Here is a brownish sandstone facies exposed in the Middle Eocene Ione Formation, Ione Basin, Amador County, California. The red backpack at middle right marks the trend of the fossil plant horizon here. It's a pretty rich site, replete with nice leaves preserved on the pale-brownish sandstones. Also of note is that this locality is pretty high in the local Ione Formation section, probably not more than 50 feet vertically downsection from the base of the Lower Miocene Valley Springs Formation. The locality has yet to be scientifically quarried, although I did secure numerous leaf specimens from it during occasional hikes through the Ione Basin in the mid to late 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.