Fossil Hunting on the Peace River in Arcadia Florida

Fossil Hunting on the Peace River is a popular past time. Go to any boat ramp on the upper Peace and

you'll see fossil hunters. The best way to find fossils though is to rent a canoe and work your way down the river. In a canoe or kayak, you can get to fossil spots most can't get to. You can find all types of fossils including shark teeth, mammoth teeth, camel teeth, dolphin teeth, mastodon teeth, you name it. If it once roamed or swam over Florida, you might find a fossilized piece of history. The only thing you won't find are dinosaur fossils.

When: The best time to fossil hunt is springtime usually. March, April, May are usually the low times of year. The water needs to be a least 12" below normal for the best fossil hunting to be getting good. Keep an eye on http://www.canoeoutpost.com/Peace/prwaterlevel.htm for the latest water levels. Anytime the river drops it is time to fossil hunt.

Sunny days are preferred because you can see the bottom better but sunny is not necessary if you are sifting. Sunny days are best for snorkeling and diving though and the water clarity needs to be good. The higher the water, the less clarity there is.

Where: Fossils can be found anywhere on the upper Peace River. The favorite stretches are Gardner south to Arcadia with the Brownville and Oak Hill Runs being the most popular runs because they are shorter and you have more time to look. You can also leave from our dock and paddle upstream, then back when done. Lots of people go to the public boat ramps but that means lots of people. In canoes or kayaks you can get to areas other than ramps that haven't been picked over.

You are looking for eroded banks and gravelly areas at the river's edge and on the bottom. Do not dig into the bank, that is private property!. Most fossils are found on the bottom and at the edge of the water because they have washed and rolled down out of the bank. Take your paddle, shovel, or a metal rod and probe the bottom occasionally. You're listening/feeling for a "crunch" under the sand layer. That will be the sound of a gravel layer. Darker colored (not tan sand) areas on the bottom are usually gravel spots. On bends where there is a high bank or under overhanging trees (be careful, gators like under the trees) are also good spots to look. Rocky areas are another indication of a possible fossil spot.

How: To find the fossils, you have to get in the water and get those feet wet! You need a shovel or trowel and a sifter. For a list of suggested tools, click here. For beginners, macaroni or spaghetti strainers are good, for the more serious, "screens" are recommended. The screens are wooden frames with hardware cloth attached. You can buy them for different suppliers, check the campground next door to the Outpost or build your own. Most are about 18-24" square made with 1x2's and 1/8" to 1/4" hardware cloth. Bring a shovel or trowel to scoop up the gravel. Long handled shovels will get you in deeper spots. Canoe Outpost has both types of sifters for you to borrow on a first come, first serve basis. Canoe Outpost sifters and run out fast, if canoeing later than 10 a.m., better bring you own. Sorry, we don't have shovels, they never come back. Scoop up some gravel, you can even just use your hands, and dump it into the sifter. Shake the sifter in the water to wash the mud and sand away and start poking thru what's left in the sifter. The method is similar to panning for gold but you're panning for "black" gold. Go to http://www.tampabayfossilclub.com/peace_river.php to see helpful equipment or see below.

Another favorite method is to snorkel and/or dive and "fan" for fossils. A lot of fossils are below the sand closer to the limestone bottom. You use your hand or something similar (folded old car tag works good) to fan the sand away.

Our favorite fossil guide, if you want a guide, shows you how to fossil hunt on YouTube, click here.

What: You are looking for black, hard shapes, with and without enamel. The Outpost has fossil i.d. handouts for customers to take with them. We also have a notebook with all kinds of drawings you can look thru for i.d. purposes when you get back. Office staff can also help i.d. fossils but they are only amateurs. If we can't i.d. it at the Outpost, go to one of the links below for photos to help. Black and shiny "rocks" can be anything so look closely.

Go to http://www.sharkteethrus.com/fossils/florida/2florida.htm for great hints and detailed instructions especially what you can keep. This website has all the information you need to fossil hunt in Florida.

You also need a permit to keep anything other than shark teeth and invertebrate fossils. Go to www.flmnh.ufl.edu/natsci/vertpaleo/vppermit.htm for more info.

Other equipment you might need: Sunscreen, shoes (glass and rocks on bottom), plenty of water and/or sports drinks, snacks, hat, dry clothes & towel left in car to change into after hunt, trash bag, bucket or two (one for finds, one for broken glass), and Ziploc bags for treasures. Nail aprons or fanny bags come in handy to put your find into as you shovel and sift.

Fossil Links