trammel fossil park

This is a great, hidden, free spot to take your kids. Take a decent tool for digging fossils and enjoy your time. Make sure you wear good shoes.

My young children loved it hear and so did I. It was so much fun looking for fossils. We brought home two pails-full. I've never seen anything like it. If you love to explore and search its awesome. The area where you dig is a little deceiving- a little more steep than it looks-wear sneakers or climbing shoes-bring hammer, metal pick or shovel and pail. I can't believe this park is just there-not advertised-no entry fee.This park was donated by the Trammel Family for the public to enjoy. What a great service they did. Thank you Trammel Family. You've brought a lot of fun and happiness to a lot of people!

My daughter is almost 6yo and loves all things related to fossils, dinosaurs, etc. She was thrilled to be able to go on this adventure. The park is very basic. There is a portable toilet and hand washing station available in the parking lot and a drinking fountain near the main park entrance with small picnic tables. The tables do need some TLC but are fine for a break or snack. I would suggest that you bring cold water with you on a hot day as well. The water from the fountain isn't a temperature I would consider refreshing.Our daughter really enjoyed being able to find lots of little treasures and got lots of exercise with all the climbing. The terrain is very loose and rocky. Be sure to wear shoes with traction and if you plan on wearing shorts, bring something along for your little ones to either kneel or sit on while they are digging. There are virtually no shaded areas so be sure to wear sunscreen and wear a hat. Basic tools will be very helpful (small chisel, hammer, brush, etc.) as well as a heavy duty ziploc bag for your finds.Your finds will make for great show and tell items at school!

Fun for kids age 4 and up. A great way to spend a few hours on a nice day with interested children. Free to enter, plenty of parking, fantastic view and ample fossil finding. Fossils are easy to find without tools, but for those interested in a true archaeological dig, bring anything but the backhoe. Wear gym shoes and be cautious climbing the hill.

My son is six and loved it. I don't think I'd bring kids much younger unless they can be calm and listen well otherwise I think they'd get hurt. We lucked in to a cool July day. Wouldn't be fun on a hot day as there is very little if any shade. Wear shoes with good traction. Flip flops are a bad plan. Bring a bag to hold your finds, maybe a small shovel, some water and possibly band aids. :)

Had a couple of hours to kill, so me & my 12 year old daughter spent about an hour finding some fossils.. I'd recommend bringing a hammer and screwdriver to be able to chisel out some of the fossils you may find.. I'd say this is for kids of all ages, younger kids may need closer supervision.. But who doesn't like find fossils for free..

This is a great location for anyone interested in fossils. There is some nice signage telling you about the property and what you can find. There are posts over the hillside indicating the period that layer is from. You don't have to look hard - even little kids will find fossils with ease and you can take a few home to study and remember your visit. There are picnic tables (losing their powder coating, but otherwise fine) and port a potties if you want to stay for a longer time. Free and ample parking

Anyone who gave this a low rating didn't see the whole area. If you just look in front of the parking lot, you could be a little disappointed. You need to go right, away from the parking lot, towards GE. The finds on that end are incredible! You can't walk without stepping on a fossil! Don't compare this to a "road cut". It's not!

I have a 6 and 9 year old and they love fossils. This park was amazing. Every rock has a fossil. Wear good tennis shoes and bring a bag. The rocks can be slippery. We brought home about 50 lbs of fossils. I had to drag my 9 year old out of there.

From the famous Cincinnatian era. Fossil sea shells are etched on to the flat pieces of rock. Guide posts are helpful. Almost every small rock lying around has something to see. Pick a good weather - weekend. Take water to wash off the clay and paper towels and bags. It is just a little park with parking on an industrial street with view of the skyline.If a history buff, then try to spot the ancient Runyon pioneer cemetery of early settlers near the interstate here at Reading road about 2 miles. Henry Runyan (Runyon) built a cabin before 1792 in southwestern Ohio, now Hamilton County, and possibly now Village of Evendale, between Reading and Sharonville. This may also have been the site of Runyan's Station, a wilderness stockade. He married Abigail Lynch, date not yet found. We know of one daughter born 28 Aug 1805. In Hamilton County historical records he is listed as being from Virginia. http://www.enquirer.com/editions/1998/11/27/loc_runyan27.htmlThen visit the Heritage museum at nearby Sharon Woods. Grab old fashion root beer float at the nearby ice cream stand and watch trains go by.

We had a great time with our young kids here! And fossil treasures WILL be found. IFyou are a professional digger, you won't find huge fossils here, but there are a lot of shell and twig impressions that are neat to see on almost every rock you pick up in some areas. We had so much fun, our kids even traded fossils with another little boy there! The grade for little feet is similar to a river bed, so hold on to their hands tight so you don't need the bandaids and cleanser wipes i recommend taking. We were able to sit under the shad of some trees with the girls and sift through our finds. We took tools but found plenty of treasures without them. A portolet on site with foot pump sink and paper towels/soap was available if needed, we headed up the road to the Holiday Inn for the potty (lg nice bathrooms right inside near pool)--if you can hold it like 2 min, you may want to do this instead of portopotty.-we also grabbed fries at McDs next door to the hotel to take back. I'd go back in in cincy again and I live a ways away...we are going to clean up our finds with toothbrushes, and put a high gloss finish on them and see how they clean up!

I had lived within 2 miles of this place for 7 years and never knew it existed. My 4-yr old loved looking for fossils and learning about geology. I am impressed that this place is free to the public and hope it stays that way for generations to come.

It's really a small road cut in the middle of an industrial park. There's nothing here that can't be found on any river bank, highway road cut, or construction site. We drove all the way from fort Thomas and were extremely let down.

I work at a hotel and regularly suggest checking out Trammel Fossil Park. This park is not off the beaten path, but it is "hidden" at the end of a business park. There are port-a-potties, a place to wash your hands, picnic tables, educational plaques (these tell you about the ecosystems and which fossils were abundant then), and the main event--fossils galore. You do not need to bring any special equipment, except a bag for carrying your finds home. This is because the fossils are so abundant that you do not even need to dig for them. Your finds can include everything from coral to trilobites (Ohio's official fossil)! There is a woods at the top of the hill with paths crossing through it. The paths are neither paved nor marked, so use discretion if you do not have a great sense of direction or not a lot of time to spare. I enjoy fossil hunting in the creekbeds you will find along these paths.Be sure to wear good shoes, because there are no paths leading to the top of the hill or along the hill where the bulk of the fossil hunting occurs (you will be doing a little climbing). Trammel Fossil Park is not "handicap friendly," so please keep that in mind, as well.

I have been visiting the Park a couple of times every summer since 2009. This park is a very special place to visit because: it is a natural site for getting up close to what type of animal, mammal, bug, fresh water aquatic life not to mention plant life lived in this area during prehistoric times. the site is a slice form, in a rocky hillside, of prehistoric vertebrae and non-vertebrae, well marked with discreet signage indicating the era of every level in the hillside. there are picnic tables but no water source (there may be a source since I visited last)..I recommend - for any age: + visiting early in the a.m. because there isn't any shade (unless you venture to the top to the hill where there are trees) so it gets really hot! + Do wear climbing or good hiking shoes because wet or dry the big rocks can be slippery. + Bring band aids and antiseptic cleanser for wounds - which will happen (but it's all worth a scrape or cut.) + Bring a "cloth" bag (one for each person) or sack to use as a sturdy container for hauling your favorite dusty, ragged fossils home. Plastic is the worst. Tried it...forgot it!The best part of the visit to the park is...you can take your prize fossils with you! Of course, with respect to the monument it is, do not bring a truck in to haul your prizes away. Just take a bit of the geographical, prehistoric history of what was living here before man. You may find fossils in their full formation, just as they were back then. Join me in thanking the Trammel family for endowing such a unique piece of treasure for Cincinnati to appreciate - up close and personal.M. Price