Where to Find Fossils in Florida

Florida has 7 mapped collecting spots that report fossils, spread across 6 counties. The largest share sits in Gadsden County with 2 spots. 7 of the spots are on land mapped as publicly accessible.

Standout fossils spots in Florida

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

Crystal River
Citrus County
Crystal River sits on the Nature Coast where the Eocene Crystal River Formation limestone hosts calcite and quartz crystal pockets, chalcedony-filled fossil molds, and chert, along with fossil echinoids and mollusks.
Peace River
DeSoto County
The Peace River was a shark nursery during the Miocene and later ran through Ice Age Florida, so its gravel bars carry fossil shark teeth, including large megalodon teeth, alongside mammoth, mastodon, and other Pleistocene mammal fossils.
Quincy Area
Gadsden County
Gadsden County in the eastern Panhandle is one of Florida's better sources of silicified (petrified) wood, which weathers out as tan to brown grain-patterned fragments from silica-rich Tertiary sediments.

Best counties for fossils in Florida

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

Every fossils spot we track in Florida

Sorted by county. Coordinates open in Google Maps.

Spot	County	Minerals	Coordinates	Access
Crystal RiverSuncoast Boulevard	Citrus County	Calcite Quartz Chert Fossils	28.9642, -82.6352	Public
Peace River	DeSoto County	Shark Teeth Megalodon Teeth Fossils Mammoth Mastodon	27.2114, -81.8553	Public
Quincy AreaPorter Mitchell Road	Gadsden County	Silicified Wood Fossils	30.6766, -84.5566	Public
Unnamed Area (Silicified Wood)Mine Loop	Gadsden County	Silicified Wood Fossils	30.6886, -84.4349	Public
Jackson County AreaValley View Road	Jackson County	Fossils Chert	30.8051, -85.2591	Public
Polk County QuarriesAlcoma Grove Road	Polk County	Fossils Gypsum Petrified Wood Uranium Vivianite	27.9116, -81.5067	Public
Cross Florida Barge Canal	Putnam County	Fossils Silicified Coral	29.5520, -81.7175	Public

Fossils in Florida FAQ

Where can you find fossils in Florida?+

The mapped spots concentrate in Gadsden County, Citrus County, and DeSoto County. Every spot on this page appears on the map above with coordinates and access notes.

How many fossils spots are mapped in Florida?+

7 spots across 6 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 Florida?+

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. 7 of the 7 mapped spots here sit on land marked public. Always confirm current rules with the managing agency before you dig.

Where else to find fossils

More minerals to hunt in Florida

Hunt fossils in Florida 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.