Ladonia Fossil Park: Fossil Hunting in Fannin County, Texas
Updated June 2026
The North Sulphur River channel at Ladonia cuts into Late Cretaceous marine beds that yield shark teeth, mosasaur teeth and bone, ammonites, and Exogyra oysters. The Upper Trinity Regional Water District operates the site as a free public fossil park, and what visitors find is theirs to keep. Mosasaur material is among the more common vertebrate finds. Reported finds include fossilized shark teeth, ammonites, mosasaur teeth, fossilized oysters, petrified wood. Below: coordinates, access notes, nearby spots, and trip-planning links.
Ladonia Fossil Park photos
Public image records connected to this spot or its reported material.
Map showing Ladonia Fossil Park in Fannin County, Texas
Quick details
- Access
- Public area
- County
- Fannin County
- State
- Texas
- Coordinates
- 33.43410, -95.92000
Geology at Ladonia Fossil Park
This spot sits on Wolfe City Formation, mapped as sandstone mudstone that formed roughly 72 to 66 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
- Wolfe City Formation
- Age
- 72–66 Ma (Late Cretaceous)
- Rock types
- sandstone mudstone
- Elevation
- 630 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.
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.
State guidance last verified:
- Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
- Bureau of Economic Geology — Texas geology
- Big Bend National Park — Rules
- Community submissions reviewed against published agency rules
Found at Ladonia Fossil Park
Each chip opens all spots that produce that material; the encyclopedia link opens the full ID and field guide.
- Fossilized Shark TeethEncyclopedia →
- Ammonites
- Mosasaur Teeth
- Fossilized Oysters
- Petrified WoodEncyclopedia →
Nearby rockhounding spots
Other rockhounding spots within driving distance of Ladonia Fossil Park.
- Sides of creekEllis County, Texas · 90 mi awayPyrite
- S side of US 287Ellis County, Texas · 90 mi awayFossil Leaf Prints
- General AreaEllis County, Texas · 92 mi awayFossilized Shark Teeth
- Lyndon B. Johnson National Grassland (Black Creek Lake)Top pick in TexasWise County, Texas · 100 mi awayFossilized Oysters, Agate, Petrified Wood
- General AreaWise County, Texas · 101 mi awayPyrite Cubes
- General Area N.E. Lake BridgeportWise County, Texas · 112 mi awayFossils
Across the state line from Ladonia Fossil Park
Ladonia Fossil Park is close enough to the Texas border that the next-closest rockhounding spots are in a neighboring state. Worth knowing if you are already on the road.
Ladonia Fossil Park FAQ
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More rockhounding in Texas
See all 94 Texas spots →Open Ladonia Fossil Park on the map
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