Fossil Dig Sites in Illinois, USA
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Mazonia-Braidwood State Fish and Wildlife Area
Location: Braceville, Grundy County, IL 60407
GPS: 41.2156, -88.2692
Fossils:
- Jellyfish
- Ferns
- Worms
- Insects
- Tully Monster
Age: Pennsylvanian (300 million years ago)
Formation: Braidwood, Essex
Access: Public
Permit: Free permit at visitor center
Fee: None
Best Time: March–September
Dig Type: Self-guided
Tools: No tools; surface collecting only
Facilities: Parking, trails
Contact: Website, (815) 237-0063
Notable Find: Tully Monster
Rating: 4.5/5 (120 reviews)
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Fossil Rock Recreation Area
Location: Wilmington, Will County, IL 60481
GPS: 41.3004, -88.2059
Fossils:
- Plants
- Invertebrates
Age: Pennsylvanian
Formation: Braidwood, Essex
Access: Private
Permit: None
Fee: Small fee
Best Time: Spring–Fall
Dig Type: Self-guided
Tools: Hand tools allowed
Facilities: Parking, restrooms
Contact: Website, (815) 476-6784
Notable Find: None
Rating: 4.2/5 (50 reviews)
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Coal City Strip Mines
Location: Coal City, Grundy County, IL 60416
GPS: 41.215, -88.270
Fossils:
- Plants
- Marine invertebrates
Age: Pennsylvanian
Formation: Francis Creek, Braidwood
Access: Public (some areas)
Permit: Required in some areas
Fee: None
Best Time: Spring–Fall
Dig Type: Self-guided
Tools: Hand tools in permitted areas
Facilities: Parking
Contact: Website
Notable Find: Diverse plants
Rating: 4.0/5 (30 reviews)
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Mazon Creek
Location: Grundy County, IL 60416
GPS: 41.2964, -88.2820
Fossils:
- Plants
- Invertebrates
- Fish
Age: Pennsylvanian
Formation: Mazon Creek
Access: Public/Private
Permit: Required for some areas
Fee: Varies
Best Time: Spring–Fall
Dig Type: Self-guided
Tools: Hand tools in permitted areas
Facilities: Limited
Contact: Website
Notable Find: Well-preserved plants
Rating: 4.3/5 (80 reviews)
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Dresden Lake
Location: Grundy County, IL 60416
GPS: 41.3650, -88.2584
Fossils:
- Fish
- Plants
Age: Pennsylvanian
Formation: Francis Creek
Access: Private
Permit: Fee required
Fee: Yes
Best Time: Spring–Fall
Dig Type: Self-guided
Tools: Hand tools allowed
Facilities: Parking
Contact: Website
Notable Find: Fish fossils
Rating: 4.1/5 (40 reviews)
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Kaskaskia River
Location: Shelby County, IL
GPS: 39.4312, -88.7537
Fossils:
- Brachiopods
- Blastoids
- Crinoids
Age: Unknown
Formation: Limestone
Access: Public
Permit: None
Fee: None
Best Time: Spring–Fall
Dig Type: Self-guided
Tools: Hand tools allowed
Facilities: Limited
Contact: None
Notable Find: None
Rating: 3.8/5 (20 reviews)
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LaFarge Quarry
Location: Shelby County, IL
GPS: 39.4362, -88.7695
Fossils:
- Plants
Age: Pennsylvanian
Formation: Unknown
Access: Private
Permit: Permission required
Fee: Varies
Best Time: Spring–Fall
Dig Type: Guided
Tools: Provided
Facilities: Limited
Contact: None
Notable Find: None
Rating: N/A
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Mississippi River
Location: Quincy, Adams County, IL 62301
GPS: 39.9434, -91.4227
Fossils:
- Bivalves
- Gastropods
Age: Pleistocene
Formation: Loess
Access: Public
Permit: None
Fee: None
Best Time: Spring–Fall
Dig Type: Self-guided
Tools: Hand tools allowed
Facilities: Limited
Contact: None
Notable Find: None
Rating: 3.5/5 (15 reviews)
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South Illinois
Location: Hardin County, IL
GPS: 37.4705, -88.2905
Fossils:
- Invertebrate burrows
Age: Mississippian
Formation: Tar Springs
Access: Public
Permit: None
Fee: None
Best Time: Spring–Fall
Dig Type: Self-guided
Tools: Hand tools allowed
Facilities: Limited
Contact: None
Notable Find: None
Rating: 3.7/5 (10 reviews)
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Adams County Coal Beds
Location: Liberty, Adams County, IL 62347
GPS: 39.8570, -91.1838
Fossils:
- Bryozoa
- Corals
Age: Pennsylvanian
Formation: Unknown
Access: Private
Permit: Permission required
Fee: Varies
Best Time: Spring–Fall
Dig Type: Guided
Tools: Provided
Facilities: Limited
Contact: None
Notable Find: None
Rating: N/A
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Quincy Quarries
Location: Quincy, Adams County, IL 62301
GPS: 39.9354, -91.4099
Fossils:
- Fish teeth
- Mollusks
Age: Mississippian
Formation: Keokuk, Burlington
Access: Private
Permit: Permission required
Fee: Varies
Best Time: Spring–Fall
Dig Type: Guided
Tools: Provided
Facilities: Limited
Contact: None
Notable Find: None
Rating: N/A
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Thebes Orchard Creek
Location: Thebes, Alexander County, IL 62990
GPS: 37.1979, -89.4492
Fossils:
- Trilobites
- Brachiopods
- Corals
- Crinoids
Age: Silurian
Formation: Cincinnatian
Access: Public
Permit: None
Fee: None
Best Time: Spring–Fall
Dig Type: Self-guided
Tools: Hand tools allowed
Facilities: Limited
Contact: None
Notable Find: None
Rating: 3.9/5 (25 reviews)
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Belvidere
Location: Belvidere, Boone County, IL 61008
GPS: 42.3041, -88.9029
Fossils:
- Brachiopods
- Mollusks
- Algae
Age: Ordovician
Formation: Galena
Access: Public
Permit: None
Fee: None
Best Time: Spring–Fall
Dig Type: Self-guided
Tools: Hand tools allowed
Facilities: Limited
Contact: None
Notable Find: None
Rating: 3.6/5 (15 reviews)
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La Moine River
Location: Cooperstown, Brown County, IL 62324
GPS: 39.9805, -90.5977
Fossils:
- Plants (29 species)
Age: Pennsylvanian
Formation: Caseyville
Access: Public
Permit: None
Fee: None
Best Time: Spring–Fall
Dig Type: Self-guided
Tools: Hand tools allowed
Facilities: Limited
Contact: None
Notable Find: Spencer Farm Flora
Rating: 4.0/5 (20 reviews)
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Sheffield Strip Mines
Location: Sheffield, Bureau County, IL 61361
GPS: 41.3533, -89.7306
Fossils:
- Brachiopods
- Corals
Age: Pennsylvanian
Formation: Unknown
Access: Private
Permit: Permission required
Fee: Varies
Best Time: Spring–Fall
Dig Type: Guided
Tools: Provided
Facilities: Limited
Contact: None
Notable Find: None
Rating: N/A
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Batchtown
Location: Batchtown, Calhoun County, IL 62006
GPS: 39.0457, -90.6625
Fossils:
- Trilobites
Age: Ordovician
Formation: Kimmswick Limestone
Access: Public
Permit: None
Fee: None
Best Time: Spring–Fall
Dig Type: Self-guided
Tools: Hand tools allowed
Facilities: Limited
Contact: None
Notable Find: None
Rating: 3.8/5 (15 reviews)
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Savannah
Location: Savannah, Carroll County, IL 61074
GPS: 42.0931, -90.1511
Fossils:
- Trilobites
- Brachiopods
- Corals
Age: Silurian
Formation: Unknown
Access: Private
Permit: Permission required
Fee: Varies
Best Time: Spring–Fall
Dig Type: Guided
Tools: Provided
Facilities: Limited
Contact: None
Notable Find: Large trilobites
Rating: N/A
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Blue Island
Location: Blue Island, Cook County, IL 60406
GPS: 41.6519, -87.6948
Fossils:
- Worms
- Conularia
Age: Silurian
Formation: Racine Dolomite
Access: Private
Permit: Permission required
Fee: Varies
Best Time: Spring–Fall
Dig Type: Guided
Tools: Provided
Facilities: Limited
Contact: None
Notable Find: Lecathylus worms
Rating: N/A
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Alden Mine
Location: Farmington, Fulton County, IL 61531
GPS: 40.7180, -90.0127
Fossils:
- Brachiopods
- Plants
- Fish fragments
Age: Pennsylvanian
Formation: Carbondale
Access: Private
Permit: Permission required
Fee: Varies
Best Time: Spring–Fall
Dig Type: Guided
Tools: Provided
Facilities: Limited
Contact: None
Notable Find: Pyritized plants
Rating: N/A
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Nauvoo Quarries
Location: Nauvoo, Hancock County, IL 62354
GPS: 40.5500, -91.3847
Fossils:
- Trilobites
- Brachiopods
- Crinoids
- Fish
Age: Mississippian
Formation: Keokuk
Access: Private
Permit: Permission required
Fee: Varies
Best Time: Spring–Fall
Dig Type: Guided
Tools: Provided
Facilities: Limited
Contact: None
Notable Find: 48 fish species
Rating: N/A
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Grafton
Location: Grafton, Jersey County, IL 62037
GPS: 38.9700, -90.4314
Fossils:
- Trilobites
Age: Silurian
Formation: Racine, Edgewood
Access: Public
Permit: None
Fee: None
Best Time: Spring–Fall
Dig Type: Self-guided
Tools: Hand tools allowed
Facilities: Limited
Contact: None
Notable Find: Calymene trilobites
Rating: 4.0/5 (30 reviews)
Comparison of Illinois Fossil Dig Sites
| Site Name | State | Fossil Types | Dig Type | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mazonia-Braidwood | Illinois | Jellyfish, Ferns, Worms, Insects, Tully Monster | Public, Permit | 4.5/5 |
| Fossil Rock Recreation Area | Illinois | Plants, Invertebrates | Private, Fee | 4.2/5 |
| Coal City Strip Mines | Illinois | Plants, Marine Invertebrates | Public, Permit | 4.0/5 |
| Mazon Creek | Illinois | Plants, Invertebrates, Fish | Mixed, Permit | 4.3/5 |
| Dresden Lake | Illinois | Fish, Plants | Private, Fee | 4.1/5 |
| Kaskaskia River | Illinois | Brachiopods, Blastoids, Crinoids | Public | 3.8/5 |
| LaFarge Quarry | Illinois | Plants | Private, Permit | N/A |
| Mississippi River | Illinois | Bivalves, Gastropods | Public | 3.5/5 |
| South Illinois | Illinois | Invertebrate Burrows | Public | 3.7/5 |
| Adams County Coal Beds | Illinois | Bryozoa, Corals | Private, Permit | N/A |
| Quincy Quarries | Illinois | Fish Teeth, Mollusks | Private, Permit | N/A |
| Thebes Orchard Creek | Illinois | Trilobites, Brachiopods, Corals, Crinoids | Public | 3.9/5 |
| Belvidere | Illinois | Brachiopods, Mollusks, Algae | Public | 3.6/5 |
| La Moine River | Illinois | Plants | Public | 4.0/5 |
| Sheffield Strip Mines | Illinois | Brachiopods, Corals | Private, Permit | N/A |
| Batchtown | Illinois | Trilobites | Public | 3.8/5 |
| Savannah | Illinois | Trilobites, Brachiopods, Corals | Private, Permit | N/A |
| Blue Island | Illinois | Worms, Conularia | Private, Permit | N/A |
| Alden Mine | Illinois | Brachiopods, Plants, Fish | Private, Permit | N/A |
| Nauvoo Quarries | Illinois | Trilobites, Brachiopods, Crinoids, Fish | Private, Permit | N/A |
| Grafton | Illinois | Trilobites | Public | 4.0/5 |
Fossil Hunting in Illinois
Illinois is a fantastic place for fossil hunting, offering some of the best fossil dig sites in Illinois for families, beginners, and fossil enthusiasts. Known for its Pennsylvanian-era treasures, Illinois is home to public fossil sites like Mazonia-Braidwood, where you can find the famous Tully Monster. Family fossil trips in Illinois are easy and affordable, with low-cost paleontology tours in Illinois at places like Fossil Rock Recreation Area. Sites like Mazon Creek and Coal City offer self-guided fossil digs in Illinois, revealing plants, invertebrates, and fish from 300 million years ago. Curious about where to find fossils in Illinois? Try Thebes Orchard Creek for trilobites or the Mississippi River for Pleistocene shells. From fossil hunting in Illinois at Kaskaskia River to exploring prehistoric site tours in Illinois, the state’s diverse geology spans Ordovician to Pleistocene periods. Spring to fall is the best time for paleontology adventures in Illinois, with sites like Grafton and Belvidere offering easy access. Whether you’re planning fossil hunting state park visits or seeking common fossils in Illinois like brachiopods and crinoids, Illinois delivers exciting, hands-on experiences for all ages.
Fossil Digging FAQs
Can I dig for fossils in Illinois national parks?
No, collecting fossils in national parks is illegal to protect natural resources.
What gear is needed for fossil hunting in Illinois?
Comfortable clothes, sturdy shoes, water, a bag for fossils, and sometimes a permit. Tools are often not allowed.
Do I need a permit to hunt fossils in Illinois?
Some sites, like Mazonia-Braidwood, require a free permit from the Illinois DNR.
When is the best time to visit fossil sites in Illinois?
Spring to fall (March–September) for good weather and access.
Can kids join fossil digs in Illinois?
Yes, sites like Mazonia-Braidwood are kid-friendly with adult supervision.
Are there guided fossil tours in Illinois?
Limited, but check with museums or state parks for programs.
Can I keep fossils I find in Illinois?
Yes, at public sites like Mazonia-Braidwood, if permit rules are followed.