Fossil Digging in Utah: Collect Your Own Trilobites

Dig through 500-million-year-old shale and take home your own trilobite

Dig for your own fossils at a working quarry an hour west of Delta, Utah, where you'll sift through Cambrian shale layers and collect museum-quality trilobites with expert guidance. The experience runs a full day and includes entrance, tools and instruction on how and where to extract specimens from one of Earth's richest fossil formations. Service animals are welcome.

Step-by-step itinerary

Fossil hunting at the quarry

• Drive to the quarry
• Meet the operator
• Receive instructions and tools
• Collect museum-quality fossils

The experience

You drive to the quarry and meet the operator, who walks you through the basics: how to read the shale, where the fossils hide, and the technique to extract them without damage. The tools are provided. What sets this apart from a museum visit is that you're not looking at what someone else found. You're the one breaking open the rock, recognizing the shape of a trilobite, and pulling it free. The quarry sits in Cambrian formations so productive that nearly every layer yields something.

The day stretches across eight hours, which gives you time to work multiple spots in the quarry and build a real collection rather than rush through a single hole. You keep what you find. The shale is 500 million years old, and the trilobites you uncover are the actual remains of creatures that lived in an ancient sea that covered Utah. The operator's guidance means you learn to spot the fossils yourself instead of just being told where they are.

What’s included

• Quarry entrance.
• digging tools.
• expert instruction on how to locate and extract trilobite fossils from the Cambrian shale.

Options for this experience

2 options

Option 1No fixed time

Option 2No fixed time

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

Before you book

Days and timesMonday to SaturdayLast departure this season: 14 Nov

AgesAdult (17 to 69 years) · Senior (70 and older) · Youth (7 to 16 years) · Child (under 7): free

GroupUp to 200

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 3 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelPets welcomeNot for heart conditions

Operated by U-Dig Fossils

Is this one for you?The full day format gives you time to work multiple spots and build a real collection instead of a quick single find. If you want to take home actual museum-quality fossils you extracted yourself, not a souvenir replica, this is how you do it.

Traveler reviews

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (7 to 16 years); Child (under 7): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

How far is the quarry from Delta, Utah?

The quarry is located about an hour west of Delta, so plan for travel time on either end of your digging day.

What fossils will I find at this quarry?

The quarry is known for trilobites from the Cambrian formations, and the operator will show you how to spot and extract them from the shale layers.

Do I get to keep the fossils I dig up?

Yes, you keep the fossils you collect during your day at the quarry.

What's included in the full day experience?

Entrance to the quarry and all digging tools are included, plus instruction on fossil extraction techniques from the operator.

Is this experience suitable for someone who isn't in peak physical condition?

The quarry experience is suitable for all fitness levels, though it does involve eight hours of digging work. Service animals are allowed if you need one.