Dry Digs

The Dry Digs are a proud trademark of Palmetto Fossil Excursions and are designed to make you feel like a true field paleontologist, find colorful fossils, and maybe – find that big Megalodon you’ve been looking for! While some larger finds are recovered from creek sifting, most of the larger finds taken home by our clients are found during our dry digging excursions.

During a dry dig, your guide will walk you through the process and work along side you for the duration of your tour to teach you everything that they know about finding fossils within ancient gravel deposits. 

Our current Dry Dig site is a phenomenal site that offers an array of different formations ranging from the Pleistocene to the Oligocene with an amazingly intact Pliocene bed featuring flawless Great Whites, Giant Modern Tiger Shark Teeth, Bull Sharks, and more! From the highest point to the lowest point, you can literally walk back in time from 1.2 million years ago to 28 million years ago and can even specify which formation you would like to hunt during your time with us. The formations present at the new pit include:

* Waccamaw Formation (Pliocene) – Vertebrate Fossils

* Goose Creek Limestone (Pliocene) – Chesapectin’s, Ecphora’s, Vertebrate Fossils

* Raysor Formation (Miocene) – Invertebrate and Vertebrate Fossils

* Ashley Formation (Oligocene) – Exposure Fields by special request only 

* Chandler Bridge Formation (Oligocene) – Invertebrate and Vertebrate Fossils

A few other features of our newest dig site include: *A full picnic/barbeque area overlooking the Sifting Island Adventures area with a propane grill and 2 picnic tables with shade umbrellas.

* Parking area is located in the pit less than 500 feet from the area where you will be hunting so no wall climbing or long hikes!

* Daytime and Nighttime access so we can cater to your schedule or wants!

* Access to high-top and low-top sifting tables with pressurized water for rinsing off gravel material to ensure that you and your family don’t miss anything!