18 Mile Creek: Fossil Hunting in Erie County, New York
Updated August 2026
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 trilobites, horn coral, crinoids, brachiopods, pyrite. Below: coordinates, access notes, nearby spots, and trip-planning links.
18 Mile Creek photos
Public image records connected to this spot or its reported material.
Map showing 18 Mile Creek in Erie County, New York
Quick details
- Access
- Public area
- County
- Erie County
- State
- New York
- Nearest road
- Lake Shore Road
- Postcode
- 14047
- Coordinates
- 42.71197, -78.96574
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.
Best time to visit 18 Mile Creek
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.
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 18 Mile Creek
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 18 Mile Creek.
- Fogelsanger QuarryErie County, New York · 17 mi awayCalcite, Favosites, Fossilized Coral
- LockportTop pick in New YorkNiagara 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.
18 Mile Creek FAQ
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More rockhounding in New York
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