Dig

The Swell is a geological wonder, with rock formations ranging in age from the Permian the present. Hidden within the different rock layers that are exposed through out the area are a wide range of fossils – evidence of the past life that used to live in these parts. For rockhounders and fossil collectors, this land makes for excellent prospecting.

It should be noted that it is illegal to collect vertebrate fossils – for all of you hoping to head home with a dinosaur bone of your very own, please don’t! Should you find a fossil bone, please leave it where you find it and notify local authorities if it is something you feel is at risk.

That said, it is legal to collect invertebrate and plant fossils as well as rocks and minerals. To learn more about where you might want to look for interesting fossils and minerals, visit the Museum of the San Rafael or the John Wesley Powell Museum, the staff there can point you in the right direction.

There is also a privately managed dig site called Septarianville in the small town of Clawson that will show you where to dig and charges by weight for any septarian nodules you may find and want to keep.