# U-Dig Fossils Trilobite Quarry: legal collecting field guide

Canonical page: https://lithomap.app/resources/field-trips/u-dig-trilobite-quarry-utah
Last access and rule review: September 18, 2026
Page purpose: Original LithoMap trip-planning reference for an explicitly authorized rock, mineral, or non-dinosaur fossil collecting destination.

## Direct answer

A remote private fee quarry where visitors split Cambrian shale for trilobites under operator instruction.

## Location and material

- State: Utah
- Area: House Range west of Delta
- Category: Fossil collecting
- Collection status: Collecting allowed
- Expected material: Cambrian trilobites, Trilobite fragments and molts

## Authorization

U-Dig operates a private visitor quarry and authorizes paid guests to collect and keep fossils under its current quarry rules.

## Access

The quarry is reached by a long gravel-road approach west of Delta. Use the operator’s directions, confirm the opening schedule, and arrive prepared for a remote site.

## Tools, limits, and season

- Tools: Use only the methods and tools approved by quarry staff. Thin shale should be split deliberately rather than pulverized.
- Limits: Keep privileges and any quantity or specimen exception are controlled by the current paid admission terms. Show exceptional or associated material to staff before packing it.
- Season and current status: The quarry is seasonal and weather-dependent. Confirm the current calendar, arrival cutoff, rates, and road conditions directly with U-Dig.

## Conditions

- Pay and check in before collecting.
- Remain inside the assigned quarry area.
- Use the staff-taught splitting method.
- Do not publish directions to unrelated public or claimed ground.

## Geology

The quarry exposes Cambrian marine shale that commonly preserves trilobite exoskeletons and shed molts.

Many finds are partial; preserve both shale halves and identify only to the level supported by visible anatomy.

## Field plan

1. Verify the operator schedule and route.
2. Bring water, shade, sturdy shoes, and wrapping material.
3. Attend the quarry orientation.
4. Split thin layers and inspect both faces.
5. Ask staff to review a complete or unusual fossil.

## Safety

- The site is remote and exposed to heat, cold, wind, and storms.
- Shale edges are sharp and striking tools require goggles.
- Carry offline directions and vehicle supplies.

## Official sources

- Current visitor quarry information — U-Dig Fossils: https://u-digfossils.com/

This guide is not a permit, reservation, boundary survey, legal opinion, guarantee of access, or promise of a find. Open every official source again before travel. Current signs, closures, permits, claim boundaries, and staff instructions control.