Field Trips
Collect, Tour, and Explore!
Field trips are fun experiences for all ages! For safety and insurance purposes, an active Membership is required to attend field trips, and a guardian must be present along with anyone that is younger than 18 years old. RSVPs are handled on a first-come first-served basis. Some trips have a high attendance limit, but many have a low limit, so it enhances everyone's experience if you RSVP/cancel promptly.
Fossil Collecting
Trips to collect usually take place in the Southern California area, but trips periodically travel much further! Members have had the opportunity to collect specimens such as trilobites from the Lower Cambrian, shark teeth and mammal bones from the Miocene, and sand dollars from the Pliocene. (Don't know your Eras from your Epoch's? Download our free "Ages of the Earth" poster PDF here!)
Museum and Locality Tours
Touring trips give SoCalPaleo Members access to view important paleontological sites across the American West, or they give Members access to behind-the-scenes tours at notable museums!
Calendar
September 26, 2026
Chivo Canyon (near Simi Valley)
Sept 26, 2026: THIS TRIP IS NOW FULL. (The limit has been reached).
Members will do an easy walk for about a mile collecting marine fossils, mainly gastropod mollusks, with Turritella (sea snails) being the most common genus found. The fossils are found in the Llajas geological formation of Chivo Canyon, and are from the early to middle Eocene (around 50 million years ago). Nice trip for younger members.
EVERY PARTICIPANT MUST HAVE A CURRENT SCPS MEMBERSHIP ON THE DAY OF THE TRIP.Sept
Trip Leader:
Zach Mekelburg
Active Members, RSVP to Attend:
October 9, 2026
Hazen, Nevada quarry and 2 or 3 other Nevada sites
Oct. 9 - 11, 2026 - As of August 18, very little space left on this trip.
Thursday, Oct. 8: Travel day. Members will drive to Fallon, Nevada (near Reno). Check into hotel.
Friday, Oct. 9: Our adventure begins with collecting fish fossils at the Hazen quarry. We have been given permission to collect fossils at an inactive quarry owned by a large corporation. We had been there the past two years. Three-spine Stickleback fish and Nevada Killifish) from the Miocene epoch are plentiful.
Saturday, Oct. 10: We will visit one or two Nevada fossil sites (to be determined).
Sunday, Oct. 11: We will visit another Nevada fossil site (to be determined).
Sunday afternoon, the trip is over. Members can drive home, or visit Virginia City or Bodie Ghost Town etc.
No limit to participants.
EVERY PARTICIPANT MUST HAVE A CURRENT SCPS MEMBERSHIP ON THE DAY OF THE TRIP.
Trip Leader:
Kim Slaughter and Dennis Rainey
Active Members, RSVP to Attend:
November 14, 2026
White Whale Quarry at Sharktooth Hill (Sean and Lisa Tohill's property)
We will collect Miocene marine fossils at Lisa and Sean Tohill's White Whale Quarry on Shark Tooth Hill.
Limit = 40
Cost: $30. per person (Cash, paid to property owner)
EVERY PARTICIPANT MUST HAVE A CURRENT SCPS MEMBERSHIP ON THE DAY OF THE TRIP.
Trip Leader:
Mimi Anaya
Active Members, RSVP to Attend:
December 6, 2026
Holiday Party - Sunday December 6 at the LANHM - No Field Trip
Trip Leader:
Active Members, RSVP to Attend:
January 23, 2027
Newport Aquatic Center (Newport Back Bay)
Jan 23, 2027
Located behind the Newport Aquatic Center, our site is part of the Palos Verdes Sand formation. 100,000-year-old Pleistocene shells are abundant and easy to find. Easy walk. Mostly surface collecting. Little or no digging. Great for kids.
No Limit.
EVERY PARTICIPANT MUST HAVE A CURRENT SCPS MEMBERSHIP ON THE DAY OF THE TRIP.
Trip Leader:
Bill Ungar and Joe Cocke
Active Members, RSVP to Attend:
February 20, 2027
Ocotillo and San Diego Natural History Museum
Not confirmed.
Feb 20
If not, then --> Feb 13 or 27
Feb 20, Saturday: Behind-the-scenes tour of the San Diego Natural History Museum
Feb 21, Sunday: Collect marine fossils near Ocotillo, CA
EVERY PARTICIPANT MUST HAVE A CURRENT SCPS MEMBERSHIP ON THE DAY OF THE T
Trip Leader:
Dennis Rainey and Kwasi Gilbert
Active Members, RSVP to Attend:
May 8, 2027
Capitola Beach
May 8, 2027
Capitola Beach
Members will walk the sandy shoreline by Capitola Beach in search of late Pliocene marine fossils in the Purisma Formation. On May 8, at 6:57 am, there is a -1.21 negative tide, which is good for walking the shoreline in search of fossils. At higher tide, significant parts of the beach are inaccessible.
EVERY PARTICIPANT MUST HAVE A CURRENT SCPS MEMBERSHIP ON THE DAY OF THE TRIP.
Trip Leader:
Tanielle Redman
Active Members, RSVP to Attend:
September 18, 2027
Chivo Canyon
Sept 18, 2027: Members will do an easy walk for about a mile collecting marine fossils, mainly gastropod mollusks, with Turritella (sea snails) being the most common genus found. The fossils are found in the Llajas geological formation of Chivo Canyon, and are from the early to middle Eocene (around 50 million years ago). Nice trip for younger members. No Limit.
EVERY PARTICIPANT MUST HAVE A CURRENT SCPS MEMBERSHIP ON THE DAY OF THE TRIP.
Trip Leader:
Zach Mekelburg
Active Members, RSVP to Attend:
October 8, 2027
Hazen Quarry and other Nevada sites
Oct. 8 - 10, 2027
Thursday, Oct. 8: Travel day. Members will drive to Fallon, Nevada (near Reno). Check into hotel.
Friday, Oct. 9: Our adventure begins with collecting fish fossils at the Hazen quarry. We have been given permission to collect fossils at an inactive quarry owned by a large corporation. We have visited this site in the recent past. Three-spine Stickleback fish and Nevada Killifish) from the Miocene epoch are plentiful.
Saturday, Oct. 10: We will visit one or two Nevada fossil sites (to be determined).
Sunday, Oct. 11: We will visit another Nevada fossil site (to be determined).
Sunday afternoon, the trip is over. Members can drive home, or visit Virginia City or Bodie Ghost Town etc.
No limit to participants.
EVERY PARTICIPANT MUST HAVE A CURRENT SCPS MEMBERSHIP ON THE DAY OF THE TRIP.
Trip Leader:
Dennis Rainey and Kim Slaughter