Poricy Park Fossil Beds: Fossil Hunting in Monmouth County, New Jersey
Updated July 2026
Poricy Brook exposes the same Late Cretaceous Navesink Formation as nearby Big Brook, and its fossil beds are among the most accessible in the state. Belemnites (Belemnitella americana), Exogyra costata oysters, and small shark teeth are common in the streambed gravel. The nonprofit Poricy Park Conservancy maintains a marked trail to the beds and rents sifting equipment on site. Reported finds include belemnite, shark teeth, fossils. Below: coordinates, access notes, nearby spots, and trip-planning links.
Poricy Park Fossil Beds photos
Public image records connected to this spot or its reported material.
Map showing Poricy Park Fossil Beds in Monmouth County, New Jersey
Quick details
- Access
- Public area
- County
- Monmouth County
- State
- New Jersey
- Nearest road
- Oak Hill Road
- Postcode
- 07748
- Coordinates
- 40.37600, -74.11700
Geology at Poricy Park Fossil Beds
This spot sits on Shrewsbury Member of the Red Bank Formation, mapped as sand that formed roughly 72 to 66 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
- Shrewsbury Member of the Red Bank Formation
- Age
- 72–66 Ma (Late Cretaceous)
- Rock types
- sand
- Elevation
- 190 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 Poricy Park Fossil Beds
Best months: March to December. Typical highs run 83°F in midsummer and 41°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 24°F.
Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, LONG BRANCH-OAKHURST station (8 mi away), adjusted for elevation.
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 Poricy Park Fossil Beds
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 Poricy Park Fossil Beds.
- Ramanessin BrookTop pick in New JerseyMonmouth County, New Jersey · 3 mi awayShark Teeth, Fossils
- Big Brook ParkTop pick in New JerseyMonmouth County, New Jersey · 9 mi awayShark Teeth, Belemnite, Fossils
- Long BranchMonmouth County, New Jersey · 9 mi awayQuartz
- SayrevilleMiddlesex County, New Jersey · 12 mi awayMarcasite, Pyrite, Petrified Wood
- Shark RiverTop pick in New JerseyMonmouth County, New Jersey · 12 mi awayShark Teeth, Fossils
- ManasquanMonmouth County, New Jersey · 19 mi awayQuartz, Fossils, Petrified Wood
- General Area (Hudson/Passaic)Hudson County, New Jersey · 20 mi awayBanded Agate, Albite, Amethyst
- Bergen Hill by Hudson RiverHudson County, New Jersey · 23 mi awayBanded Agate, Albite, Amethyst
Across the state line from Poricy Park Fossil Beds
Poricy Park Fossil Beds is close enough to the New Jersey border that the next-closest rockhounding spots are in a neighboring state. Worth knowing if you are already on the road.
- MorrisvilleBucks County, Pennsylvania · 36 mi awayJasper
- NewtownBucks County, Pennsylvania · 46 mi awayJasper, Petrified Wood
- FeastervilleBucks County, Pennsylvania · 47 mi awaySunstone, Agate, Feldspar
- Maple GlenBucks County, Pennsylvania · 53 mi awayPetrified Wood
- Bucks CountyBucks County, Pennsylvania · 53 mi awayPetrified Wood
- GreenwichWestern Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut · 56 mi awaySoapstone
Poricy Park Fossil Beds FAQ
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More rockhounding in New Jersey
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