Collecting Fossils in California - Ammonites

<BODY BGCOLOR="#ffffff"> <P><FONT COLOR="#000000">Ammonite Fossil Site -</FONT></P> <P><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=-1>This spectacular fossil area is located in a beautiful </FONT><FONT SIZE=-1>canyon</FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=-1> in the heart of the Lassen National Forest in the Tehama County of Northern California.</FONT></P> <P><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=-1>Over millions of years, a creek named </FONT><FONT SIZE=-1>Mill Creek</FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=-1> had cut deep into the Sierras exposing </FONT><FONT SIZE=-1>Late Cretaceous</FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=-1> strata (approx. 80 to 90 million years ago). A few million years after that time, an extraterrestrial body hit the earth causing the extinction of the dinosaurs and the ammonites. </FONT></P> <P><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=-1>From an ecological point of view, this strata witnessed the evolutionary </FONT><FONT SIZE=-1>"last stand"</FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=-1> of survival made by the ammonites in a sea already conquered by bigger predators. Close </FONT><FONT SIZE=-1>relatives of the ammonites</FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=-1>, the rare Nautilus and the Argonaut still exist today.</FONT></P> <P><FONT SIZE=-1>The last town you will reach before heading to a campground at the side of the Mill Creek is the town of Red Bluff, which is located along Interstate 5.</FONT></P> <P><FONT SIZE=-1>The town has all the creature comforts you will need before heading up the mountains for a real camping adventure. Sport Utility car rentals are available there.</FONT></P> <P><FONT SIZE=-1>Red Bluff is located approx. 30 miles south of Redding and approx100 miles North of Sacramento.</FONT></P> <P><FONT SIZE=-1>From </FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=-1>Red Bluff</FONT><FONT SIZE=-1> take Highway 36 North for 25 miles until the locality of </FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=-1>Paynes Creek.</FONT><FONT SIZE=-1> </FONT></P> <P><FONT SIZE=-1>There you take Plum Creek Rd. for 9 miles until you see a sign that reads: </FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=-1>'Ponderosa Way to Black Rock'</FONT><FONT SIZE=-1>. Take it.</FONT></P> <P><FONT SIZE=-1>Ponderosa Way is a very drivable dirt road that goes up the mountains crossing several creeks. The road provides really </FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=-1>spectacular</FONT><FONT SIZE=-1> scenery. Drive for 19 miles until you reach the bottom of a deep canyon. That is the Mill Creek and the </FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=-1>Black Rock</FONT><FONT SIZE=-1> campground.</FONT></P> <P><FONT SIZE=-1>Once you have reached the Black Rock campground</FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=-1> and</FONT><FONT COLOR="#0000FF" SIZE=-1> </FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=-1>you have settled down, you will need to hike for approx. 1 mile. The trail head is at the western end of the campground.</FONT></P> <P><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=-1>The </FONT><FONT SIZE=-1>trail</FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=-1> is easy and goes for up to 6.5 miles. After approx. 0.5 miles of hiking at the side of a private farm, you will see an eroded </FONT><FONT SIZE=-1>sedimentary cliff</FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=-1> at your left. Soon after, you will go through an iron gate. Cross 4 gullies. Walk for approx. 300 yards, and head straight down the creek.</FONT></P> <P><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=-1>You will reach a beach with a prominent </FONT><FONT SIZE=-1>big purple rock</FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=-1> in the middle. This beach is the most convenient collecting site.</FONT></P> <P><FONT SIZE=-1>Once you are in the creek beach, you will see several hard rocks with fossil shell fragments laying on the floor. </FONT></P> <P><FONT SIZE=-1>You will also see big boulders of a softer chalk type gray-green sediment material that has fallen from the big cliff up river though natural erosion. This material is easy to break with the hammer. You can find extinct clams (figure), beautiful ammonites and other mollusks </FONT></P> <P><FONT SIZE=-1>Occasionally, you will encounter smooth and foot long round dark brown rocks buried inside the sediment material. If you split this rocks open you may find giant fossil clams.</FONT></P> <UL> <LI><FONT SIZE=-1>Camping equipment and supplies</FONT> <LI><FONT SIZE=-1>Back-pack</FONT> <LI><FONT SIZE=-1>Geological hammer</FONT> <LI><FONT SIZE=-1>Chisel</FONT> <LI><FONT SIZE=-1>Goggles (important for chiseling hard rocks)</FONT> <LI><FONT SIZE=-1>Gloves</FONT> <LI><FONT SIZE=-1>Video and/or photo camera (some fossils may be to heavy to carry)</FONT> </UL> <P><FONT SIZE=-1>This region is called the "Ishi Wilderness" and is within the Lassen National Forest. Permits are not required for the casual fossil collector. If you plan to collect inside the private farm boundary you must ask for the landlord permission first. Also for your safety, you must read carefully the Black Rock's hiking precautions regarding the presence of wildlife displayed at the trailhead.</FONT></P> <P><FONT SIZE=-1>You must respect the area. Do not dig indiscriminately. You must clean-up and carry all the garbage with you. Please be aware that this fossil site is a gift from nature for everyone to enjoy.</FONT></P> <P><FONT SIZE=-1>If you think you found an unusual fossil, please contact your nearest museum of Natural History. If you discover a new species, it will be named after you!</FONT></P> <P><FONT SIZE=-1>The following book is recommended for further reading:</FONT> </P> <UL> <LI><FONT SIZE=-1>"On Methuselah's Trail" by Peter Douglas Ward, W.H. Freeman and Company, New York, 1991. A very educative and fun book to read. It has a section that describes an ammonite collecting adventure from this fossil site region.</FONT> </UL> <P>Viewing this page requires a browser capable of displaying frames. With that capability you will be able to view images and graphics associated to the text for much more enjoyable experience. If you have a frames capable browser, go to the following URL:</P> <P>http://www.gtlsys.com ('Collecting Fossils in California' home page) </BODY>