Fossil Hunting at the Clarkia, Idaho Fossil Bowl
Add a Fossil Dig to Your Idaho Family Vacation
Soft silts accumulated here 15 million years ago on the bottom of a Miocene era lakebed, preserving an unusually large collection of fossilized prehistoric flora and occasional fauna. Although there are no dinosaur fossils for kids at this Idaho fossil location, your family will enjoy discovering plant and fish fossils.
Where to Dig for Fossils
The Fossil Bowl location is 2 miles south of Clarkia on Idaho Highway 3. A motocross track snugs up to the dig site.
Park at the home to the right of the fossil site. On most days, the owner’s children will promptly greet you with offers to show their fossil collection and rent gear for digging - old butter knives and a miner’s axe. The Kienbaums maintain a collection of prime specimens including fossilized leaves, fish, and flowers. A free handout is available identifying the most commonly collected fossils.
While there are legal and ethical issues surrounding fossil harvesting on public lands, this site is located on private property and there are no barriers impeding collection. The Keinbaum family currently charges $10 for adults and $5 for children collecting fossils. Kids 5 years and younger are free. If you are passing through and want to take a peek, you won’t be charged a fee. The foot of the bluff is littered with deciduous leaf and evergreen needle fossil fragments, making Idaho fossil hunting a breeze for smaller kids.
How to Dig for Fossils
Grab or hack a chunk of clay from the reddish layers, rich with oxidized organic matter and preserved fall colors. As you remove layer upon layer, you will find fossilized flora in almost every section. Fossilized leaves are abundant and diverse. According to the Keinbaums, more than 130 fossilized plant species have been identified from the dig site.
If your quest is focused on finding a more elusive fossilized fish, locate the barren layers of gray or yellow prehistoric volcanic ash. The site owners say fish fossils are more prevalent in the layers immediately above and below the ash.
Fossil Preservation
Take proper steps to preserve your fossil collection:
- Wrap your fossils in newspaper.
- Place the covered fossils in a plastic bag.
- Allow one to two months drying time in a cool, dark environment for best durability.
Clarkia Fossil Formation Facts
The Clarkia, Idaho fossil beds consist of 15 million year old fossil plants and animals that settled to the bottom of a deep, cool lake. The anoxic conditions slowed decomposition, allowing preservation of soft tissues normally absent from the fossil record.
The extensive Clarkia fossil collection permits scientists to perform detailed studies of paleobotany and ancient climatology. When the Clarkia sediments were laid, the region was warmer and wetter with a climate and ecology similar to modern day Florida.
Clarkia Area Food and Vacation Lodging
Plan your fossil dig as a day trip from Spokane, Washington, Coeur d’Alene, and Moscow, Idaho or as a diversion during a north or central Idaho camping trip. For those desiring luxurious Idaho resort vacation accommodations, the Coeur d’Alene Golf and Spa Resort is only 85 miles north of the Clarkia fossil beds.
Bring lots of snacks for your Idaho fossil dig. Facilities are extremely limited in Clarkia. There is a convenience store/bar/restaurant/gas station with a few deli sandwiches, an assortment of chips, soda pop, bungee cords, matches, and homemade cookies. Fernwood, ten miles north of Clarkia, has a grocery store and gas station. Public restrooms are available at the Fernwood grocery and there is a portable toilet at the dig site. The area has no cell phone service.
The U.S. Forest Service runs a Clarkia area guesthouse. The vacation lodge sleeps 15, with 2, 3, and 4 person rooms available. The bunkhouse is reserved through the Idaho Panhandle National Forest . Emerald Creek Campground has primitive campsites in a serene wooded setting; the campsite is 11 miles north of Clarkia.
An excellent adjunct to your family fossil dig is sluicing for star garnets at Emerald Creek. Your kids can be geologists and paleontologists all in one day!
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