Our visit to Big Brook Preserve in New Jersey began with curiosity and the hope of finding a fossil. We spent time searching the creek, examining interesting rocks, and finding belemnite fossils. We didn’t find the shark teeth we had hoped for, but we thoroughly enjoyed the search.
Belemnites were extinct marine animals related to squid, not marine mammals. The pointed fossils we found are preserved hard internal parts called guards.
Below, we share our experience, photos, equipment, and a short video to help you decide whether this kind of outing appeals to you. Before planning your own visit, check current preserve rules and conditions; creek access involves wet footing and uneven ground.
Access update: Colts Neck Township has posted a closure notice for the Big Brook Preserve entrance on Hillsdale Road. This article describes our earlier visit. Before traveling, check the township’s closure notice and contact Recreation and Parks to confirm permitted access and current conditions.
Key Facts: Big Brook Fossils
About Big Brook Preserve
Big Brook Preserve offers a different kind of outdoor adventure: slowing down to examine small discoveries in and around a creek. On our visit, we found belemnite fossils and plenty of interesting rocks, although some finds needed a closer look before we could identify them.
We enjoyed the wooded setting as much as the search itself. Despite being close to roads and surrounding neighborhoods, our time at the brook felt like a little escape.
Whether this outing suits you depends on your comfort with creek access, uneven footing, and changing water conditions. Being a short distance from parking doesn’t necessarily mean an easy route into the water.
Big Brook Preserve Location
Big Brook Preserve is in Colts Neck Township, New Jersey. We visited before the township’s posted Hillsdale Road entrance closure.
Confirm current access and parking with Colts Neck Recreation and Parks before traveling. The maps and photos below document our visit and should not be treated as confirmation that an entrance or route is currently open.
Big Brook Preserve Walking Trail
On our visit, we followed a trail toward the brook, put on rubber boots, and spent time searching in the creek. The photos show the route and conditions we encountered that day.
Walking beside the brook and entering the water are different activities. Creek banks can be slippery, and water depth and footing can change. Assess conditions before proceeding, respect closures, and turn back if the route feels uncomfortable.
What We Found at Big Brook Preserve
We hoped to find a shark tooth or two, but none turned up during our visit. Instead, we found belemnite fossils and several interesting rocks that made us take a closer look.
Belemnite Fossils:
At first, we weren’t sure what the pointed fossils were; we even wondered whether they might be teeth. After researching our finds, we identified them as belemnite guards: hard internal parts of extinct squid-like marine animals.
Learning what we had found became part of the fun. If you’re unsure about a discovery, photograph it from several angles with a ruler for scale, then search the internet and ask a museum or knowledgeable fossil specialist for help.
Fossils or Rocks?
Some of our finds left us asking, “Is this a fossil or just an interesting rock?” The pieces pictured below turned out to be concretions, not the fossils we initially wondered about.
We enjoyed examining them, and identifying them became part of the learning experience. Not every interesting find is a fossil, but each can give you a reason to look closer and ask questions.
What We Brought for Our Big Brook Visit
We used a few simple items during our visit, including rubber boots, a sifting screen, and a camera. Below, we share what worked for us and what we would consider when preparing for another outing.
Check current access and equipment rules before packing. Our experience describes an earlier visit, and the tools we used should not be taken as confirmation of what is permitted today.
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Rubber boots:
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We bought affordable rubber boots for our visit, and they helped keep our feet dry while we searched the brook. We also encountered pieces of glass, so going barefoot would not have been a good choice.
Choose footwear with secure footing and protection appropriate to the conditions. Rubber boots can still slip or fill with water; they don’t make an unsafe crossing safe.
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Sifting Screen:
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We brought purchased sifting screens and inexpensive alternatives: a small spaghetti strainer and a slotted scoop. All helped us examine material, but the flatter screen made it easier to spread out small pieces and look closely.
Before bringing a screen, check the current rules for permitted equipment and dimensions. Use it only where collecting is allowed, and leave stream banks undisturbed.
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Garden Trowel:
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We brought a garden trowel and a small beach shovel on our visit. Before bringing similar tools, confirm current equipment restrictions with the preserve guidelines, including permitted blade sizes and where you may use tools.
Do not dig into stream banks or assume that a tool is permitted simply because it is small.
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Small Containers:
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We brought inexpensive containers to hold our finds while we examined them. Small containers also helped keep pieces together so we could examine them more closely at home.
Before keeping anything, confirm that collecting is permitted and check the current quantity limits. A container’s capacity does not determine how much you may take. Photographs are another way to record a discovery without removing it.
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Water and snacks:
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We became so absorbed in searching that we barely thought about our snacks. We also avoided drinking because there were no restrooms available during our visit, a choice we might change next time.
Bring drinking water, take breaks, and plan ahead for restroom needs rather than limiting fluids. Check current facilities before leaving home, and pack out food wrappers and other litter.
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Camera:
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We used our phones, a DSLR camera, and a GoPro to capture the brook, our finds, and the search experience. A phone alone can be enough to record your own outing.
For identification photos, take several clear views and include a ruler for scale. Keep your device secure near water, and stop in a stable spot before taking pictures.
We would have enjoyed the setting even without finding fossils, but discovering a few made the day especially memorable.
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Big Brook Preserve Fossils – Map
Is This Outing Right for Your Group?
Our children were grown when we visited, and we had a great time searching together. For another group, the decision should depend on each person’s comfort with uneven ground, slippery banks, and moving water, not simply their age.
Consider how everyone will enter and leave the creek, and whether they can comfortably manage the conditions. Keep children closely supervised near roads and water. If access or footing is unsuitable, choose another fossil experience, such as a museum or guided program.
Tips for visiting Big Brook Preserve
- Confirm access before traveling. Check the township’s closure notice and ask Recreation and Parks about which entrances and parking are currently permitted.
- Check weather and water conditions. Don’t plan to enter the creek during storms, high water, or fast flow. Rain is a reason to reassess conditions, not an automatic recommendation to visit.
- Learn what to look for. Review clear fossil photographs beforehand, and treat uncertain identifications as questions to investigate.
- Take your time. We found that spreading small pieces across a flat screen made them easier to examine.
- Respect the preserve. Follow current collecting and equipment rules, leave stream banks undisturbed, and take all litter home.
Big Brook Preserve Rules:
Check the official preserve rules before visiting or collecting. Confirm current access, permitted equipment, collecting limits, and any requirements that apply to your group with Colts Neck Recreation and Parks.
The township’s published rules prohibit fossil extraction from stream banks above the waterline and specify equipment and collection limits. Follow current posted rules and closures; the equipment and collecting practices described in our trip report are historical details, not permission to repeat them.
Review the official Big Brook Preserve rules and contact Recreation and Parks if anything is unclear.
Watch Our Big Brook Fossil Outing
Join us for a look at our earlier Big Brook visit, including the creek setting and how we searched for fossils. The video records conditions at the time of our trip; check current access and rules before planning your own.
Our Big Brook outing reminded us how much we can discover when we slow down and look closely. To learn more about identifying fossils, start with Fossils 101. For other destinations, explore Places to Find Fossils.
Adventure Never Gets Old™