When visiting Ohio recently, I was looking at things to do and discovered that there was a public park where fossil hunting is allowed in Sharonville, OH, called Trammel Fossil Park. There’s no fee to enter the park and visitors can keep the fossils they find.
The fossils in the park are in limestone formations and date from the Ordovician Period, dating over 440 million years ago. You can find brachiopods, crinoids, gastropods, bryozoans, trilobites, and other types of fossils of prehistoric aquatic life here.
The park, which opened in 2003, is 10 acres, but much of that is wooded and there is a trail to a scenic overlook of Cincinnati. The fossil area is still quite large though, and is a hill of exposed limestone rock with rock fragments on the ground everywhere. There are also picnic tables and displays explaining the various types of fossils you can find. The water found and hand washing station are seasonal and were closed when we were there in October. There’s no modern restroom, but there was a port-o-potty in the parking lot.
I understand that digging is allowed, but it definitely isn’t necessary. I didn’t know we’d be fossil hunting that day, so I didn’t have any hand tools with me. This didn’t matter though, as there are thousands of rocks all over the surface of the park and every rock you pick up is likely to contain some sort of fossil or fossil imprint. This makes sense as limestone is constructed of various fossils and fossil debris.
My teenager wasn’t enthusiastic about this unexpected stop, especially when I told her we’d be there about an hour, but as soon as she got out of the car and starting finding fossils, she was hooked. Over an hour flew by with no complaints and a large pile of rocks she wanted to keep. Most of the larger specimens are now in our flower bed and the smaller ones are inside our house stored with fossils I’ve found elsewhere or purchased.
Despite visiting the Cincinnati area for decades, I never know this park existed. I’m glad I discovered it in a random Google search, and I look forward to visiting again in the future. If you’re staying in the Cincinnati for a few days to visit King’s Island or the Zoo, this park is definitely worth checking out for an hour or two for a fun and educational experience. Bring a bucket and let your kids take home some cool souvenirs.
