Battleship Rock Fossil Outing

Join geologist Patrick Rowe for an outing to look for fossils! The Madera Limestone has long been known for its wonderfully preserved marine fossils. One such outcrop is located near Battleship Rock in the Jemez Mountains.

The Pennsylvanian Madera Group, is a gray fossiliferous limestone interbedded with black shale. The Madera Group limestones and shales were deposited in a shallow ocean that covered northern New Mexico about 300 million years ago. The fossils preserved in the Madera Group include brachiopods, bryozoans, and crinoid stems.

From this vantage spot can also view the upper contact of the Madera Group with the overlying red Permian Abo Formation. These rocks indicate that the shoreline of the ocean moved back and forth across the Jemez Springs region for a time before the sea retreated toward the south approximately 290 million years ago.  (Photo credit Shari Kelly)

Climbing up the initial slope is moderately strenuous (but not a long distance).

Bring lunch and water as well as your regular dayhiking supplies.  

Free.  Advance registration required.  Meet at the "old PEEC", 3540 Orange St., at 9:00 a.m.

NOTE:  The leader has the right to refuse participation to anyone he or she feels is not fully prepared.  

Please note that this outing is limited to 40 people.  We will ask you for an emergency contact number.  If the outing says "full" you may be put on the waiting list.  We will let you know if anyone cancels.  If you're signed up and can't make it, please let us know so that someone else can take your place.