The Niobrara Formation Smoky Hill Chalk member exposed in the western Kansas badlands — the source of the most famous Late Cretaceous marine fossils in North America (Xiphactinus, mosasaurs, Squalicorax). Castle Rock is the iconic public landform; surrounding land is private and requires permission.
Solid hunting day. Brisk SE winds (22 mph) — expect chop.
Next 3 days: Tomorrow is the pick (82); today runs cooler at 60.
This site does not depend on a tidal low. Hunt during the coolest, brightest part of the day and use the wind and conditions notes below.
Impact on visibility and stir-up over the next 5 days.
The Hunt Score blends tide range, lunar phase, daylight timing, recent stir, wind setup, and surf.
Solid. Reliable productivity expected.
We are deliberate about which factors to include. These are not currently in the model:
If you think we should add one of these, log a hunt with notes — every rated outcome helps us decide which signals actually predict tooth count.
Visit Castle Rock as a public landform; for actual collecting, contact a Kansas paleontology club or one of the licensed Western Kansas guide outfits. The chalk weathers small teeth out of slumping faces.
Castle Rock is on a public county road in Gove County. Surrounding chalk badlands are private ranchland — get explicit permission or go with a guide.
Kansas allows surface collection on public land of common invertebrates and shark teeth, but private ranch access is gated. Vertebrate fossils on public land require BLM or state permits.
Trophy = headline find · Rare = real score · Uncommon = some trips · Common = most trips.
The beachcomber's bonus round — what else the geology gives up.
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