18 Mile Creek: Fossil Hunting in Erie County, New York
- Minerals reported
- 5
- Elevation
- 700 ft
- Best months
- April to November
The shale banks at the mouth of Eighteen Mile Creek expose the Devonian Windom Shale, one of the most fossil rich horizons in western New York. Beach gravel and fallen blocks regularly produce Eldredgeops trilobites, horn corals, crinoid stems, and brachiopods, the same fauna that made the nearby Penn Dixie site famous. Reported finds include trilobite, horn coral, crinoid, brachiopod, pyrite. Below: coordinates, access notes, nearby spots, and trip-planning links.
Plan your visit
Generally open to casual rockhounding
- County
- Erie County
- State
- New York
- Nearest road
- Lake Shore Road
- Postcode
- 14047
- Coordinates
- 42.71197, -78.96574
Coordinates are approximate. Confirm the exact ground in the RockHoundR app, where land overlays show which agency manages the area.
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.
Access note: Public access at the creek mouth off Lake Shore Road in Derby; collect from the beach and loose creek material only. The shale cliffs above are private, posted, and unstable; never dig into the cliffs or enter posted land.
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.
Best time to visit 18 Mile Creek
Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)
Best months: April to November. Typical highs run 80°F in midsummer and 32°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 19°F.
Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, COLDEN 1W station (10 mi away), adjusted for elevation.
Geology at 18 Mile Creek
This spot sits on Angola and Rhinestreet Shales, mapped as shale that formed roughly 385 to 360 million years ago. Sedimentary layers like these are where fossils are typically preserved, and fresh exposures after rain or in active cuts tend to produce best.
- Mapped unit
- Angola and Rhinestreet Shales
- Age
- 385–360 Ma (Late Devonian)
- Rock types
- shale
- Elevation
- 700 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.
Today's weather
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The app shows live weather, recent rain, and a daily rockhounding score for 18 Mile Creek.
Get the appSources & 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.
- New York State Museum, Geological Survey
- NYS DEC land use rules
- Herkimer Diamond Mines
- Community submissions reviewed against published agency rules
Found at 18 Mile Creek
Each name 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 18 Mile Creek.
- Fogelsanger QuarryErie County, New York · 17 mi awayCalcite, Favosites, Fossilized Coral
- LockportNiagara County, New York · 33 mi awayFluorite
- Jaycox Creek AreaLivingston County, New York · 59 mi awaySilicified Coral
- Canadice LakeOntario County, New York · 71 mi awayLabradorite
- Genesse River AreaMonroe County, New York · 75 mi awayAgate
Across the state line from 18 Mile Creek
18 Mile Creek is close enough to the New York border that the next-closest rockhounding spots are in a neighboring state. Worth knowing if you are already on the road.
- North East Conservation ParkErie County, Pennsylvania · 52 mi away
- Presque Isle State ParkErie County, Pennsylvania · 70 mi away
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