Peace River: Fossil Hunting in DeSoto County, Florida
Updated July 2026
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. The stretch near Arcadia and Zolfo Springs is the best known, reached from public boat ramps and canoe liveries. Fossil hunting is best in the dry season, October through April, when low water exposes the gravel. Reported finds include shark teeth, megalodon teeth, fossils, mammoth, mastodon. Below: coordinates, access notes, nearby spots, and trip-planning links.
Peace River photos
Public image records connected to this spot or its reported material.
Map showing Peace River in DeSoto County, Florida
Quick details
- Access
- Public area
- County
- DeSoto County
- State
- Florida
- Coordinates
- 27.21139, -81.85528
Geology at Peace River
This spot sits on Hawthorn Group, Peace River Formation, mapped as sand, clay, and dolostone that formed roughly 16 to 3 million years ago. Reworked sediments like these can carry fossils eroded from older beds upstream, typically as rolled bone fragments, teeth, and shell material.
- Mapped unit
- Hawthorn Group, Peace River Formation
- Age
- 16–3 Ma (Middle Miocene to Pliocene)
- Rock types
- sand, clay, and dolostone
- Elevation
- 80 ft
Geologic mapping via Macrostrat and the underlying state geological survey maps (CC BY 4.0). Bedrock at the surface can vary within a mapped unit.
Best time to visit Peace River
Best months: September to May. Typical highs run 91°F in midsummer and 73°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 47°F.
Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, ARCADIA station (1 mi away).
Land & collecting status
Generally open to casual rockhounding
Most public-tagged spots sit on BLM, U.S. Forest Service, or other federal land where reasonable hand collecting of common rocks and minerals is allowed. Confirm posted rules and active mining claims before you dig.
Public-land rules vary by agency, season, and field office. The RockHoundR app pulls live BLM, USFS, NPS, and tribal overlays so you can see exactly which agency manages the ground at this spot.
Sources & verification
Spot details combine the public RockHoundR location dataset, normalized mineral labels, agency land-status checks in the app, and community submissions. Coordinates are approximate until verified in the field.
Sources: RockHoundR public spot dataset, app land overlays, and local agency review before each trip.
Found at Peace River
Each chip opens all spots that produce that material; the encyclopedia link opens the full ID and field guide.
Nearby rockhounding spots
Other rockhounding spots within driving distance of Peace River.
- Englewood BeachTop pick in FloridaCharlotte County, Florida · 37 mi awayFossilized Coral, Shark Teeth, Sponges
- Gulf BeachesTop pick in FloridaSarasota County, Florida · 38 mi awayFossilized Coral, Shark Teeth, Sponges
- Polk County QuarriesPolk County, Florida · 53 mi awayFossils, Gypsum, Petrified Wood
- Fort Myers BeachLee County, Florida · 56 mi awayOcher
- Unnamed Area (Agatized Coral #2)Hillsborough County, Florida · 60 mi awayAgatized Coral, Coral, Chalcedony
- Unnamed Area (Agatized Coral #1)Hillsborough County, Florida · 60 mi awayAgatized Coral, Geode
- LakelandPolk County, Florida · 63 mi awayChalcedony, Silicified Coral
- Fort Drum Crystal MineOkeechobee County, Florida · 65 mi awayFossil Coral, Calcite, Aragonite
Peace River FAQ
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More rockhounding in Florida
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