassin ls.) between Beekmantown and West Chazy — Other
- Eurypterid-Associated Biota of the Williamsville Member, Buffalo, New York — Other
- Eurypterids of the Fiddlers Green Member, Morganville, New York — Other
- Favosites-Massive Stromatoporoid Bioherm Community of the Gasport Limestone — Other
- Fistuliporid Bryozoan Bioherm Community, Irondequoit Lst, Genesee Gorge — Other
- Garrattsville — Other
- Gilboa - 12 B-lower — Other
- Greenville — Other
- H-1. near road entering east end of Crossman Quarry, north of Whitehall Village — Other
- H-2. southwest corner of Warner Hill north of Whitehall Village — Other
Showing 50 of 185 sites — every site appears on the map above.
How to Identify Fossils
Look for biological structure the rock around it lacks: shell curves and growth lines, the spongy honeycomb interior of bone, leaf veins, ribbed corals, or the segmented symmetry of a trilobite. Fossils usually contrast with their matrix in color or density. Bone that has mineralized feels heavier than fresh bone and often shows a polished brown-black surface.
Not sure what you found? Try our identification guide →Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I find fossils in New York?
New York has 185 mapped sites where fossils have been reported. The best-known are Fogelsanger Quarry, 18 mile creek, and 18 Mile Creek. Each listing on the map above includes GPS coordinates, access type, and what has been found there.
How many fossils sites are mapped in New York?
We have 185 documented fossils sites in New York, compiled from community submissions and published locality records and reviewed by the Rockhounding.org Research Team.
Is it legal to collect fossils in New York?
Casual collecting is generally allowed on BLM and National Forest land for personal, non-commercial use — the standard BLM limit is 25 lbs per day plus one specimen. National parks, monuments, and many state parks prohibit collecting, and private land always requires the owner's permission. Check the site report for each location and verify current land status before you dig.
How do I identify fossil?
Look for biological structure the rock around it lacks: shell curves and growth lines, the spongy honeycomb interior of bone, leaf veins, ribbed corals, or the segmented symmetry of a trilobite. Fossils usually contrast with their matrix in color or density. Bone that has mineralized feels heavier than fresh bone and often shows a polished brown-black surface.
What kinds of fossils are found in New York?
Reports from New York distinguish Silicified Coral (2 sites), Fossilized Coral (1 site).
What should I bring to collect fossils?
The basics: a rock hammer, safety glasses, gloves, a bucket or padded bag for specimens, and a GPS app with the coordinates from this page. Add a spray bottle — wetting a stone makes color and banding far easier to judge in the field.
⚠️ Always verify current regulations, weather conditions, and access requirements before visiting any location. Information provided is based on community submissions and may not be current or accurate.
More to Find in New York
Fossils in Nearby States
Data: Paleobiology Database, community submissions — reviewed and approved by the Rockhounding.org Research Team. Always verify current land status, regulations, and access before visiting any site.