State
Fossil sites in Alaska
Alaska rewards collectors who can tell one rock unit from another. Around Homer on the Kenai Peninsula, two fossil records sit within sight of each other. They differ in age by more than 100 million years.
The bluffs you can reach on foot from town expose the Beluga Formation. This is a Miocene coal-bearing unit, roughly 10 to 5 million years old, laid down by rivers and swamps. It yields fossil leaves, wood, and petrified logs. The material weathers out of the bluffs and collects on the beach below.
The ammonites that draw many visitors come from somewhere else entirely. They belong to Jurassic and Cretaceous marine rocks that ring Kachemak Bay, on the south and east shores. Most of that ground is reached by water taxi from the Homer Spit rather than by road. Ammonites became extinct 66 million years ago, so they cannot occur in the Miocene coal bluffs.
Land status along the Kenai coast varies, and you should confirm it before you collect. Common invertebrate and plant fossils on the beach are generally open. Leave vertebrate material where you find it.
1 fossil site
Updated 11 July 2026
Part of our national guide to the best places to fossil hunt in the United States.
Frequently asked questions
- What fossils can you find near Homer, Alaska?
- Fossil leaves, wood, and petrified logs weather out of the Miocene Beluga Formation in the road-accessible bluffs. Ammonites and marine shells come from older Jurassic and Cretaceous rocks around Kachemak Bay, which you reach by water taxi.
- Can you collect fossils in Alaska?
- It depends on the landowner. Common plant and invertebrate fossils on the beach are generally open, but ownership along the Kenai coast varies. Federal land follows separate rules, and vertebrate fossils are protected on public land.
- When is the best time to fossil hunt near Homer?
- Late spring through early fall gives the best access and the longest daylight. Time a visit to low tide. Go after a storm if you can, because storms erode the bluffs and release fresh material.