Where to Find Fossils in Missouri

Missouri has 7 mapped collecting spots that report fossils, spread across 5 counties. The largest share sits in Daviess County with 2 spots. 7 of the spots are on land mapped as publicly accessible.

Standout fossils spots in Missouri

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

Daviess County
Daviess County
Daviess County lies in the glaciated plains of northern Missouri, where Pleistocene ice sheets carried Lake Superior agates south from the Great Lakes basin and dropped them in glacial drift and stream gravels.
Gallatin
Daviess County
Gallatin sits on the Grand River in glaciated Daviess County, and the river gravels here are a documented source of petrified wood, agate, jasper, and chalcedony reworked from glacial drift.
Gentry County
Gentry County
Gentry County in far northwestern Missouri lies squarely in glacial-drift country, where ice-rafted Lake Superior agates, jasper, and petrified wood are scattered through till and reworked into the area's stream gravels.
Grundy County
Grundy County
Grundy County rounds out the cluster of glaciated northern Missouri counties that yield ice-transported Lake Superior agates, with mindat documenting Lake Superior agate from the county.

Best counties for fossils in Missouri

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

Every fossils spot we track in Missouri

Sorted by county. Coordinates open in Google Maps.

Spot	County	Minerals	Coordinates	Access
Daviess County215th Street	Daviess County	Lake Superior Agate Jasper Fossils Petrified Wood	39.9653, -93.9975	Public
GallatinPepper Avenue	Daviess County	Agate Chalcedony Jasper Petrified Wood Fossils	39.9193, -93.9405	Public
Gentry County	Gentry County	Lake Superior Agate Jasper Fossils Petrified Wood	40.2077, -94.3754	Public
Grundy County	Grundy County	Lake Superior Agate Jasper Fossils Petrified Wood	40.1196, -93.5296	Public
Livingston County	Livingston County	Lake Superior Agate Jasper Fossils Petrified Wood	39.7545, -93.5739	Public
Defiance QuarryMO DD	Saint Charles County	Yellow Calcite White Calcite Goethite Marcasite Pyrite Sphalerite Fossils	38.6608, -90.7760	Public
Saint Charles QuarryArena Parkway	Saint Charles County	Yellow Calcite Green Calcite Chert Nodules Dolomite Fluorite Fossils	38.7504, -90.5095	Public

Fossils in Missouri FAQ

Where can you find fossils in Missouri?+

The mapped spots concentrate in Daviess County, Saint Charles County, and Gentry County. Every spot on this page appears on the map above with coordinates and access notes.

How many fossils spots are mapped in Missouri?+

7 spots across 5 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 Missouri?+

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 Missouri

Hunt fossils in Missouri 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.

Standout fossils spots in Missouri

Daviess County

Gallatin

Gentry County

Grundy County