McAbee Fossil Beds: Rockhounding in Thompson-Nicola Regional District, British Columbia

Plan your visit

Confirm rules before collecting

County

Thompson-Nicola Regional District

Province

British Columbia

Nearest road

Highway 1

Postal code

V0K 1H0

Coordinates

50.79718, -121.14115

Coordinates are approximate. Confirm the exact ground and access before you head out.

Land & collecting status

Confirm rules before collecting

Land status here is not confirmed. National and provincial parks prohibit collecting, while Crown land and many beaches allow it. Verify with the managing agency before you collect.

Access note: Provincial heritage site beside Highway 1 east of Cache Creek, with finely preserved insect and plant fossils and many fish fossils. It is run by the St'uxwtews Pesuten Heritage Society with the Bonaparte First Nation. You can walk the marked trails and look, but removing or disturbing fossils is illegal. It opens seasonally and charges admission, so check the operator's site first.

Collecting rules in Canada are set provincially and by land owner. Crown land and many public beaches allow casual hand collecting, while provincial and national parks are off-limits. Confirm the rules for this site before you dig.