Directions:
You can just park right by the beach and access the beach directly when you arrive at La Jolla Shores Beach.
Fossils:
Submitter found in the ocean at La Jolla Shores just south of Torrey Pines in San Diego. Hasn’t identified it and is looking for guidance. Object is around 1”x1”. Any insight on this specimen and the imprints on it appreciated.
Submitted: July 19, 2022
Fossil: Requesting ID on this fossil. Please comment if you can help on this!
Location: Near Pigeon Point, 37°10′54.3″N 122°23′38.1″W. Pigeon Point Rd, California 94060.
The Ernst Quarries have some of the largest deposits of marine fossils in the world. It’s located right next to Shark Tooth Hill in Kern County. The site contains over 260 acres of rich paleontological lands divided into 3 quarries. The land is owned by The Ernst Quarries, found here!
How to Get There:
Find directions here on the Ernst Quarries website.
Arrange a Visit:
You can arrange a visit by contacting them on their website. See pricing here, $40 per adult, $30 for children, and $15 for student groups for 4 hours of fossil collecting.
What Kind of Fossils Can You Find There:
Find rich deposits of marine bone fossils from the Miocene (12 to 15 mya). At the time Kern County consisted of shallow oceans and river bays. Shark teeth from this period are very common in the area.
Submitted: May 31, 2019
Location: 34°26’20.0″N 119°05’01.4″W
Fossils Found: A contributor found Turritella Snail Shells, Oyster Drill Snail Shells, and Fossil Bivalves, which they were told could be any of or a mix of Cucullaea, Glycymeris, and Glycymerita. Shell and gastropod fossils are relatively common in this area which is part of the Topatopa Range. The fossils are of an unknown age, but similar fossils found in the Los Padres Wilderness have been dated to the Oligocene-Eocene periods.
Directions: Find the coordinates on the Santa Paula Creek flood plain, downstream from the “Punchbowls” waterfalls. Many of the trails in the area can have loose gravel so it’s important to be careful fossil hunting in the area!
Submitted: January 11, 2020
Fossil: Turritella Snails and Bivalves in Chivo Canyon creek bed. – Eocene Era
Location: 34°18’13.3″N 118°41’33.5″W
Fossil: Limestone with compressed shell bed fossils falling out of cliffs.
Location: 34°36’55.1″N 119°19’43.6″W
Submitted: April 26, 2020
Submitted: April 4, 2019
Fossils: Brachiopods (Discinisca C. D. Lamllose), unknown Nacitid Gastropod, and Scallop called Paci-Pectin Discus.
Location: Monterey Formation on Arroyo Seco Road – Miocene Era
Location: Matilija Creek Bed
Submitted: April 29, 2020
Fossil: Calamite Horsetail Plant in Sandstone in Matilija Creek Bed. Possible fossil “driftwood” since this area was a marine area at the time.
Location: 34°13’38.9″N 119°15’44.3″W
Submitted: May 15, 2020.
Fossil: “Weathered gastropod found in cobble pile”
More information on this find can be found at Surfer’s Knoll.
California Fossil Sites 