Lost River West Virginia
Lost River: Roadside Quarry for Devonian Fossils
Lost River - Near Wardensville, WV
A ~390 Million Year Old Devonian Reef
Early - Middle Devonian - The Needmore Formation
Early - Middle Devonian - The Needmore Formation
The Roadside Quarry near the Lost River in West Virginia - Fossil Hunting
Fossil Hunting in WV at the Lost River site
Megalodon Unearthed:
Dr. Jay M. Lipoff , 2026
New Megalodon Book: Expert insight and vivid fossil photography strip away myths to reveal the true science of history's most fearsome shark.
Why Are There Fossils Here? About the Roadside Quarry Fossils in WV
Fossil here are from a tropical reef envrionment that lived in the Kaskaskia Sea
During the Middle Devonian time period this place looked very similar to
18-Mile Creek in New York, as it was perched at the edge of the Kaskaskia Sea.
The Acadian Oregony (a mountain building event) was beginning.
This mountain building occured when when a landmass called Avalon collided
into, what is today, eastern North America. This collision crumpled the crust and created
a large mountain range called the Acadian Mountains along eastern North America.
Rivers running down the Acadian mountains picked up sediments and
carried them into the Castskill basin, a basin just west of the Acadian mountains, running
parallel to it that housed the Kaskaskia Sea. This ancient sea covered
most of West Virginia (including this site), as well as many other states down to, what is
today, the gulf of mexico.
Sediments that flowed into the Kaskaskia sea created sedimentary deposits. These fossil bearing deposits were eventually thrust upward during the Appalachian Oregeny (Mountain building
phase), and are now seen today at this site.
This fossil site was also near the equator during the middle Devonian, and the earth
was much warmer than it is today. As a result, this warm shallow
sea was the home of a large array of animals, including coral reefs, trilobites, cephalopods,
and brachiopods.
A similar nearby formation is the Mahantango Formation. The
Mahantango page has a diagram showing the paleogeography of the area at this time.
Location: Directions to this Fossil Site in West Virginia
This roadside quarry is just west of Wardensville, WV. About 4 miles west of
Wardensville on old rt. 55, you will cross a small bridge. A little less than a half mile past
the bridge, going up a steep hill, you will see the roadside quarry.
It's kind of easy to spot if you start looking after you cross the
bridge and start up the hill.
Remember, this is OLD route 55, not the new one.
Also, most road cuts in this area have the same formation exposed. You may want to do a little exploring.
View of the fossil site from old Route 55
If you go...
Please be respectful and help maintain the site for future fossil hunters. You don't need to dig much, there is plenty of material that
accumulates at the base of the slopes to search through.
Google map of the Lost River roadside Quarry
Identification of Fossils from the Devonian Quarry: West Virginia
Click on the image to go to the Lost River Fossil Identificatio Page
Other Recommendations for this Fossil Location
Fragile Fossils
There are two types of shale here. A grayish shale that has well preserved, but fragile fossils, and
an orange colored shell, that is incredibly fragile and has poorly preserved fossils.
The fossils in the orange shale need protected after you prepare them. I soaked all of mine
in the good old Elmers glue solution (1/2 glue & 1/2 water), soak for a half hour, and
carefully wipe off the white excess with a cotton swab.
Recommended Equipment:
You'll be splitting shale, so the standard shale splitting gear is recommended:
A rock hammer
Chisel
Safety Goggles
Newspaper or aluminum to wrap the very fragile fossils
Elmers Glue to glue fragments together on the spot before you lose them!
Recommended Trilobite and Fossil Hunting Books:
The Trilobite Collector's Guide
Andy Secher, 2024
This book by Andy Secher, a leading trilobite collector, offers a captivating journey into the world of these ancient arthropods. With over 400 stunning photos, entertaining top-ten lists, invaluable collecting tips, and ways to spot a fake trilobite, it's a must-have for fossil enthusiasts!
Trilobites: Common Trilobites of North America (A NatureGuide Book)
Jasper Burns, 2000
An excellent guide for identifying North American trilobites, featuring meticulous line drawings and concise information on classification, geologic range, and distribution. Ideal for enthusiasts seeking detailed insights and accurate identification of these ancient arthropods.
101 American Fossil Sites You've Gotta See
Albert B Dickas, 2018
This is a great updated fossil sites book with at least one fossil site in each state. Each site is broken into 2 pages. One has detailed information, such as directions, GPS coordinates, formation information, etc...
The other is dedicated to images of the site and the fossils found there. It also gives information on fossil 'viewing' sites such as dinosaur trackways, museums, and active excavations.
Plus, my fossil photos are peppered throughout this book!
