What Is Lee Creek?
The Pungo River Formation, exposed by the Lee Creek Mine outside Aurora, NC, is arguably the most fossil-rich single geological unit that members of the public can legally access anywhere on Earth. The mine is operated by Nutrien (formerly PotashCorp) and extracts phosphate — a mineral that happens to co-occur with dense concentrations of Miocene-era marine fossils. During the mine's operational history, paleontologists from the Smithsonian Institution collected there and amassed one of the largest Miocene marine vertebrate collections in the world: thousands of documented megalodon teeth, along with whale bones, ray crushing plates, dugong ribs, and the remains of extinct sea turtles.
The Pungo River Formation here dates to approximately 13–17 million years ago (Middle to Late Miocene). This corresponds to the height of *Otodus megalodon*'s size and abundance — the same geological window that produced many of the largest known megalodon teeth ever found. A verified megalodon tooth from Lee Creek measuring over 6 inches has been documented in the scientific literature; teeth in the 4.5–5.5 inch range are found regularly by experienced hunters during access events.
The Aurora Fossil Museum and Free Spoil Pile
The town of Aurora maintains a small but excellent fossil museum — the Aurora Fossil Museum on Main Street — that is free to enter. The museum displays Lee Creek specimens including enormous megalodon teeth, whale skulls, and full ray-plate assemblages. More importantly for hunters, behind the museum is a free access spoil pile: a mound of mine tailings (material rejected during phosphate processing) that the mine donates periodically to the town.
This spoil pile is open year-round at no charge during museum hours. The material is high-quality mine spoil directly from the Pungo River Formation. Visitors find megalodon teeth, mako teeth, whale and porpoise bone fragments, and shark vertebral centra by simply scanning the loose material with their eyes and hands — no tools required, no permit needed.
The critical variable is pile age. Fresh deliveries mean unweathered, unchecked material. Hot days after rain flush fine sediment off specimens. Early morning after a delivery is when the most significant finds have historically been made.
The Fossil Festival: Access Days at the Mine Itself
Once a year — typically in late April or early May — the town of Aurora and Nutrien co-host the Aurora Fossil Festival. For one or two days, the phosphate mine opens its gates for public fossil collecting inside the active extraction area. This is not the spoil pile behind the museum. This is the mine itself: freshly bulldozed Pungo Formation sediment, exposed by the same equipment that extracts the phosphate.
Access during the festival costs a modest fee and typically sells out months in advance. Participants can collect from a designated area of freshly disturbed spoil for a timed session. Historically, festival participants have found teeth exceeding 5 inches. Children and first-time hunters regularly find 3-inch teeth during festival access. The Smithsonian's Lee Creek collection was built partly through festival-era donor finds.
Registration opens through the Aurora Fossil Museum's website or their Facebook page, usually in late winter. Spots fill in days. Set a calendar reminder: if you want inside the mine fence, you need to register the day registration opens.
What Makes the Pungo River Formation So Extraordinary
Three factors converge at Lee Creek to produce a site with no peer at the public level. First, the Pungo River Formation contains extraordinarily high phosphate content, and phosphate is the same mineral that replaces organic material during fossilization — the formation is chemically ideal for preservation. Teeth that elsewhere might be fragmentary or chalky come out of Lee Creek dense, glossy, and structurally intact.
Second, the mine activity continuously exposes new material. Unlike a beach that eventually depletes a surface seam, the mine cuts down through the formation year after year, exposing Miocene sediment that has never seen daylight since it was deposited 13 million years ago. The spoil pile deliveries are the byproduct of that ongoing excavation.
Third, the Pungo River Formation represents a period when *Otodus megalodon* was at peak size and population. Fossilizable material was being deposited at high rates into a phosphate-rich anoxic substrate — ideal taphonomic conditions. The combination of high depositional rate, excellent chemical preservation, and active mechanical exposure is unique in the publicly accessible fossil record.
Practical Guide: How to Hunt Aurora Successfully
The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday; check current hours at the Aurora Fossil Museum website before driving, as seasonal closures occur. Bring water — Aurora is inland, summers are hot, and the spoil pile offers no shade. Wear closed shoes; the spoil is crushed shell, matrix, and rock fragments that will shred sandals.
The best hunting strategy at the spoil pile is to work slowly and get your eyes close to the surface. Megalodon teeth are black (sometimes dark grey or brown), glossy, and triangular. Their enamel catches light differently than rock or shell. The root is bilobed and cream or tan colored. Scan quadrants systematically rather than walking around casually — rushed visitors miss teeth that patient ones find.
Bring a small container for finds, a brush or old toothbrush for cleaning surface debris off suspect shapes, and a ruler or tape measure for any exceptional pieces. Document large finds with photos before moving them — context is useful if you later want to research the tooth. There is no size limit and no permit required on the public spoil pile; all finds are yours to keep.