Pennsylvania · Lebanon / Schuylkill · Conditional
Swatara State Park Mahantango Fossil Site
Swatara State Park Mahantango Fossil Site is a Conditional rockhounding lead in Lebanon / Schuylkill, Pennsylvania. The recorded material or interest is Middle Devonian marine fossils including Phacops rana. The recorded manager or evidence context is Pennsylvania State Parks — Swatara. A condition remains unresolved before collecting. The recorded condition is: Current written retention permission and exact fossil site terms required.
What is Swatara State Park Mahantango Fossil Site?
Swatara State Park Mahantango Fossil Site is a Conditional rockhounding lead in Lebanon / Schuylkill, Pennsylvania. The recorded material or interest is Middle Devonian marine fossils including Phacops rana. The recorded manager or evidence context is Pennsylvania State Parks — Swatara.
What rocks, minerals, fossils or collecting interests are associated with it?
The record lists Middle Devonian marine fossils including Phacops rana. This description is tied to this atlas entry and should be read together with the access status below.
Can I collect at Swatara State Park Mahantango Fossil Site?
Conditional. Current DCNR page expressly describes excellent fossil-collecting opportunities at an Upper Mahantango exposure along Bear Hole Trail, but statewide park law prohibits removal of rock/mineral/natural material without written Department permission. Current retention authority and exact written/posted exception must be verified before collect-now.
A condition remains unresolved before collecting. The recorded condition is: Current written retention permission and exact fossil site terms required.
Where is this record located?
The marker is approximate area context — county geometry for Lebanon / Schuylkill, Pennsylvania. It is intentionally approximate and should not be interpreted as a specimen coordinate or as proof that collecting is authorized at the marker itself.
Who manages the place or provides the evidence context?
The recorded manager or context is Pennsylvania State Parks — Swatara.
What evidence supports this status?
The record was last reviewed on 2026-08-23. Evidence and management context: Pennsylvania State Parks — Swatara. Included for complete Pennsylvania search/research coverage without weakening owner, manager, written-permission, permit, protected-area, access, waterway, quarry, mine-hazard, fossil-class, disturbance, mineral-right or closure gates. Program or rule context: SWATARA_FOSSIL_SITE_MANAGER_CONFIRMATION.
Program or rule context: SWATARA_FOSSIL_SITE_MANAGER_CONFIRMATION
How precise is the map marker?
The marker is approximate area context — county geometry for Lebanon / Schuylkill, Pennsylvania. It is intentionally approximate and should not be interpreted as a specimen coordinate or as proof that collecting is authorized at the marker itself.
What should I verify before going?
- Current land ownership and the exact parcel or managed activity footprint.
- Posted closures, seasonal restrictions, opening hours, fees and permit requirements.
- Mining claims, mineral rights, private-property boundaries and road or trail access.
- Whether the material and collecting method you intend to use are actually allowed.
- Current safety conditions, including weather, fire, water, tides, unstable workings, traffic and other site-specific hazards.
When was this information last checked?
The recorded review date is August 23, 2026. Treat that date as the evidence snapshot used for this classification. Conditions can change after review, so field decisions should use the newest posted rules and manager information.
Is a map pin the same as collecting permission?
No. A map pin answers a navigation or geographic-context question. The status and evidence answer the permission question. Exact coordinates, public destination addresses and approximate county or regional context are deliberately kept separate so geographic precision is not confused with legal authority.