The Monument contains an abundance of spectacular fossil remains. Some visitors may be tempted to pick up these fossils as a souvenir or curio to take home.

Collection of any Monument fossil resources, including petrified wood, bone, leaves, shells, teeth, tracks, and trails is strictly prohibited without a valid permit, which are issued only for scientific research.

We also ask that you please leave fossil resources where you found them. Movement of these resources from their natural context prevents collection of important scientific data and many times prevents locating the original collection site.

We do appreciate you notifying us if you encounter fossils in the backcountry. Please locate the fossils on a map or reference them to a land mark as best you can and contact the Monument paleontology staff. 

 
Surface Collecting

Gathering or removal of material naturally exposed at the surface. Each individual element must be around 1 m2 or less total surface area. Collections requiring gathering of spatially associated individual elements generally shouldn't exceed 3 m2 in any 30 m2 area. Specimen and associated matrix cannot extend more than 16 inches (41 cm) into the subsurface. 

 
Excavation

Gathering or removal of material whose depths, spatial densities, and/or area exceeds those defined in surface collecting.