Fossil hunting near me: where you can dig and what you can keep

Updated October 20, 2026. Rules come from the BLM, the Forest Service’s federal regulations and Oregon state documents; sources are at the end.

Common fossils allowed on BLM and forest land

On land managed by the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service, you may collect common invertebrate fossils, like trilobites or shells, and common plant fossils in reasonable amounts for personal use. Fossils with a skeletal structure, such as dinosaur, reptile, fish, bird or mammal remains, are not allowed. National parks are closed to collecting.

BLM land: Common invertebrate and plant fossils, reasonable amounts, personal use
National forests: Casual collecting without a permit, unless the area is closed
Not allowed: Fossils with a skeletal structure, such as dinosaur or mammal remains
National parks: Collecting generally prohibited

Places to look

Wheeler High School fossil beds, Fossil, Oregon

A hillside next to the high school sports fields in Fossil, Wheeler County, where the public digs for plant fossils about 30 million years old: metasequoia, sycamore, maple and pine relatives. Metasequoia, the dawn redwood, is Oregon’s state fossil. The land belongs to the Fossil School District, and digging is paid: a 2023 state document calls it a fee that supports school programs, while the district’s 2022 policy calls it a donation. We found no official amount. Look for the pay station and sign board at the trailhead.

Take limit: the district’s policy (November 2022) allows five fossils per person; a 2023 state summary says two handfuls of material per visit. Ask on site.
No camping on school grounds, no smoking or alcohol, and don’t disturb students in classes.
Tools: the school provides some at the beginning of the year, but they may not always be available, so bring your own.
Learn more: the Oregon Paleo Lands Institute has offered interpretation for the beds for over a decade, at its visitor center at 333 W. Fourth St in Fossil.

Oak Springs Trilobite Site, Nevada

Fossil remains of six types of trilobites in shale near Oak Springs Summit, about 12 miles west of Caliente on US 93; turn north at mile marker 81. There is a parking lot, a trail register, an interpretive sign and a picnic table, no restrooms and no fee. The BLM page does not say whether collecting is allowed, so check with the BLM first, at 775-726-8100, the number on its page. More on rockhounding in Nevada.

Chambless Rock Collecting Area, California

A BLM collecting area west of Needles. The BLM describes a gray ridge of limestone embedded with many interesting fossils farther east, in yet another canyon. Its page gives no fossil-specific rule, so the general BLM rule below applies. The area is on the southern edge of the Trilobite Wilderness, where only non-motorized hand tools are allowed. More on rockhounding in California.

Not open: John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, Oregon

Oregon’s geology agency notes that most Bridge Creek flora sites are inside the monument and are not open to public collecting. That is why the Wheeler High School beds, where school groups and hobbyists have collected since 1949, matter to collectors.

Rules on BLM land

Allowed: common invertebrate fossils, like trilobites or shells, and common plant fossils, in reasonable quantities for personal use.
Not allowed: any fossil with a skeletal structure, uncommon invertebrate or plant fossils, and dinosaur track castings.
Vertebrate fossils need a permit, according to BLM Oregon and Washington.
Sensitive areas may prohibit collecting: check with the local BLM office and follow posted signs.

Rules in national forests

Casual collecting of a reasonable amount of common invertebrate and plant fossils is allowed without a permit, for non-commercial personal use.
How: by surface collection or with non-powered hand tools, with only negligible disturbance.
Open unless closed: it is up to you to make sure the area is open. National monuments within the National Forest System are closed.
No selling: fossils collected on national forest land cannot be sold.
Research collecting needs a permit.

What counts as common

Federal rules define common invertebrate and plant fossils as those of ordinary occurrence and wide-spread distribution, and add that not all invertebrate and plant fossils are common. It is up to you to check, so if you are not sure a fossil is common, ask the managing office before you take it.

Save fossil sites for the trip

The Capyhound app will keep the map, the rules and your saved places on your phone, even with no signal.

Questions

Can I keep fossils I find on public land?

On BLM land, yes for common invertebrate fossils, like trilobites or shells, and common plant fossils, in reasonable quantities for personal use. In national forests, casual collecting of common invertebrate and plant fossils is allowed without a permit where the land is not closed.

Which fossils can’t I take?

On BLM land, any fossil with a skeletal structure, meaning the remains of dinosaurs, reptiles, fish, birds or mammals. Uncommon invertebrate or plant fossils and dinosaur track castings are off-limits too.

Can I sell fossils I collect?

Not from national forests: federal rules say fossils collected there cannot be sold. On BLM land, collecting is for personal use.

Where can I dig for fossils in Oregon?

At the public fossil beds behind Wheeler High School in Fossil, on Fossil School District land. Digging is paid, and the rules include no camping on school grounds and a limit on what you take.

Can I collect fossils at John Day Fossil Beds National Monument?

No. Oregon’s geology agency notes that the Bridge Creek flora sites inside the monument are not open to public collecting, and the National Park Service generally prohibits collecting in all its units.

Can I collect trilobites at Oak Springs, Nevada?

The BLM’s page for the site does not say. The BLM’s general rule allows common invertebrate fossils such as trilobites, but sensitive areas may be closed, so check with the BLM first.

Do I need a permit to collect fossils in a national forest?

Not for casual collecting of common invertebrate and plant fossils on open land. Research collecting needs a permit, and casual collecting is not allowed in national monuments within the National Forest System.

Sources

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