Where collection is allowed
Illinois DNR authorizes amateur fossil collecting only under the signed day permit and its site-specific conditions. The permit must be carried and shown on request.
Use only the units and access points identified by the current permit and site staff. Water levels, hunting programs, restoration, or management work can affect access.
Tools, limits, and timing
Tools and methods
Surface collection only in erosion areas. Excavation is prohibited; a permit does not authorize cutting banks, digging pits, or entering restricted units.
Amount and use
One five-gallon container per person per day under the current permit. Commercial collecting is prohibited, and the permit requires reporting the number of nodules removed.
Season and current status
Dates and open areas follow the current annual permit and site notices. Confirm them with Illinois DNR before each visit.
Rules to confirm at the site
- Sign and carry the current day permit.
- Surface collect only in the authorized erosion area.
- Take no more than one five-gallon container.
- Report the required collection count and show unusual material to DNR.
An old webpage, saved map, app layer, social post, or prior visit cannot override a current closure, posted boundary, permit condition, mining claim, staff instruction, or landowner decision.
What makes the site geologically useful
Ironstone concretions can preserve Pennsylvanian plants and animals from the Mazon Creek biota.
Most nodules are not diagnostic fossils; opening methods and labels should preserve both halves and the locality record.
A low-impact trip plan
- 1
Download and read every page of the current permit.
- 2
Confirm the correct unit is open.
- 3
Collect loose concretions without excavation.
- 4
Record the required nodule count.
- 5
Retain both halves and report an exceptional specimen.
Site-specific preparation
- Former mine terrain includes steep banks, water, mud, and uneven ground.
- Hunting seasons and site closures can change safe access.
- Do not climb unstable erosion faces.
Official sources
Open every relevant source shortly before departure. Fees, booking windows, fire rules, seasons, roads, and collection conditions can change without notice.
- Mazonia-Braidwood fossil permit Illinois Department of Natural Resources
- Mazonia-Braidwood State Fish and Wildlife Area Illinois Department of Natural Resources
Access and rule review: September 18, 2026. This guide is educational planning information, not a permit, reservation, boundary survey, or legal opinion.