Penn Dixie: Fossil Hunting

Penn Dixie is located in Hamburg, New York - a relatively short drive from the Chautauqua area. This fossil digging site has an enormous amount of Devonian era fossils. This area was once used by the Penn Dixie cement company, as the Windom shale was used to make cement. 9-10 feet of shale was removed in the 1960's, leaving many fossils exposed.

Visitors to Penn Dixie are welcome to unearth or chip out their own fossils, and may take home everything they find. The site does request that large or rare fossils be photographed.

Cost of Admission:

In 2012, the cost of admission is:

Adults: $7
Children: $6
Infants under the age of 2: Free

Penn Dixie Location:


Penn Dixie's official address is:

4050 North Street
Blasdell, New York 14219


This address does not typically work on a GPS unit. Try using Hamburg as the city location, or simply follow the directions below:


From the Jamestown or Chautauqua area, drive East toward Buffalo on the I-90. Exit at Milestrip Road (toll) and turn right onto Milestrip Road. Turn left at the first traffic light onto South Park Avenue. Take South Park Avenue about a mile and a half and turn right onto Big Tree Road. Cross over the railroad tracks and turn right onto Bristol Road. Take Bristol Road until it ends, and turn left on North Street. The Penn Dixie entrance is straight ahead.


Note that the Penn Dixie site is nestled into a neighborhood - it is not visible from any of the major roads.

What to Bring:


Buckets containing safety glasses, hammers, and chisels are available to rent ($5). The website says to bring garden tools or claws, but we found the most useful item was a small hammer. Stand the rocks up on edge and hit the rock until it splits - the fossils are often buried inside.


Bring a bucket or sturdy bag to carry your fossils. Sunscreen is vital in the summer, as the sun reflects off the rocks. Bring plenty of water for hot days, and eye protection if using a chisel (the rocks splinter and fly when chipping out fossils).


Amenities:


Penn Dixie is accessible to wheelchairs and strollers, with over 4,000 feet of paved trails. There are portable toilets available. There are no sinks or drinking fountains.


What Will I Find?


The fossils at Penn Dixie are all marine fossils, as this area of Western NY was submerged by a shallow sea near the equator 380 million years ago. Coral, shells, trilobites, fish scales, sea lilies, and more can be found in the rocks.

Ancient Coral Fossils found at Penn Dixie

Jakes Rocks

Located in Warren County, Pennsyvania, Jakes Rocks is a beautiful hiking area located on a plateau overlooking the Kinzua Dam.

The hiking trail at Jakes Rocks is paved with asphalt, and many signs warn hikers to stay on the trail due to sharp drop-offs and cliffs. The trail makes a loop around impressive quartz-conglomerate boulders, which were left by receding glaciers.

Directions to Jakes Rocks:

From the Kinzua Dam visitor's center in Warren, PA, take Rte. 59 past the dam. Turn right on Longhouse Scenic Drive (watch for cyclists who frequently ride on this road). Turn right onto Forest Road 492, and turn right again at the stop sign. Bear right at the triangular intersection and continue on to the second parking area. The trailhead is on the right.

Amenities:

• Picnic Area
• Pit toilets
• Hiking trails
• Scenic overlooks

Jakes Rocks is best visited in the spring, summer, or fall seasons. Remember to watch young children carefully to ensure they stay on the trail. There is no cost to enter Jakes Rocks, and the views are spectacular over the Allegheny River. We often combine this trip with a trip to the Kinzua Dam.

Kinzua Dam

Kinzua Dam is a fun, educational place to visit with children. Located in Warren, Pennsylvania, the dam is only a short distance from Jamestown, NY. The dam has abundant wildlife, several hiking trails, a local waterfall, and a visitor's center.

Kinzua Dam Address:


Kinzua Rd, Mead Twp, PA 16365
(814) 726-0661

Directions to Kinzua Dam from Jamestown, NY


From downtown Jamestown, go south on Main St. (Rte. 60) and turn left on Foote Avenue. Take Foote Avenue/Rte 60 Arterial Highway for approximately four miles to US-62 S. Turn right on US-62 S: this highway will take you into Warren, Pennsylvania. Stay on US-62 S for about 15 miles. Turn right onto 4th Avenue in Warren, PA and then make a slight left onto Crescent Rd/Crescent Park. Follow Crescent Park and take the second left to US-6 E. Make a slight left onto Kinzua Road/PA-59 and follow this road for approximately 5 miles. The visitor center will be to the left of the road, about 1/4 mile ahead of the dam.

Kinzua Dam Amenities

• Visitor's Center, open seasonally (closed in winter and early Spring).
• Nature Trail
• Hiking Trails
• Playground

The Kinzua Dam playground is simple, but fun for small children. The playground is located next to the visitor's center and may be used year-round.

Take note that the visitor's center is closed in the winter and early Spring, which means there are no available restrooms during this time of year. The visitor's center features bathrooms and information about the dam in the summer months.

The Kinzua Dam nature trail is short and features beautiful trees and rocks, with some trees actually growing around the giant boulders. My two young sons (ages six and four) spent a lot of time climbing over the rocks and tree roots. There are also letterboxes hidden in the local area, for families who enjoy that activity. 

Be sure to take the short trail to the stream bed, as there is a lot of wildlife down by the river. My boys enjoyed skipping stones and watching the rush of water from the dam. Obey all safety signs and do not go past the marked boundaries, as the river may suddenly rise if the dam spillways are opened.

This area is a fantastic place to stop for a picnic lunch and a short hike. Bald eagles are often spotted in the area on migratory flights and you are sure to see birds, dragonflies, and other wildlife during most of the year. We often make day trips to the dam and nearby Jake's Rocks and Rimrock, which are Pennsylvania state parks.

Viewing the dam from an observation deck. 

Kinzua Dam as viewed from an overview at Jake's Rocks.

Chautauqua Gorge

The Chautauqua Gorge is part of the NY State Forest system and has several trails for hiking, day-use picnic areas, and fire rings. Fossils can be found in the shale lining the river. The shale becomes very slippery in wet areas, so watch small children when hiking in wet areas.




Location:

Hannum Road, Chautauqua, NY. From Mayville, take Rte. 430 west to Hannum Road. Hannum road continues for some distance and becomes a dirt road. To reach the swimming holes, drive to the end of the road and park. The trail is at the end of the road and goes downhill to the river and swimming holes.

Amenities:

Picnic shelters
Fire rings
Swimming holes
Hiking trails
Fossils

Tom Erlandson Overview Park

This park offers a spectacular view of the surrounding countryside, and Chautauqua Lake on a clear day. There is a 1.2 mile hiking trail, two viewing platforms, a picnic pavilion, and a grassy meadow with rolling hills. This is the second highest point in Chautauqua County, at 2060 feet above sea level.

Location:

Oak Hill Road, Frewsburg, NY 14738

Amenities:

1.2 mile hiking trail with creeks and footbridges
2 viewing platforms
Picnic pavilion
Pit toilets
Potable water

Jamestown Audubon Center: Hiking

Inside the Exhibition Building with a White Tailed Deer Puppet

The Jamestown Audubon Center has several festivals in addition to its hiking trails. The Audubon Center festivals/events will be cataloged separately, as this post will focus on the hiking and nature exploration available at the Audubon Center.

The Center offers many hiking trails, including a paved, accessible trail which leads to an overlook of wetlands. The trails are flat, well maintained, and easily walked with small children. In addition, the Audubon Center offers several exhibits (including live reptiles and amphibians) in its main building for a small entrance fee. There are several learning activities for children, including a see-through beehive, puppets, puzzles, and examples of local wildlife.

Long boardwalk on the Spatterdock Trail

Investigating the Duck Pond

Looking for birds on a shaded trail

Outside of the main building, Liberty the bald eagle is on display. She was injured as a young bird and cannot be returned to the wild, and is cared for by the Jamestown Audubon Society.

"Fishing" in the exhibition building

Location:
1600 Riverside Road, Jamestown, NY 14701

Amenities:

Accessible, paved hiking trail
Flat hiking trails of various lengths
Liberty, the bald eagle
Exhibition building with interactive activities for children