Towering

"Towering"

Rockford is in close proximity to a world-class fossil collecting locale. The Floyd County Fossil and Prairie Park Center is a nature center located just west of Rockford. Originally a clay pit for the now-defunct Rockford Brick and Tile Company, the Floyd County acquired the property in 1990 and it is currently open to the public as a County Park.[6]

A great number of fossil marine species are present within the Devonian strata of the Park, but the abundance of brachiopods is noteworthy. What makes this location special is that the calcareous ocean-bottom sediment that was deposited here never turned to hard stone as it does almost everywhere else in the region. This allows the fossils to weather out as discrete, often complete museum-grade specimens. Also, this is one of the few geological preserves in the United States where admission is free and collecting fossils for private use is allowed.

All Rights Reserved
2014 Bonfire Photography
Read less