Pierre Shale - Pueblo, CO


This site is on PRIVATE LAND. I was privileged to hunt on the mesa with the express permission of the owner.



Baculite Mesa

Although on private land, the owner of Baculite Mesa allows collecting for personal use on a limited basis with pre-approved permission.





Pierre Shale

In this area, the Pierre shale is a loose muddy shale, punctuated outcrops of hard rock.
The terrain is quite barren. Water and sun protection is essential on hot days.




Baculite Ammonoid

This is typical of the baculite fragments which give this area its name.




Baculite Mesa

These hard rock formations poke up through the muddy shale and are fossiliferous.




Bivalves

Some of the outcrops are full of bivalves of several different species.




Red Outcrop

There are no fossils in the red outcrops.




Baculite Fragment in Situ





Another Baculite Fragment in Situ





More Baculite fragments in situ





Baculite Fragments of the Pierre Shale

These are the fragments I took home after about 2 hours of hunting. I left many more in place.




Bivalves of the Pierre Shale

At least three different bivalves are present. The only other fossil I found was a small gastropod in matrix.




Baculite Mesa

E-Mail me: tngray@nautiloid.net



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