Finding Fossils in Indiana and Kentucky

The Falls of the Ohio is a great place to see fossils, but collecting is illegal. There are other localities in the area where fossil collecting is permitted.

Remember that collecting on private property requires permission. Sites listed do not indicate that collecting is permitted without permission. These are some places that fossils have been reported. When in doubt - ask!

Upper Ordovician (Maysvillian - Cincinnatian stages)
1.) U.S. 421 north of Madison, Jefferson Co., IN Rock type: interbedded shale and limestone Type of exposure: Road cut, also creek exposures on west side

Types of fossils: brachiopods, bryozoans, cephalopods, conodonts, corals, crinoids, edrioasteroids, gastropods, monoplacophorans, pelecypods, scolecodont teeth, stromatoporoids, starfish, trace fossils, trilobites.

2.) State Road 155 between Fisherville (Jefferson Co.), KY and Taylorsville (Spencer Co.), KY Type of exposure: Road cut Rock type: interbedded shale and limestone

Types of fossils: brachiopods, bryozoans, cephalopods, conodonts, corals, gastropods, monoplacophorans, pelecypods, scolecodont teeth, stromatoporoids, trace fossils, trilobites. Mineralized brachiopods, aulocerid stromatoporoids and colonial corals with calcite, dolomite, celestine and other minerals.

3.) State Roads 467 and 227 between I-71 and Worthville, Carroll Co., KY Rock type: Primarily shale with thin limestone layers Type of exposure: Road cut

Types of fossils: brachiopods, bryozoans, cephalopods, conodonts, gastropods, graptolites, monoplacophorans, pelecypods, scolecodont teeth, trace fossils, trilobites.

4.) State Road 157 near Sligo (near rail road tracks) Rock type: Rubbly limestone Type of exposure: Road cut

Types of fossils: brachiopods, bryozoans, cephalopods and gastropods. Mineralized brachiopods with calcite, dolomite and celestine.

Lower Silurian (Brassfield Formation)
Rock type: Dolomitized limestone

5.) State Road 329 at I-71 exit 14, north of Crestwood, Oldham Co., KY (behind gas station and lower part of the road cut south); a one to two foot thick unit, with Ordovician Whitewater Formation below and Middle Silurian Laurel Dolostone above Type of exposure: road cut, highwall behind gas station

Types of fossils: brachiopods, bryozoans, corals (horn), trilobites Mineralized small pockets rare: barite, calcite and dolomite

Middle Silurian
6.) State Road 245 between I-65 and Bardstown, Bullitt or Nelson Co., KY Rock type: Waldron shale and Laurel Limestone (actually is a dolomitized limestone) Type of exposure: road cut

Types of fossils: brachiopods, crinoids, sponges, cephalopods, trace fossils, trilobites.

7.) Fossil collecting piles at the Falls of the Ohio State Park (when available at the rear of the parking lot) Rock type: Waldron shale; Middle Devonian North Vernon Formation Type of exposure: rock dump from a Jeffersonville area quarry

Type of fossils: brachiopods, bryozoans, cephalopods, corals, crinoids, cystoids, gastropods, graptolites, monoplacophorans, pelecypods, trace fossils, trilobites.

Middle Devonian
8.) Cannons Lane near Bowman Field airport (Louisville) Rock type: Jeffersonville limestone Type of exposure: road cut

Types of fossils: brachiopods, corals, and stromatoporoids

Also see (6.) North Vernon formation
Type of fossils: brachiopods, bryozoans, corals, gastropods, pelecypods, trilobites.

9.) US 42 at I-265 (Gene Snyder Freeway) Rock type: Jeffersonville limestone Type of exposure: road cut

Types of fossils: brachiopods, corals, and stromatoporoids

Middle Mississippian (Osagean and Meramecean)
10.) Brooks Hill Road, Bullitt Co., KY Rock types - siltstone and limestone Type of exposure: road cut

Types of fossil: Harrodsburg = Warsaw - blastoids, brachiopods, bryozoans, corals, crinoids, echinoids Muldraugh - brachiopods, bryozoans, crinoids, trace fossils Brodhead - brachiopods, bryozoans, corals (horn), trace fossils Geodes are noted in the Muldraugh formation, containing quartz, calcite and rarely aragonite. Many are fluorescent / phosphorescent with an ultraviolet lamp.

11.) US 150, Floyds Knobs, Floyd Co., Indiana (just of I-64 at exit 119, Greenville - Paoli exit) Rock types - siltstone, Edwardsville & Ramp Creek formations Type of exposure: road cut

Types of fossils - brachiopods, bryozoans, crinoids, trace fossils

Upper Mississippian (Chesterian)
12.) Intersection of I-64 and State Road 37 at exit 86, Crawford Co., Indiana. Famous locality. Rock types - sandstone, shale and limestone, Beech Creek limestone, Tar Springs Sandstone, Indian Springs Mbr. (productive layer), Haney limestone, Hardinsburg sandstone Type of exposure: road cut

Types of fossils: blastoids, brachiopods, bryozoans, conularids, corals (horn), crinoids, gastropods, pelecypods, shark teeth and scales, trace fossils, trilobites.

13.) State Road 37 several miles north (near Grantsburg, Crawford Co., Indiana) Rock types - sandstone, shale and limestone Type of exposure: road cut

Types of fossils: blastoids, brachiopods, bryozoans, conularids, corals (horn), crinoids, gastropods, pelecypods, shark teeth and scales, trace fossils, trilobites.

Recommend using state highway maps and Louisville / Jefferson County road maps to find localities effectively or county road atlases for Indiana and Kentucky.