Weeklong National Fossil Day Events

The City of Ladonia and the Pete Patterson Fossil Park have an exciting


Collecting Fossils

event planned to celebrate National Fossil Day. 

A Family Fossil Fun Day is slated for Saturday, October 19th. The day will focus on kids and new fossil hunters at NSR. It all begins in Ladonia at Fannindel School Gymnasium located at 701 Mill Street. A separate fossil program has been created by two Texas Master Naturalists who are childhood education specialists and will be held in a separate area of the building to focus on kids fossil activities and learning. Adults will gather in the gymnasium for introductory learning about the NSR and fossil and artifact hunting there. Then, the adults and kids will adjourn from the school for guided exploration at nearby North Sulphur River Canyon fossil beds. The North Sulphur River in southeast Fannin County is noted for CreItaceous Period marine megafossils such as mosasaurs and plesiosaurs and for Ice Age fossils such as mammoths and mastodons.

Registration at the Workshop will begin at 8:00 am and will continue to 9:00 am when the programs begin. Ladonia Mayor Jan Cooper will welcome adult visitors to Ladonia. Texas Master Naturalist Doug Franklin will give history of the NSR, and North Sulphur River fossil hunter and event chairman PK Kirkpatrick will address safety issues for safely hunting at Ladonia Fossil Park, aka Pete Patterson Fossil Park, and provide information on how to have a great hunt at the North Sulphur River Canyon.  During the same time, kids will be talking about fossils, making artcraft fossils, and having sandbox fossil digs. At 10:30 am the group will adjourn for the guided exploration at Ladonia Fossil Park.

Partners joining the City of Ladonia to host the National Park Service sanctioned event include the Dallas Paleontological Society, and Texas Master Naturalist Bois d’ Arc Chapter and Blackland Prairie Chapter. Workshop chair, PK Kirkpatrick tells hunters, “While workshops of this caliber are usually with significant fee, these National Fossil Day events are free, thanks to a number of volunteers from our sponsoring organizations!”

In event of heavy rainfall, the river excursions will be postponed. Event Chair Kirkpatrick said those going on the excursion need to pack water, wear close-toed shoes or mud boots or mud wading shoes if the area should be so lucky to have had recent rainfall, and those with arthritic knees, ankles, backs, and mobility problems may want to stay topside at the park and not enter the river bed because of steepness and height of steps at the park.

The park is open 365 days a year but hunting is determined by whether water is in raging flow. Due to safety issues, hunting is allowed only when the river is not flowing.  The banks are very steep and in most places are impossible to climb out.  There are steps in the park area and they are not the easiest to climb down.  Visitors are warned to be alert to the possibility of snakes and wild animals such as feral hogs and watch the weather carefully.  Rain in the forecast?  Best to wait for another day.

The fossils date back about 80 million years or more. With a few exceptions, hunters may collect and take fossils out of the river. A fossil left in the riverbed or embankment will not be there after the next big rainfall due to extreme flow rate of the raging North Sulphur River. Exceptions are large museum worthy finds and unusual and rare specimens. For many years, the North Sulphur River has been an attraction for local fossil hunters, amateur and professional paleontologists, and various fossil, paleontological, gem and mineral groups and societies in Northeast Texas. More recently, it has attracted national attention. read more... http://www.cityofladonia.com/Fossil%20Park/Fossil.html or join the Fossil Forum for extensive information about collecting fossils in the Lake Texoma area  and Ladonia Fossil Park:  http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/19344-pete-patterson-fossil-park/

Fossil hunting is very popular in the Lake Texoma area and they are quite plentiful.  The Fossil Forum is a great place for beginners to visit for information, identification and fun conversation for fossil collecting enthusiast..