Fossil Beach at York River State Park in Williamsburg, Virginia

All the United States Virginia Williamsburg Fossil Beach at York River State Park Each tide uncovers a shoreline where Virginia’s prehistoric past washes up. Fossil-searching is a great way to spend a sunny day. Courtesy of Virginia State Parks An unassuming beach hides millennia-old fossils.

Courtesy of Virginia State Parks The steps down to Fossil Beach. Courtesy of Virginia State Parks Fossil-searching is a great way to spend a sunny day. Courtesy of Virginia State Parks The trail to Fossil Beach winds through a forest, a marsh**,**and ends at what appears to be an unassuming stretch of sand along the York River.

But look down instead of out. Mixed among shells and pebbles are fragments of a much older world: fossilized teeth, bones, and other remnants of marine life that swam here thousands of years ago. Fossil Beach offers one of Virginia’s most accessible opportunities for amateur fossil sleuthing because natural erosion continually replenishes the shoreline.

As the cliffs wear away, they release fossils that have remained buried for roughly 6,000 years, scattering them across the shoreline for visitors to discover. An ancient sea scallop known as the Chesapecten Middlesex is the most common prize, but patient searchers may also find shark teeth, whale bones, and fossilized coral. Visitors must hike about a mile through York River State Park to reach the beach, a brief journey that helps keep the shoreline remarkably quiet.

But the reward for your effort is well worth the trip: a chance to hold evidence of an ancient ocean in the palm of your hand. Get more unusual and extraordinary places each week with the Atlas Obscura Places newsletter. Your newsletter subscriptions with us are subject to Atlas Obscura's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Fossil Beach is located within York River State Park. Always check posted park regulations on fossil collecting, which typically prohibit taking fossils home. Park entrance fees may apply.