Take Home 75-Million-Year-Old Fossils When You Visit W.M. Browning Cretaceous Fossil Park In Mississippi
By Daniella DiRienzo|Published October 18, 2022
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Daniella DiRienzo
Author
Though Daniella was born in New York and has lived in a couple of other states, Mississippi has been her home for more than 30 years. After graduating from the University of Southern Mississippi, Daniella began to hone her writing skills through various internships. In the years since, she’s had the privilege of having her articles appear in several publications, such as the Mississippi-based Parents & Kids Magazine. She’s also had the honor of interviewing actress Sela Ward for The Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Experience.
The list of fossils in Mississippi runs the gamut from petrified wood to huge marine lizards, giant sloths, and even dinosaurs. Want to know more about fossils in Mississippi? You’re lucky because the state is home to a park where you can dig for fossils that date back millions of years!
In the small town of Baldwyn, MS, you’ll find W.M. Browning Cretaceous Fossil Park, one of the most easily accessible and abundant fossil collecting sites in the U.S.
Located just off the highway, the park doesn’t look like much and is easy to pass up. Just keep your eyes peeled for the informative marker that sits along the roadside.
The roadside marker doesn’t just indicate the park’s location, though. It also provides some background on the park, which was established after shark teeth and other fossils from the Cretaceous period were found in the area back in 1990.
Though it’s a park, there aren’t any amenities on-site, so you’ll need to bring your own shovel, sifter, and any other tools you might need to search for fossils.
Over the years, park-goers have found fossils of all kinds, but shark teeth are the most common. And according to past visitors, the best areas to search for fossils are directly below the parking lot and highway bridge.
Have any questions about W.M. Browning Cretaceous Fossil Park? Check out the Prentiss County website.
Wondering about other fossils found in Mississippi? Plan a visit to the Mississippi Petrified Forest. As one of the best day trips in Mississippi, the forest is home to petrified trees millions of years in the making.
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