A splendid pastoral scene in the Ione Basin, western foothills of the Sierra Nevada, Amador County, California. The red backpack at bottom of image marks a major fossil plant-bearing site in the Middle Eocene Ione Formation. The locality is very difficult to reach, involving a long hike through private property that is environmentally quite sensitive. But, the rewards are very much worth the effort. Such exquisite scenery combined with a productive fossil locality creates an irresistible attraction. This is yet another locality I discovered while hiking amidst the Ione Basin's Eocene exposures during the early to mid 1990s.

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.