Where to Find Fossils in Michigan

Michigan has 13 mapped collecting spots that report fossils, spread across 12 counties. The largest share sits in Leelanau County with 2 spots. 11 of the spots are on land mapped as publicly accessible, and 1 is a fee-dig site.

Spot list checked against source data on April 1, 2026.

Standout fossil spots in Michigan

Hand-picked from the full list below, with the reason each one earns a trip.

Rockport Recreation Area
Alpena County
Rockport State Recreation Area opens a 300-acre former limestone quarry whose floor is scattered with Devonian fossils about 400 million years old, including Petoskey stones, Favosites honeycomb coral, brachiopods, and crinoids.
Charles Mears State Park Beach
Oceana County
Charles Mears State Park puts almost 2,000 feet of Lake Michigan beach within easy reach in Pentwater, where wave-sorted gravel turns up Petoskey stones and other glacially transported Great Lakes specimens.

Best counties for fossils in Michigan

Ranked by the number of mapped fossil spots. County links open the full rockhounding page for that county.

Every fossil spot we track in Michigan

Sorted by county. Coordinates open in Google Maps.

Spot	County	Minerals	Coordinates	Access
Sturgeon Point Lighthouse	Alcona County	Granite Chert Fossil Limestone Quartz Petoskey Stone Puddingstone	44.7127, -83.2727	Paid / fee
Rockport Recreation AreaOld Grade Road	Alpena County	Petoskey Stone Fossilized Coral Brachiopod Crinoid Stem Pyrite Horn Coral Favosites Cladopora +5 more	45.2013, -83.3949	Public
Antrim Creek Natural Area	Antrim County	Petoskey Stone Charlevoix Stone Horn Coral Fossil Chain Coral Beach Glass	45.1791, -85.3787	Public
Singing Bridge Public Access	Arenac County	Petoskey Stone Charlevoix Stone Gneiss Granite Puddingstone Horn Coral Fossil Jasper +9 more	44.1432, -83.5686	Public
Beach (Petoskey area 2)Lake Shore Drive	Charlevoix County	Petoskey Stone Fossil	45.2296, -85.3862	Permission
Burt Lake BeachWest Burt Lake Road	Cheboygan County	Petoskey Stone Fossil	45.5368, -84.6894	Public
Torch Lake BeachM 26	Houghton County	Fossil Petoskey Stone	47.1501, -88.4560	Public
Christmas Cove Beach	Leelanau County	Petoskey Stone Charlevoix Stone Stromatoporoid Fossil	45.1689, -85.6327	Public
Onomonee Road Beach	Leelanau County	Charlevoix Stone Stromatolite Stromatoporoid Fossil Chert Petoskey Stone	45.1130, -85.6755	Public
Arcadia Beach Natural AreaLake Street	Manistee County	Petoskey Stone Charlevoix Stone Coral Fossil	44.4939, -86.2414	Public
Summit Park	Mason County	Petoskey Stone Charlevoix Stone Agate Fossil	43.8560, -86.4321	Public
Charles Mears State Park BeachNorth Lakeshore Drive	Oceana County	Petoskey Stone Agate Fossil	43.7343, -86.4729	Public
Deerlick Creek Park	Van Buren County	Fossil Lightning Stone Unakite Petoskey Stone Jasper Beach Glass Horn Coral Cold Water Agate +4 more	42.3725, -86.2923	Public

Fossils in Michigan FAQ

Where can you find fossils in Michigan?+

The mapped spots concentrate in Leelanau County, Alcona County, and Alpena County. Every spot on this page appears on the map above with coordinates and access notes.

How many fossil spots are mapped in Michigan?+

13 spots across 12 counties. The RockHoundR app keeps the same spots on an offline map with public land overlays, geology layers, and your saved finds.

Is it legal to collect fossils in Michigan?+

Hand collecting of common rocks and minerals in small amounts for personal use is generally allowed on BLM and U.S. Forest Service land, with limits set by the local field office. National parks, most state parks, and tribal land are closed to collecting. 11 of the 13 mapped spots here sit on land marked public, and 1 is a fee-dig operation where you pay for access and keep what you find. Always confirm current rules with the managing agency before you dig.

Where else to find fossils

More minerals to hunt in Michigan

Hunt fossils in Michigan with the map in your pocket

RockHoundR puts these spots on an offline map with BLM and Forest Service overlays, geology layers, and a log for your finds.