Texas Fossils of The North Sulphur River

The North Sulphur River in Fannin County, Texas is highly regarded by fossil enthusiasts as one of the best places to find fossils in Texas. Fannin County has been my home for over twenty years. I raised my five children in the community. One of our favorite family hangouts is the North Sulphur River. The North Sulphur River is full of Cretaceous marine fossils. Clovis Era (11,500–11,000 BC) and Dalton Era (8500–7900 BC) stone tool artifacts are also commonly found in the riverbeds.

I take my grandchildren fossil hunting there now too. There is something irreplaceable about spending time with family; exploring and experiencing and discovering things that money cannot buy, making lasting memories on impressionable minds by finding things like 70-million-year-old bone fossils and shark teeth.

It is with much sadness that we begin to say our goodbyes to the Sulphur River and 11,000 of the richest acres of wooded creeks, and tributaries of the Blackland Prairies. Land that is in the project area is scheduled to be submerged upon completion of upcoming Lake Ralph Hall. Lake Ralph Hall will provide drinking water to future Texans. Lake construction is already underway, and landowners have been given a December 2019 deadline to be off of the project area.

For historical as well as my own personal records, I created an eBook, Texas Fossils of The North Sulphur River picturing some of some of the fossils that I personally discovered there. I present the fossil images without commentary as examples of the types of things that can be discovered there.