National Fossil Day is October 17th!

Did you know that October 17th is National Fossil Day? This annual event is hosted by the National Park Service and the American Geological Institute as a way to promote the awareness of and appreciation for fossils and their educational and scientific value. Check out one of these great Southern California locations for some fossil fun with the kids (scroll to the bottom for a link to locations nationwide):

Ralph B. Clark Regional Park
8800 Rosecrans Ave. Buena Park, CA 90621

Clark Regional Park has paved walking paths, a dirt trail around the park's perimeter, multiple play structures, a stocked fishing lake, and an interpretive center complete with fossils from the Orange County Area. You'll see million-year-old fossils from marine animals and fossils from younger land mammals.

The Interpretive Center is open Tuesday - Friday 12:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. and Saturday & Sunday 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. It is Closed on Mondays.

La Brea Tar Pits and The Page Museum
5801 Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90036

Explore L.A. Ice Age-style by taking a walk in the Pleistocene Garden. Look for plants, animals, and fossil related items throughout the tar pits and the Page Museum on a self-guided scavenger hunt. See fossils being unearthed before your very eyes at Project 23. There is no shortage of fossil fun here! For more information about the activities listed here or to begin planning your visit, click here: http://www.tarpits.org/visit/plan-your-trip

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
900 Exposition Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90007

You'll find the only display of T. Rex's at three different ages here at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. You'll find over 300 real dinosaur fossils, the Paleoparadoxiid, or Mystery Mammal - an unknown mammal found in southern California, giant Jaguars and countless other replicas and skeletons of life forms from millions of years ago. After the museum, explore the Exposition Park Rose Garden to see over 200 different kinds of roses. For more information about the Natural History Museum, click here: http://www.nhm.org/site/

The locations listed here are located in southern California, but National Fossil Day is a national event! Visit the National Park Service website for a list of fossil-rich locations in your are: http://nature.nps.gov/geology/nationalfossilday/fossil_parks.cfm

Also check with your local parks and nature centers to see if you have an unlisted location near you. You never know what kind of treasures you'll turn up when you do a little digging!