I want to start off this review by saying that the staff at American Fossil Quarry were absolutely lovely and helpful. This review is in no way about them. This was my third 8-hour visit to American Fossil Quarry (visted in 2024 and 2025). The first two times we went were awesome, but unfortunately (as my title shows) the third time was a bust. The rock quality was just not good and despite splitting rock faster than I ever have before I did not find much. And based on what the people around me found (aside from one lucky find), nobody else was finding much either. I didn't find a (mostly) intact small fish fossil until hour 3. The staff also acknowledged that the rock quality wasn't great (and very kindly proud us rock from a different pile to split, although that unfortunately didn't yield much). We left with less than10 okayish common fish fossils after 8 hours. This is like 1/5 of what we brought home the two years previously, not including the higher quality specimens we found. I fully understand that the owner and staff cannot control the quality of the rock on a particular day. You get what you get, as the saying goes. I don't know if there is anybody to blame except nature itself. I also acknowledge that I am largely only interested in higher quality fossils and so naturally I'm going to be pickier than most guests. However that does not change the fact that I left feeling extremely discouraged (esp. considering the amount of money we spent to come here) and we will likely not return. The reason I am making this review is I want to let everybody to know that the experience you get is up to chance. You could have an amazing time with lucky finds, or have it be a complete bust. If you're somebody who doesn't particularly care about the quality/rarity of the fossils you get, you will probably still have a good time no matter what. But if you're primarily interested in higher quality specimens, maybe save your money and put it towards purchasing a nicer fossil in the future. read more

We live in Arizona and my wife is an amateur rockhound which means we cannot go more than a mile on back country roads without stopping lol. I found this site and purchased a 4 hour dig package as a surprise for her and to say it was a hit would be an understatement, The purchase was easy, and they kept us updated on the upcoming dig with emails and additional information which was great. We stayed in Kemmerer which is close by and the driving instructions to the site were easy to read and got us there with no issues. Once off the paved highway there is a bit of a drive to the dig site, and it is on dirt roads. It is also through open range so free grazing cattle and sheep can be near and, on the road, so be careful. Go slow... they will give you the stink eye for making them move but they do move. Once at the dig site there is plenty of parking and check in was easy. The staff was wonderful and very informative. While I opted to stay in the car and read a book, I could see the dig site and watch my wife who was like a kid in a candy store. She found many fish fossils and the staff were always wondering about the site to offer advice and help. Based on a previous review we brought plenty of bubble wrap and a container to put here treasures in. So, thank you to Janet the author of the post read more

American Fossil - Active Life Near Me

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Such an awesome adventure, we came away with 175#s of fossils after 6.5 hours of splitting rock. The drive: even with extensive instructions, it's easy to miss the turnoff. Follow the instructions provided by the quarry, they help a lot. There is a very long dirt road, parts of it have some washboarding. 8 miles maybe between the pavement and the quarry. We made it just fine in a rented sports-ute, but I wouldn't want to try it a low slung passenger car. The drive will reveal some astonishingly beautiful scenery across seemingly untouched hills and valleys. We saw a herd of pronghorn grazing right by the road. Also, there are cows roaming around on the road. Neither want anything to do with your vehicle but will stop and pose for photos through your car window. Driving down into the quarry is sort of exciting as it is a fairly steep grade on a narrow dirt path with no small amount of water erosion. The quarry: listen to what the staff say, they will give an intro of what you are looking at, how to use the supplied hammer and chisel safely, where not to wander off to, and how to split the rocks maximizing the material. They will also give you instructions on how to use the tile saws if you ask. They will also trim down larger pieces in the field using a portable saw if you ask. They are also well versed in the fossils you find, with all sorts of interesting tidbits of knowledge to share about what this environment was like ~52M years ago. Pretty friendly bunch out of the gate except for one young gal who initially comes off a bit standoffish but once you chat with her a bit more, you realize she's just a gal with a big town heart living in a small town. The day: we got lucky with weather in the high 70s with a nice breeze but even then, it's hot because the quarry is in the full sun. Wear a hat, sunscreen, loose fitting long sleeves and pants. The people we saw suffering around us were wearing shorts and tank tops, the sun and grit got to them quickly. Water and gatorade are available to purchase at the quarry but that's all the amenities to expect outside of the (clean!) porta-potties. The drive is entirely too long and slow to go back and forth between quarry and town so pack a picnic lunch if you're staying the day. As mentioned, we found (and toted home!) 175#s of fossils, mostly Knightia, a few Cockerellites, a truly epic number of coprolites of all sizes, a gar scale and a palm leaf which turned out to have a fossilized insect on one frond. Almost every split we made turned up a fossil, at the end of the day you have accumulated so much that you can be picky about what you take home. Bring boxes and bubblewrap to wrap up your treasures. read more

American Fossil - Entrance to the quarry - Active Life Near Me

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Great experience and a lot of fun. We wanted to take our 8 Year Old grandson, he loves rocks, gems, fossil. He loved and we loved it. After going, would have opted for the private dig, more and bigger fossils. But, loved it!! Thx! read more

My family with two teen girls loved the experience. The staff were all great and very helpful. They demonstrated how to split the rock to find the fossils, which is surprisingly easy. We found a ton of fossils of smaller fish, and kept the best. They were fine with us leaving partials on their shelves. The operation was extremely smooth, with tile saws onsite for patrons to use, or the staff will cut your fossils into rectangles for you. Extremely nice service to have! The site is primitive, with a rough dirt road, and a bit of a steep entry to the quarry, but we did see regular sedans in the parking lot. The restrooms are port-a-johns, fyi. Bring bubble wrap and a sturdy box to wrap your finds for the journey home. Overall quite excellent. read more

American Fossil - Active Life Near Me

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If you don't mind driving a bit to the middle of western Wyoming, and are looking for a unique experience, that is worth repeating, then you should go to the quarry and bang on some rocks. You will be wonderfully surprised and there is nothing like finding a complete fish or stingray to make it all worth the while. We will be back to build in our knowledge of what we learned. read more

American Fossil - Just a few of what we found. - Active Life Near Me

Had a great time. Found lots of fossils, and the staff were fun and very helpful. I plan on going back next year. I booked an 8 hour dig, and only dug about 5 hours. I was beat. 5 hours was plenty. Be advised, you will be pretty dirty by the end of your dig. I definitely recommend this place if you want some cool fossils. read more

My wife and I did not have a good experience. Two employees ruined our day with their rudeness. We paid for a full day of collecting, but left after four hours. read more

We had a great day on a Tuesday morning in July. The staff was super helpful in showing technique and what to look for in different rocks. It did get pretty hot there so I would try for a morning dig and bring sunscreen and water. We were a group of four and did a two hour dig and came back with dozens of fish fossils. Very cool! read more

What a great experience for the kids! We visited on August 21st, 2022. The staff was exceptionally helpful and knowledgeable. We found more fossils than was reasonable to keep and the kids/grandkids has an experience I'm sure they will talk about for the rest of their lives. For me, the cherry on top of the experience was the fact that we could use saws to cut the large stones down to a size we can display. If it weren't for the saws we would have needed a small trailer to get all the fossils home. read more

I can't say enough about what a wonderful operation this is! The employees are knowledgeable and truly interested in educating you about what you find. If you're at all interested in finding fossils, don't hesitate to visit American Fossil in Kemmerer, Wyoming. read more

Great experience to find amazing Green River Fossils. Super nice and helpful people and great material. Great fun for family or rock hounds alike. Once in a life time experience. Recommend a four wheel drive to get there. Block a half day! Enjoy!! read more

If you're in a hurry and just want the quick-in, quick-out tourist experience this place will work just fine. After visiting one of the other quarries though, I would describe this site as sorting through a bunch of leftovers compared to other locations. There were some okay specimens, mostly incomplete fish and the girl that gave us the pre-dig information seemed like she hated that she was even there and bothered that she had to talk to us. She really didn't make us feel all that welcome honestly. The other workers seemed quite friendly and helpful though. They have saws there to cut your finds down to size which was really nice. If you want to find better quality fossils with a quarry that makes you feel like a guest rather than a tourist, check the reviews from the other local options. If you want the tourist experience, go here. If you want the rockhound experience, keep looking. Just my $.02. read more

The workers weren't very good at engaging with kids, or really teaching adults how to get things out without breaking them. We took 3 adults and 3 kids. One of the workers seemed to just watch my youngest (8) and then yell at him whenever he did something incorrectly. I have been to other quarries, and appreciate it when workers teach my kids how to do something, and help them develop a love and an interest for something. Yelling at them for doing something the wrong way, and then going away to watch and wait for them to mess up again is not a very helpful approach and makes for an unpleasant visit. At other quarries, workers have worked along side with my kids to show them and teach them. The one worker was splitting rock on his own after yelling at my son. Why couldn't he have taken a moment to teach him and work with him a bit? We later went to Tynsky's Fossil Shop. The woman there was great at explaining things to us, and said that the trips to the Tynsky Quarry are more personalized instead of a group dig. If I ever go again, I will pay the little bit extra to have a guide just for my group. It wasn't that much more, and I think it would have been worth it- even for adults who are trying to figure out how to get things out without breaking them. read more

This is THE place to go to easily dig fish fossils. The owner and staff are extremely helpful and great people. We had an absolute blast digging at their location and walked away with boxes full of cool fossils. Highly recommend! read more