Fossil Hunting at Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah
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Rules unconfirmed — check with the land manager
Key Conditions
- Proclamation 11044 (July 13, 2026, effective September 11, 2026) reduced the monument from about 1.87 million acres to about 181,541 acres, in two units: the Canyons of the Escalante Unit and the Kaiparowits Horizon Unit
- Inside the two remaining units: no casual fossil collecting, including common invertebrate and plant fossils. The monument has been closed to hobby collecting since Proclamation 6920 (1996), and the Kaiparowits Horizon Unit was kept specifically to protect its dinosaur bonebeds
- On the roughly 1.69 million acres removed from the monument: BLM has not yet published how casual fossil collecting will be managed. The 25 lb/day allowance in 43 CFR 49.810 covers BLM land unless a proclamation or land use plan closes it (43 CFR 49.805(a)), and the January 2025 monument plan was written for the old boundaries. Until BLM clarifies, confirm with BLM Kanab at (435) 644-1200 before collecting anything
- Vertebrate fossils (bones, teeth, tracks of any backboned animal) may NOT be collected on any federal land without a PRPA research permit, inside or outside the monument
- Found something? Leave it in place, note the GPS location and report it to BLM
The rule here after the 2026 boundary change
Proclamation 11044 cut Grand Staircase-Escalante to about 181,541 acres in two units, effective September 11, 2026.
- Inside the Canyons of the Escalante and Kaiparowits Horizon units: closed to fossil collecting, including common shells, plant fossils and petrified wood.
- On the roughly 1.69 million acres removed from the monument: BLM hasn't yet published whether the ordinary casual-collecting rule (up to 25 lb/day of common invertebrate and plant fossils, 43 CFR 49.810) applies. Ask before you collect.
- Vertebrate fossils (bone, teeth, tracks): research permit only, everywhere on federal land.
Questions, or found something? Call BLM Kanab at (435) 644-1200.
Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument covered about 1.9 million acres of southern Utah between Bryce Canyon and Glen Canyon until 2026, when Proclamation 11044 reduced it to about 181,541 acres in two units. It was the largest national monument in the contiguous United States when it was established in 1996. Unlike most national monuments, it is administered by the Bureau of Land Management rather than the National Park Service, and inside the remaining units the answer for fossil collectors is the same as in a national park: no collecting.
The monument exposes a nearly complete Cretaceous stratigraphic sequence through a period roughly 95–65 million years ago, representing environments ranging from shallow marine (western portions, older units) to subtropical floodplain forests (eastern portions, younger units). The marine units hold common invertebrate fossils. On open BLM land these could be casually collected; inside the monument they stay where they are. The terrestrial and deltaic units hold the vertebrate material — including the remarkable ceratopsian and hadrosaur assemblages that have made the monument one of the most scientifically important Cretaceous dinosaur sites in North America.
The monument's scale and remoteness mean that most visitor access is through the main highway corridors. Reaching the best fossil exposures typically requires backcountry vehicle access on unpaved roads — high-clearance 4WD is genuinely necessary for most areas of interest, and the nearest services are in the gateway towns of Kanab (south) and Escalante (north).
Fossil rules: remaining monument units vs. removed land vs. open BLM land
| Rule | Remaining monument units (since Sept 2026) | Land removed from the monument | Open BLM land (e.g. San Rafael Swell) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Common invertebrate fossils | Not allowed | Not yet published; ask BLM Kanab | Allowed, up to 25 lb/day (43 CFR 49.810) |
| Plant fossils | Not allowed | Not yet published; ask BLM Kanab | Allowed, within the same 25 lb/day |
| Petrified wood | Not allowed | Not yet published; ask BLM Kanab | 25 lb + 1 piece/day, 250 lb/year (43 CFR 3622.4) |
| Vertebrate fossils | Research permit only (PRPA) | Research permit only (PRPA) | Research permit only (PRPA) |
| Selling fossils collected on federal land | Not allowed | Not allowed | Not allowed |
Checked September 2026 against Proclamation 11044 (effective September 11, 2026). BLM had not published management direction for the removed land when we checked; confirm with BLM Kanab at (435) 644-1200.
Reporting vertebrate fossil discoveries
If you observe anything that looks like bone, teeth, or tracks of a vertebrate animal in Grand Staircase-Escalante:
- Do not touch or move it
- Note your precise GPS location
- Photograph it from multiple angles without disturbing the site
- Report to BLM Kanab Field Office: (435) 644-1200
The monument has been the source of major scientific discoveries in the last 20 years — surface-eroding vertebrate material you report may be scientifically significant. BLM staff take these reports seriously and will investigate.
Pre-Trip Checklist — Grand Staircase-Escalante Fossil Hunting
- Find out whether your destination is inside a remaining monument unit or on land removed in 2026, and ask BLM Kanab about collecting there
- Check road conditions with BLM Kanab Field Office (435) 644-1200 — backcountry roads impassable when wet
- Bring high-clearance 4WD vehicle for productive backcountry areas
- Carry minimum 3 liters water per person — no reliable water sources in backcountry
- Download offline topo maps — minimal cell coverage throughout the monument
- Pack out all waste — no facilities in backcountry
- Inform someone of your route and expected return — genuinely remote terrain
Who Sets the Rules Here
- FederalPresidential Proclamation 11044 (2026) — Modifying the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
Reduced the monument to about 181,541 acres (Canyons of the Escalante and Kaiparowits Horizon units), effective 60 days after July 13, 2026. The roughly 1.69 million excluded acres reopened to the public land, mining and mineral leasing laws, subject to valid existing rights
- FederalPresidential Proclamations 6920 (1996) and 10286 (2021) — Antiquities Act
Proclamation 6920 established the monument and warns all unauthorized persons not to remove any feature of it. Proclamation 10286 restored the original boundaries after the 2017 reduction and treats the whole landscape, including its fossils, as an object of scientific interest
- FederalBLM Paria River District (Kanab) — GSENM Approved Resource Management Plan (January 2025)
Approved in January 2025 for the monument's 1.87-million-acre boundaries, before Proclamation 11044. Earlier BLM plans for the monument barred casual fossil collecting. How it applies to land now outside the monument is not yet published
- FederalPaleontological Resources Preservation Act — PRPA (16 U.S.C. §§ 470aaa et seq.); 43 CFR Part 49
Vertebrate fossils: research permit only on all federal land. Common invertebrate and plant fossils: casual collecting up to 25 lb/day on BLM land (43 CFR 49.810), except on land closed by proclamation or land use plan (43 CFR 49.805(a))
Permits & Licenses
| Permit | Required? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Personal-use fossil collecting | No | Not available inside the remaining monument units. On land removed from the monument in 2026, ask BLM Kanab at (435) 644-1200 whether casual collecting of common invertebrate and plant fossils is open before you collect. |
| Paleontological research permit | Yes | PRPA permits are issued only to qualified researchers, and anything collected goes to an approved museum repository. They are not available for personal collecting. If you discover fossil material, leave it in place and report it to BLM Kanab at (435) 644-1200. |
Time & Seasonal Restrictions
- No fossil collecting of any kind inside the remaining monument units: common invertebrates, plant fossils and petrified wood included
- Land removed from the monument in 2026: collecting status not yet published by BLM; confirm with BLM Kanab at (435) 644-1200 first
- Vertebrate fossils are protected on all federal land — bones, teeth, scales, claws and tracks of any backboned animal may not be collected; this is federal law under PRPA regardless of perceived condition or size
- No digging or disturbing fossil-bearing ground — the monument is an active research area
- Stay out of posted research areas, active excavation sites and areas with research flags or markers
- No vehicles off designated routes — monument terrain is extremely fragile; tracks persist for decades in cryptobiotic soil
- Want to collect legally? Open BLM land outside the monument, such as the San Rafael Swell, allows casual collecting of common invertebrate and plant fossils up to 25 lb/day
Equipment Notes
- Hand lens or 10x loupe — useful for examining potential fossil material; Cretaceous marine invertebrates are often small and require magnification for confident identification
- Field guides to Cretaceous marine invertebrates — brachiopods, bivalves, gastropods, echinoids, and ammonites are the primary finds; a paleontology field guide for the Western Interior Seaway is most applicable
- Paper bags or soft cloth for fragile specimens — some Cretaceous shells are friable and require careful transport
- High-clearance 4WD vehicle — essential for backcountry access; most productive fossil areas are on unpaved roads that require 4WD; passenger vehicles limited to main paved routes
- Water (minimum 3 liters per person), sun protection, and emergency supplies — the monument is genuinely remote; nearest services are in Kanab, Escalante, or Big Water
- Detailed topo maps and GPS — the monument has minimal signage in backcountry areas; navigation without maps is not advisable
What People Find Here
- Marine bivalves and brachiopods — from Cretaceous (Cenomanian–Campanian) marine formations; relatively common surface finds in appropriate formation outcrops
- Ammonite fragments — occasional; Cretaceous Western Interior Seaway ammonites occur in the marine units; complete specimens rare, fragments more common
- Echinoid (sea urchin) tests and spines — Cretaceous marine units; occasional surface finds
- Plant compression fossils — from terrestrial and brackish-water formations; leaf and wood impressions in mudstone and siltstone
- Oyster and other large bivalve shells — massed accumulations in some Cretaceous limestone beds
- Note: the famous ceratopsian, hadrosaur, and tyrannosaur fossils found at Grand Staircase (Diabloceratops, Kosmoceratops, Machairoceratops, etc.) are vertebrate material — all prohibited
Penalties for Violations
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| Violation | Statute | Penalty |
|---|---|---|
| Removing a vertebrate fossil | PRPA (16 U.S.C. § 470aaa-5) | Federal crime; fines under Title 18 and up to 5 years' imprisonment (up to 2 years if the fossils' value plus restoration cost is $500 or less); civil penalties also possible |
| Removing any fossil (including common invertebrates or petrified wood) from the monument | PRPA (16 U.S.C. § 470aaa-5); 43 CFR 49.300, 49.400 and 49.805(a) | Unauthorized collection; criminal penalties under 16 U.S.C. 470aaa-5 and civil penalties may apply; material subject to forfeiture |
| Off-route vehicle travel in monument | BLM Grand Staircase-Escalante Management Plan; 43 CFR Part 8340 | Federal violation; fines; vehicle impoundment |
Etiquette & Leave No Trace
- Know before you go that the monument is closed to fossil collecting, including common shells. Look, photograph and leave everything where it lies
- If you find something you believe may be vertebrate material — any bone-like, tooth-like, or track-like material — leave it exactly in place and report to BLM Kanab Field Office (435) 644-1200
- Avoid driving or walking on cryptobiotic soil crust — the dark, bumpy soil surface in dry areas of the monument is a living biological crust that takes decades to recover from a single footstep; stay on rocks and bare soil where possible
- Pack out all waste — there are no facilities in most of the monument's backcountry; pack-in, pack-out applies strictly
- Leave fossils in their context — a marine shell in place, with its rock layer visible, carries scientific information that's lost once it's moved
Nearby Alternatives
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| Site | Distance | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| San Rafael Swell — BLM (Utah) | 95 mi | Open BLM land where casual collecting of common invertebrate and plant fossils is allowed, up to 25 lb/day (43 CFR 49.810); vertebrates need a research permit |
| Dinosaur National Monument | 265 mi | NPS; no collection; outstanding observation and Carnegie Quarry exhibit |
More Fossil Hunting Sites Nearby
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I collect fossils at Grand Staircase-Escalante?
Not inside the monument's two remaining units, the Canyons of the Escalante and Kaiparowits Horizon, which have been closed to hobby collecting since 1996. Proclamation 11044 removed about 1.69 million acres from the monument effective September 11, 2026. On that land, BLM hasn't yet said whether the ordinary 25 lb/day casual-collecting rule for common invertebrate and plant fossils (43 CFR 49.810) applies, so call BLM Kanab at (435) 644-1200 before collecting. For land where the answer is already a clear yes, try the San Rafael Swell.
What changed in 2026?
Proclamation 11044, signed July 13, 2026, reduced the monument from about 1.87 million acres to about 181,541 acres in two units, effective 60 days later. The excluded land went back to ordinary BLM management under the public land, mining and mineral leasing laws. The January 2025 management plan was written for the larger monument, and BLM hadn't published new direction for the removed land when we last checked.
How do I tell the difference between a vertebrate and invertebrate fossil?
Invertebrate fossils at Grand Staircase typically include shells (clamlike shapes, spiral gastropods, rounded echinoid tests), branching coral or bryozoan structures, and leaf impressions. Vertebrate fossils include anything resembling bone (irregular, often with visible internal texture like cancellous structure), teeth (dense, often smooth or striated), or tracks (foot impression shapes with digit marks). When in doubt — leave it in place and report it. The BLM Kanab Field Office can help with identification: (435) 644-1200.
Why is Grand Staircase famous for dinosaur fossils if I can't collect them?
The monument's Cretaceous formations have yielded some of the most important Late Cretaceous dinosaur discoveries of the past 30 years — including multiple new ceratopsian species (Diabloceratops, Kosmoceratops, Machairoceratops), new hadrosaurs, and a new tyrannosaur. These are significant vertebrate fossils collected under PRPA scientific permits by research teams from the Natural History Museum of Utah and other institutions. They represent exactly the type of discovery that PRPA was designed to protect — vertebrate material that can only be properly studied under scientific protocols, not casual collection.
Do I need a 4WD vehicle to see fossil exposures at Grand Staircase-Escalante?
For most productive fossil areas, yes. The main paved road (Hwy 12 through Escalante, and US-89 along the southern boundary) are accessible to all vehicles, but the backcountry roads where Cretaceous outcrops are most accessible require high clearance and 4WD, particularly after precipitation. The Cottonwood Canyon Road, Hole-in-the-Rock Road, and Smoky Mountain Road provide backcountry access but require appropriate vehicles. Contact BLM Kanab Field Office for current road conditions before heading in.
Which formations hold the monument's invertebrate fossils?
The Tropic Shale, Straight Cliffs Formation, and Wahweap Formation contain marine and brackish-water invertebrate fossils from the Cretaceous Western Interior Seaway. The Tropic Shale (grayish mudstone) is particularly productive for bivalves, brachiopods, and occasional ammonites. These units are exposed throughout the monument's lower elevation areas, particularly in the southern and eastern portions. The BLM Kanab Field Office can provide formation maps and current access information.
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Disclaimer
Information is provided for general guidance only. Regulations change frequently. Always verify current rules with the official jurisdiction before relying on this information for legal decisions. Permitted Pursuits is not a substitute for official agency guidance. Report an error.
Sources
- Federal Register — Modifying the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (Proc. 11044), July 17, 2026(accessed 2026-09-25)
- Proclamation 11044 — Modifying the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (July 13, 2026)(accessed 2026-09-25)
- BLM — Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument(accessed 2026-04-30)
- Paleontological Resources Preservation Act — PRPA (16 U.S.C. §§ 470aaa et seq.)(accessed 2026-04-30)
- BLM — Rockhounding and Fossil Collecting on Public Lands(accessed 2026-04-30)
- Natural History Museum of Utah — Grand Staircase Research(accessed 2026-04-30)
- Proclamation 6920 — Establishment of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (1996)(accessed 2026-09-25)
- BLM — GSENM Resource Management Plan (Approved RMP, January 2025)(accessed 2026-09-25)
- BLM — Grand Staircase-Escalante NM and Kanab-Escalante Planning Area approved plans summary (February 2020; archived copy)(accessed 2026-09-25)
- Titus et al., "Twenty-Five Years of Paleontological Research in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument" — Parks Stewardship Forum 41(3), 2025(accessed 2026-09-25)
- 43 CFR 49.805 — Where is casual collecting allowed?(accessed 2026-09-25)
- 43 CFR 49.810 — What is casual collecting?(accessed 2026-09-25)
- 16 U.S.C. 470aaa-5 — PRPA prohibited acts and criminal penalties(accessed 2026-09-25)
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