Nonconnah fossils

My wife Laura and a friend Joe recently visited the Nonconnah Greenbelt to do some rock hunting.. This section is on Forest Hill Irene, about 100 yards north of TN 385 (Bill Morris Pkwy). There is a small parking lot and a couple of ponds. A paved path leads from the parking lot to a bridge over a small creek. After the bridge, we take the unpaved walking trail to the right (the paved path heads South, toward Mike Rose Soccer Complex and intersects with other trails). Our trail heads - generally - North and then West upon reaching the edge of the creek. The banks are quite high and there are few areas which allow safe access. Fortunately one of these is located just a few minutes walk once the path turns West. Once you find the entrance and make your way down to the level of the creek, a broad gravel bed awaits you. Most of the year you can easily wade to the opposite bank and find some concentrated gravel. There are numerous other beds downstream. We’ve had a fair amount of success here in the past, though as usual with such, some visits we’ve come up with nothing and sometimes - like the latest - we’ve found a nice quantity and quality of fossils.

Referring to photo 1, from left are my best finds: A couple of not-very-impressive agates and Crinoid, but of more interest is the seeming impression of a snail and a possible burrow*.  In the middle are Lauras: A number of Crinoids (including one masquerading as a snail shell), Coral and I believe some other marine fossil. On the far right are Joes prizes: A large marine fossil, another ‘burrow’ cemented to a large rock, and a crinoid. Each had several pieces not shown, mostly Coral.

Note - this site has some shade, but you’d be advised to go in the morning or early evening at this time of the year!