This is a new field trip to a sand pit near Shoofly that contains small fossils and petrified wood from ancient Lake Idaho.

Join Steve Schaps for a brand-new geologic field trip to the Shoofly Sand Pit, located about 70 miles from Boise. The sand pit contains abundant small fossils from Lake Idaho deposits, petrified wood and odd sandstone sculptures that you collect off the surface just by walking around. The sand pit is a public site located 4 miles west of the Shoofly Oolites, and you could visit the Oolites after the trip if you wanted to go on your own. The IMMG also has an archeologist shaker table that people can use as a group to sift sand for fossils (kids love doing this).

MEETING LOCATION: We will meet at the Albertsons Parking Lot on Hwy 21 and Federal Wayat 9:45 am (near McDonalds). Steve will arrange carpools at this location; the roads are paved except for the last 1.7 miles which is a good-quality dirt road suitable for most (but not all) vehicles. We will return to the carpool location at ~3 pm. This is a new trip, so even if you have done the Shoofly Oolite trip before, this new trip offers a different opportunity to find fossils and petrified wood and visit a new geologic site.

No dogs please. Bring lunch and beverages and dress for the weather. We will never be more than 500 feet away from the vehicles.

This trip and all of our 5-6 different field trips are FREE for museum members and children so please join or renew your membership for 2026. www.idahomuseum.org/membership

Pre-registration required for this event.

Contact: operations@idahomuseum.org with any questions.

We seldom cancel in winter, but if we do, we need a functioning email from you. The one you used to register on Eventbrite will be used. A full refund is given if the Museum cancels the field trip.