The limestone outcrops around Nashville are an extension of the Cincinnati Arch, yielding abundant and nicely preserved marine fossils.
This particular site is adjacent to the Starbuck's coffee shop in western Nashville near the Nashville West Shopping Center.
The location is just east of the intersection of Charlotte Pike (US-70) at I-40.
Exposure
It is a very easy site to access and hunt and is quite productive. Grab a cup and mosey on over to the face and start
collecting an assortment of brachiopods, bryozoans and other classic Ordovician sea floor inhabitants.
Soft Layers
The vertical section of the exposure alternates between hard limestone and softer shale. Loose fossils are common in the softer shale layers.
Bryozoan in Situ
Loose fossils erode out of the soft layers.
Brachiopod in Situ
Mounds of Bulldozed Material
An easy walk around either end of the face, takes you above the face where tons of construction material have been dumped.
Mounds of Bulldozed Material
Not quite as "child friendly", the dump piles are worth a look.
Hard Rock Slabs
Many of the loose slabs in the dump piles expose the surfaces of the hard limestone layers that you can't see in the face.
Although not as prevalent as in the face, there are loose fossils among the slabs and blocks.
Bryozoan in Situ
Vertical Face in the Target Parking Lot
If you haven't had enough yet, you can find another productive face in the parking lot behind the Target store, just east of Starbucks.
The scree along the base of the face contains numerous loose fossils that have erodes out of the face. No need to climb!
Typical fossils found here
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