Can't wait for the Rowan Fossil Park Museum to open this summer? Me too! But what if I told you there are other places in New Jersey to go fossil hunting?
You may remember a popular Tiktok video about fossil hunting in New Jersey. It had showed beautiful scenes from the Big Brook Nature Preserve. I had known about the video already because it was causing a stir in the online fossil-hunting hobbyist community. It wasn’t that we didn’t want people learning about the spot. The problem was that many visitors were coming to the park without any idea of how to properly and safely look for fossils, and as a result, leaving the park much worse than they found it. I thought to myself that these people probably didn’t know they were doing more harm than good and that if more people were just better informed then it could be a wonderful experience for everyone involved.
So here is my advice on how to have a great fossil-hunting adventure with your family. In this article, I am referring to two different locations you can go to about an hour and a half from the Gloucester area. Big Brook Nature Preserve In Colts Neck and Poricy Park Fossil Beds In Middletown Township.
Know Before You Go: Setting expectations about your adventure so it does not end in tears. 
- For many kids (and most adults), if you tell them you are going to go fossil hunting, they imagine finding a fully intact T-rex skull in the dirt, which will not be the case and most likely result in tears when the day ends and their dream is crushed. Have a conversation with your kids before you go on your adventure. A fossil is the preserved remains of an organism that existed in the past. This means that fossils can include the remains of plants and animals that were buried in sediments, such as sand and mud, under ancient seas, lakes, and rivers. The fossils you will find in the Monmouth County fossil beds come from the Cretaceous period. During this time much of New Jersey was underwater, which means that the fossils you will find will be of organisms that lived in the ocean.
- There are many guides to help you identify what fossils you have found and it does help to look at the examples before your trip. There are signs at both parks that tell you what to look out for but a lot of the time people forget by the time they get down to the water. Check out Fossil Guy's Fossil Identification Page For Big Brook for great pictures of what you can find.
Choose Your Park: Both parks are located in wooded areas and a short walk to get to the beds is required. They are also about 15 minutes away from each other meaning a double park day is possible.
- Big Brook: Big Brook’s walk to the beds is more of a hike than Poricy Park. The trail is maintained and I have seen some families take sturdy jogging strollers but you have to climb down the banks to get to the beds. The grass and plants do get tall during the summer months so you may be carrying smaller children who aren’t too keen to be pushing plants out of their faces during the hike. There are multiple access points along the trail and some are easier to scurry down than others. The depth of the water varies along the trail, especially during a bout of heavy rains so be mindful. There are spots of shallow gravel beds perfect for hunting, just note you may have to walk further down the trail. If you have an adventurous bunch who have no problem going on a short hike and climbing down muddy banks then Big Brook is just one big playground.
- Poricy Park’s trail is flatter and even has a small boardwalk at some points of the trail. You also don’t have to climb down the banks to reach the beds so a sturdy jogging stroller could be used much easier. There is a main area that resembles a small beach not even two minutes into the trail. Here kids can play in the somewhat sandy soil. If you have a mixed group of those who want to be in the water and those who would rather build and play on the bank it is a perfect spot. The water also is overall less deep than Big Brook and slower moving.
Be Prepared: Make sure you have everything you need for a great day out!
- You don’t need many supplies to have a successful hunt, just about anyone can have success finding a fossil with just a strainer and a large metal spoon. You will only be filling your strainer with the first inch of the beds, no need to dig any further. (In fact, you are not to excessively dig in either park) A good pair of water shoes or an old pair of sneakers you don't mind ruining is a must for both parks as well. There is broken glass in the creeks and prehistoric shells you would not want to step on. Pro tip: Bring a takeout container for when you find broken glass. Everyone benefits from a cleaner stream and it's a hands-on lesson on stewardship! Depending on how active you wish to be you could also bring a folding chair to park yourself in the water to watch your family or casually search for yourself. Remember, you will be outside in the woods so it would be a good idea to bring bug spray and sunblock.
- Sadly both parks do not have restrooms so go before you get there, or pack the portable training potty in the car. There is a Whole Foods five minutes away from Poricy Park and a shopping center with a Wawa and Dunkin 7 minutes away from Big Brook.
- Both parks have their own rules for what is allowed during your hunt. Please read them before you go. (see below) Both parks have strict rules about not climbing along the bank walls and collecting from any other place besides the gravel beds. These creeks are not man-made which means that they succumb to natural erosion. When people climb up the walls and try to dig holes in areas they shouldn't, it actually will change the flow of the water and could lead to the creek walls falling in.
Big Brook Rules Poricy Park Rules
