Being an Ohio native, I spent many spring and summer days in my
childhood exploring creek beds looking for crayfish and tadpoles. Every
soaking-wet shoe journey into the shallows also unveiled fascinating and
prehistoric treasures hidden within the shale – fossils – lots of them!
Those discoveries opened up a world of new exploration and an interest
in science I never knew I had.
The Olander Park System in Sylvania has created a fun way to unearth your own prehistoric curiosities at Ohio’s Fossil Park.
Get ready for a day in the fossil pit to dust-off and dig-up treasures
that have been nestled in shale beds for millions of years.
The fossil hunting pit is now open for the season with daily hours from 8:30 a.m. until 90 minutes before sunset. The pit is tucked into a
5-acre rock quarry offering endless potential to find trilobites,
corals, brachiopods and echinoderms from the Devonian Era. Just bring a
brush and a bucket (to collect your treasures) and hunker down for a day
of discovery that was 375 million-years in the making. No tools are
allowed in the park, but Ohio’s soft shale is easy to break by hand. All
fossil finds are yours to keep.
Bike path - photo courtesy Olander Park System
The rock piles come from a working quarry located about mile from the
park. This ADA-accessible park is a safe and controlled setting which
makes it great for kids and families. There is no age limit, admission
is free, parking is free and there are comfort accommodations like
restrooms nearby. There’s even a great bike trail for those who want to
work in a little biking while onsite.
Egg carton - photo courtesy Olander Park System
The Fossil Park is one of only a few that exist in the country. Kids
love digging in the dirt and better yet, returning home with something
that they found which will likely spur questions about fossils,
prehistoric science and who knows, maybe even a future in paleontology!
Park officials suggest that parents outfit very young explorers with an
egg carton and pictures in the cubbies to illustrate what they are
looking for.
Discoveries like these are irreplaceable experiences whether you are a
kid or adult and the Fossil Park is perfect for something new to do.
There is an abundance of fossils throughout the state making
fossil-hunting a fun and free activity that is unique to Ohio. The
fossil park is a perfect way to do it, and you don’t even have to get
your shoes wet!
