A fossil plant locality in the Middle Eocene Ione Formation, Ione Basin, California--marked by the red backpack at lower right. I discovered this fossil spot while hiking the Ione Basin during the mid 1990s. Here, brownish sandstones and feldspar-rich whitish shales contain common fossil leaves. Probably this specific site will never be thoroughly quarried, due to its occurrence on environmentally sensitive properties.

Please note: All fossil localities in the Ione Formation of Amador County, California, presently occur on private property; explicit permission from the land owners must be secured before collecting fossils there.