PaleoJoe’s Michigan Fossil Digs and Adventures

Join PaleoJoe as he leads you around Alpena, Michigan looking for ancient creature remains.

Every Year PaleoJoe leads families on Fossil Digs in Alpena, Michigan. These are beginner digs but it is fun for experienced diggers too. Because the area is so rich with fossils they can be found in certain areas in abundance.

Because Alpena was once a saltwater tropical sea many creatures inhabited the area. But being near the equator large storms would develop. So the sea was in turmoil and undersea conditions became unlivable. Because of huge mud flows coming of the land creatures were killed and buried. So being buried in mud the quickly became fossils. Over time sediment accumulated and buried the creatures even deeper. Because of the last few ice ages scraping away sediments these fossils can now be found. PaleoJoe Fossil Digs are concentrated on areas that were once coral reefs and were now exposed by the Ice Ages.

Fossils found include ancient sea shells called brachiopods, many varieties of corals and bryozoans. But that is not all. Crinoid stems and disks as well as snails and many other fossils can be found.

The one time cost is per vehicle. Participants must pay their own transportation food and accommodations. Fossil Digs begin promptly at 9 am and run until 3 pm.

Participants need to bring their own tools such as hammers and chisels but some surface collecting is also done at the first site. Boxes or 5 gallon buckets to take away your treasures are also recommended.