Where to Find Fossils in Pennsylvania: 45 Mapped Sites
Pennsylvania has 45 documented sites where fossils have been reported, and the best-known are Big Run, Ligonier, and Stroudsbrug. 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 45 sites are on public-access land.
Last updated: — data compiled by the Rockhounding.org Research Team · methodology
Fossils Map: Pennsylvania
All 45 fossils sites in Pennsylvania. Click a pin for the full site report.
Where Fossils Are Found in Pennsylvania
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 Pennsylvania: Big Run, Ligonier, Stroudsbrug, Ames Locality, along Allegheny Valley Expressway, Allegheny County, Athens.
Of the 45 sites, 3 are public access. Check each site report for current land status before you go.
All Fossils Sites in Pennsylvania
- Big Run — Public Access
- Ligonier — Public Access
- Stroudsbrug — Public Access
- Ames Locality, along Allegheny Valley Expressway, Allegheny County — Other
- Athens — Other
- Athens — Other
- Banks of the Nescopeck Creek under an overpass of US I-80, near Hazleton — Other
- Beaver Falls, on bank above railroad one-half mile north of train station — Other
- Bedford — Other
- Bens Creek, first cut west of the station on the Pennsylvania Railroad — Other
- Blackburn, along branch of Pennsylvania Railroad bn. North Trafford & Murrysvill — Other
- Bloomsburg — Other
- Bradford — Other
- Canton — Other
- C. lataegenae subzone, Imler Quarry Sect. Gatesburg Fm, PA - Taylor et. al 2000 — Other
- Crinoid locality, Union furnace, route 453 roadcut — Other
- Drab-Beavertown, DB-1, Gatesburg Formation, Ore Hill Member, Blair County — Other
- Durham Cave #2 — Other
- Ellengowan Shaft — Other
- Farmington — Other
- Granville — Other
- Green, Marquis & Johnson Quarries, one mile southeast of courthouse, New Castle — Other
- Hall Locality 457-458, Kelly Creek, two miles northeast of Mansfield — Other
- Mansfield — Other
- Meadville — Other
- Mifflin Sand Quarry, McVeytown, PA (Locality 5), Onondaga Limestone — Other
- Mount Etna Section, unit 5, 23.9-27.7’ below top of formation — Other
- Nelson Farm — Other
- P. magna subzone , Eschelman Quarry Sect,, Gatesburg Fm, PA - Taylor et al. 2000 — Other
- Port Kennedy Cave — Other
- Port Matilda — Other
- Quarry at the junction of Lincoln Highway & Biesecker Road, Thomasville — Other
- Rochester, from outcrops along railroad between Rochester and New Brighton — Other
- Sinkhole No. 4 — Other
- southeast Stemton — Other
- South side of U. S. Highway 30, 1 mile S. 70° W. of St. Thomas — Other
- Stoops Ferry — Other
- Stroudsburg — Other
- Tionesta — Other
- Union City — Other
- Unit 1 (29 ft. below top), upper shale member, Mahantango Fm., New Bloomfield, P — Other
- Unit 1 (top of unit), upper shale member, Mahantango Formation, Girtys Notch, PA — Other
- USGS 2448-CO. Thomasville Stone and Lime Company. Thomasville — Other
- USNM loc. 22L, Kinzers Fm, PA - Garci-Bellido Capdevila and Conway Morris 1999 — Other
- Wellsboro — Other
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 Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania has 45 mapped sites where fossils have been reported. The best-known are Big Run, Ligonier, and Stroudsbrug. Each listing on the map above includes GPS coordinates, access type, and what has been found there.
How many fossils sites are mapped in Pennsylvania?
We have 45 documented fossils sites in Pennsylvania, compiled from community submissions and published locality records and reviewed by the Rockhounding.org Research Team.
Is it legal to collect fossils in Pennsylvania?
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 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.
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.