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Fossil Park
4.3 ★★★★☆ 455 Google reviews · Running trail in Sylvania, Ohio · Posted hours
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Natural surface
- Distance
- Not reported
- Shape
- Not reported
- Shade
- Tree cover
- Access
- Posted hours
Confirmed from Fossil Park's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.
Visitors can search for 375-million-year-old Devonian fossils in this 5-acre rock quarry with picnic areas.
What runners say about Fossil Park
“What a GIFT to the visitors :) There’s a nice and clean bathroom facility, parking is awesome, the bike path is well kept.”
“It's still easy to find plenty of space to let the kids dig, and the 6 shaded pavillions are a nice touch.”
Free fun for everyone... but gets a bit warm. If you come in summer, wear sunscreen and bring cold drinks. The park is very scenic, and offers a large group picnic area as well as a walking path, plus the main attraction: a quarry pit filled with clay, limestone, the occasional iron pyrite and loads of small marine…
Great fun for a few hours. Fossils a fairly plentiful and likely you will find one before too long. Free to go, there were many kids running around burning off energy. There are several different types of fossils and you can take them with you. Plenty of parking and easy to get to near Mayberry.
Cool little park!! Would be an awesome place to take young kids to get them involved with finding fossils!! Easy trails to and from the parking lot.
This was a great day! We easily spent five hours and could’ve done more! We will be back! Mr. Marok was there as a volunteer and he was an absolute TREASURE and pleasure! We learned so much, I really wish I had better retention or had taken notes.
Trail conditions & character
“What a GIFT to the visitors :) There’s a nice and clean bathroom facility, parking is awesome, the bike path is well kept.”
“What a GIFT to the visitors :) There’s a nice and clean bathroom facility, parking is awesome, the bike path is well kept.”
“It's still easy to find plenty of space to let the kids dig, and the 6 shaded pavillions are a nice touch.”
“It was a great couple of hours getting muddy and dirty digging for dinosaur bones with my five year old grandson!”
Plan your run at Fossil Park
The practical stuff
- AccessPosted hours — posted hours below; park gates sometimes close earlier than the listing says
- SurfaceNatural surface — easiest on the joints and the most fun, but expect roots, rocks and mud after rain
- DistanceNot reported. Trail systems often quote total path mileage rather than a single loop, so measure the route you actually want before you drive out.
- ShadeRunners describe real tree cover here — it makes a summer afternoon workable
- At the trailheadparking, restrooms — reported by runners
- DogsWelcome, per reviewers. Leash rules vary by park — the trailhead sign is the authority.
- Stroller / wheelchairReported as smooth and step-free enough for a running stroller or a chair.
- Trail mapOfficial trail map
- Websiteoutdoorsylvania.com
- Phone+1 419-882-8313
- Social Instagram · Facebook
Hours
| Monday | 8:30 am–5:30 pm |
| Tuesday | 8:30 am–5:30 pm |
| Wednesday | 8:30 am–5:30 pm |
| Thursday | 8:30 am–5:30 pm |
| Friday | 8:30 am–5:30 pm |
| Saturday | 8:30 am–5:30 pm |
| Sunday | 8:30 am–5:30 pm |
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