Ernst Quarries
Ernst Quarries
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David E
Koloa2 contributions
Dec 2019
Rob Ernst is runs a very nice operation. It is important for everyone to be on time at the designated area. Due to extreme bad weather about half the people were going to show up late. Because we lost about 2 hours of digging time, he knocked $10 off the price which seemed very reasonable to me. Rob gives a nice tour of the digging area and came back about half way through the day to help people identity some of their finds.
If you are lucky enough to come right after a rain, you will find small teeth on the surface. To find anything of any size you'll need to be ready to do some heavy digging. My last trip I left with a handful of Planus shark teeth and a couple of vertebrae. Rob doesn't dictate too much where you put your tailings, but for the future of this rare site, I ask that anyone reading this who goes be considerate and don't dump them where they'll get in the way of exposing more layer.
I had fun going by myself, but saw many families enjoying themselves. Since it takes a bit of hard work and patience, I'd recommend ages 8-10 and up.
I'll definitely be going back during the Winter and Spring before it gets too hot.
If you are lucky enough to come right after a rain, you will find small teeth on the surface. To find anything of any size you'll need to be ready to do some heavy digging. My last trip I left with a handful of Planus shark teeth and a couple of vertebrae. Rob doesn't dictate too much where you put your tailings, but for the future of this rare site, I ask that anyone reading this who goes be considerate and don't dump them where they'll get in the way of exposing more layer.
I had fun going by myself, but saw many families enjoying themselves. Since it takes a bit of hard work and patience, I'd recommend ages 8-10 and up.
I'll definitely be going back during the Winter and Spring before it gets too hot.
Written January 20, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Everett Martin
2 contributions
Oct 2020
This place is nice. We found many bonless bones (fossils) and a few teeth as well. I also managed to find a lawnmower on the surface and used that for a little while. My friend and I stayed there for 8 hours from start to end and had a blast.
Seriously though this place is amazing! The dude who runs it is very knowledgeable and insightful. Would definitly reccomend for a fun day (as long as yall don't mind a long day of work!) :)
Seriously though this place is amazing! The dude who runs it is very knowledgeable and insightful. Would definitly reccomend for a fun day (as long as yall don't mind a long day of work!) :)
Written November 7, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Paul S
Costa Mesa, CA1,666 contributions
Apr 2015 • Family
My son and I met up with some extended family this weekend and spent the morning digging through the dirt for fossil shark teeth and whale bone. It was an awesome time!
As we live in Southern California, we drove up Friday night and overnighted in Bakersfield and then woke up early and got to the gate at 7:15 AM. Rob Ernst was waiting for the visitors and had us fill out a consent form and then, when everyone had arrived, drove us up to the quarry. He explained everything, showed us around and got us started.
Basically, think of this as scraping dirt and finding fossils. It's about that easy. While I was making a major excavation, my son Andrew, sat down in an open area and started sifting through the dirt with his hand and came up with eight or ten shark teeth. I got distracted by all the fossil whale bone lying around. It's all over the place. Laying on the surface, just below the surface ... everywhere. One of my cousins found a fish vertebra which measured about three inches in diameter and four inches long. It was a beautiful specimen.
There were only about 10 parties there - about half with children. This is a very family-friendly dig site and you WILL come away with fossils. If you decide to go, here are some pointers:
1. Make reservations on The Ernst Quarry website.
2. If you go with children, go to the "near" quarry as it has an outhouse and picnic tables. The "far" quarry does not have any amenities.
3. Take lots of water, snacks and something to eat. While we had a light breeze the day we went and it wasn't too hot, the owner mentioned that it can get well into the 90-100's during summer. There is no shade in the area so you may want to plan your trip around the weather.
4. The drive to the gate can be a trick as it's an unmarked gate. Follow the directions (which will be emailed to you upon your registration) precisely. They're very clear but follow them.
5. Cash or checks only. You can dig for half the day or the full day, the price changes accordingly.
6. Equipment: Garden tools work well. Their website also has suggestions on what to bring. We dragged along a couple of buckets to carry our stuff. Those folding military shovels work well too. A paint brush comes in handy should you run across a large vertebra so you can whisk away the loose soil and not go blindly picking at your prize. Bring a plastic bag to carry the sharks teeth so they don't get lost.
7. The road in is a maintained dirt road which is fully negotiable by stock cars. If you have a low slung sports car you will have to be careful as there are potholes. For reference, there was a Hyundai Sonata and Honda Odyssey that made it up without issue. The owner was very considerate and led the caravan up slowly, making sure he was avoiding the larger potholes.
8. You might note that in some of my photos we're wearing paper filter masks. This area is known to have Valley Fever spores in the soil and you really don't want that. A simple papermask should be able to prevent catching it. The risk is mostly when it's hot and dry and a lot of dust gets kicked up. If you think this precaution is over-blown, read your indemnification agreement carefully. You will acknowledge that you know about this and that you will hold-harmless, The Ernst Quarries.
Overall, this is a great site and we're planning another trip in the future.
As we live in Southern California, we drove up Friday night and overnighted in Bakersfield and then woke up early and got to the gate at 7:15 AM. Rob Ernst was waiting for the visitors and had us fill out a consent form and then, when everyone had arrived, drove us up to the quarry. He explained everything, showed us around and got us started.
Basically, think of this as scraping dirt and finding fossils. It's about that easy. While I was making a major excavation, my son Andrew, sat down in an open area and started sifting through the dirt with his hand and came up with eight or ten shark teeth. I got distracted by all the fossil whale bone lying around. It's all over the place. Laying on the surface, just below the surface ... everywhere. One of my cousins found a fish vertebra which measured about three inches in diameter and four inches long. It was a beautiful specimen.
There were only about 10 parties there - about half with children. This is a very family-friendly dig site and you WILL come away with fossils. If you decide to go, here are some pointers:
1. Make reservations on The Ernst Quarry website.
2. If you go with children, go to the "near" quarry as it has an outhouse and picnic tables. The "far" quarry does not have any amenities.
3. Take lots of water, snacks and something to eat. While we had a light breeze the day we went and it wasn't too hot, the owner mentioned that it can get well into the 90-100's during summer. There is no shade in the area so you may want to plan your trip around the weather.
4. The drive to the gate can be a trick as it's an unmarked gate. Follow the directions (which will be emailed to you upon your registration) precisely. They're very clear but follow them.
5. Cash or checks only. You can dig for half the day or the full day, the price changes accordingly.
6. Equipment: Garden tools work well. Their website also has suggestions on what to bring. We dragged along a couple of buckets to carry our stuff. Those folding military shovels work well too. A paint brush comes in handy should you run across a large vertebra so you can whisk away the loose soil and not go blindly picking at your prize. Bring a plastic bag to carry the sharks teeth so they don't get lost.
7. The road in is a maintained dirt road which is fully negotiable by stock cars. If you have a low slung sports car you will have to be careful as there are potholes. For reference, there was a Hyundai Sonata and Honda Odyssey that made it up without issue. The owner was very considerate and led the caravan up slowly, making sure he was avoiding the larger potholes.
8. You might note that in some of my photos we're wearing paper filter masks. This area is known to have Valley Fever spores in the soil and you really don't want that. A simple papermask should be able to prevent catching it. The risk is mostly when it's hot and dry and a lot of dust gets kicked up. If you think this precaution is over-blown, read your indemnification agreement carefully. You will acknowledge that you know about this and that you will hold-harmless, The Ernst Quarries.
Overall, this is a great site and we're planning another trip in the future.
Written April 18, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
George Y
2 contributions
Jan 2018 • Family
My family planned to visit Ernst Quarries and contacted the owner two weeks ahead with some questions regarding the trip. We got the e-mail asking us to bump up our reservation to VIP grade but other than that, no other feedback or answers to our questions. We tried calling the office but it only takes us to the voicemail, which asked us to use e-mail for questions unless it's an emergency.
Written January 22, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Shawn L
Fort Walton Beach, FL10 contributions
Jun 2017 • Solo
If you like shark teeth, this is the place to go. There are only a handful of locations in the US where you can legally collect and find large Mako and Megaladon teeth. After prospecting on the east coast locations on and off, I was finally able to make it out here for a day and was not dissapointed! I found scores of large Mako teeth, the largest approx 2.5". However my best find of the day was one of the elusive Megalodon teeth. Not only a rare find, the tooth was almost 6"! Call it beginners luck...
Written June 25, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
CiroDk
Pasadena, CA29 contributions
Oct 2012 • Family
My wife is an hardcore geologist and avid mineral and fossil collector. She was dreaming about this place for months and when we finally got to go... could not have been better. Staff is friendly, the place is amazing and she found many shark teeths and even small bones! Keep up the good work guys!
Written January 2, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
artqueen
Cave Creek, AZ251 contributions
Oct 2019
I was excited about my trip to Ernst Quarries, with the idea of digging for shark's teeth, bone, and other fossils. Were were given direction and orientation on the do's and dont's. Only cash was accepted with NO receipt, and we all signed a full page liability waver, with no copies provided. I shared a cavelike ledge with a man, Scott, and his 10-12 year old son. Without warning the ledge collapsed pinning me in from above the knee down. Scott and another man came to dig me out, as I couldn't move a muscle. There was hundreds of pounds of weight on me, and I was completely pinned in. I worked hard not to panic, and eventually I was freed. I was glad that the boy was not nearby at the time. Its been a week since this happened. I cancelled the rest of my 3 week RV road trip, and went home, as I couldn't do much other than ice, heat and elevation. I was traveling alone. I sought medical attention, have massive bruising on my lower legs, and still in a lot of pain, though fortunately nothing is broken. After we were allowed freedom to dig, we were told that we could leave anytime, but had the day to stay.
As an amateur layperson I have no real experience to know when a ledge was becoming unsafe or unstable. I wanted the owner or employee to either monitor, or supervise the site, and if need be, close off areas that were questionable. No one came around to our area to observe our spot, or asked us to move. I just dont feel that signing a waiver, taking money, and providing an experience, should negate all and any responsibility to assure that conditions are as safe as they could be. There were several children on this tour, and if it were me, I would think twice about exposing them, in particular, to these cavelike ledges. I felt the need to share my story so others can be prepared.
As an amateur layperson I have no real experience to know when a ledge was becoming unsafe or unstable. I wanted the owner or employee to either monitor, or supervise the site, and if need be, close off areas that were questionable. No one came around to our area to observe our spot, or asked us to move. I just dont feel that signing a waiver, taking money, and providing an experience, should negate all and any responsibility to assure that conditions are as safe as they could be. There were several children on this tour, and if it were me, I would think twice about exposing them, in particular, to these cavelike ledges. I felt the need to share my story so others can be prepared.
Written October 12, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
R3954BXleec
Landrum, SC2 contributions
Jan 2018 • Solo
This was my second trip to the Ernst Quarry. My first was 2 years ago. I found it to be a great experience, and as an amateur collector from South Carolina, I was excited to hunt fossils that are not found on the East coast . The common mako sharks found at Bakersfield are the broad tooth mako (I. hastalis) and the hook tooth mako (I. planus). The hastalis is common world wide and very common in SC. On the other hand planus has only been found at two sites world wide and only in Pacific deposits. Bakersfield is one of the sites and the only site on the eastern pacific margin. I came to collect and add the hook tooth mako to my collection. The first day was like any collecting learning curve with limited finds, but days 2-4 proved to be exciting and very productive. Rob provides everything that one needs, including tools, explanation, a tour and history of the site, exploration and credit to his father, and an invite to the Buena Vista Museum of Natural History in downtown Bakersfield. Rob and I think his father were instrumental in donating fossils to the museum and there is a large exhibit dedicated to Ernst Quarry fossils. It was a fantastic trip and I hope to make this an annual event. P,S. It is not just for young people. I'm 70.
Written January 30, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jason Rice
8 contributions
Oct 2018 • Solo
Being completely honest. The communication here is a bit poor. I didn't receive a confirmation email or call saying my VIP request to dig was confirmed. I just received a notification online that I would be contacted so I had to call the owner that morning and he finally picked up after calling him at least ten previous times. The owner really knows the site. The site where he puts you on is actually pre-sifted and you pay $40 for the day. It's not digging so much as it is sifting really fine loose sediment for shark teeth. I found some nice things in there. A decent cow shark tooth, a large Isurus planus over two inches, and a sea lion tooth. About three hundred teeth were collected in three days. That's really exciting but I was working hard to sift through everything and worked from sunrise to sunset. I'm definitely saying I'm not disappointed but felt like I was already sifting through stuff that had been sifted. That's fine for most folks but I was really hoping to find a Megalodon or large Mako. They are out there but with an industrial sifter all those nice large teeth had already been taken out so I knew that I was only going to find the smaller teeth though I did find some decent sized Isurus planus (extinct hooked Great White). All in all not a bad trip for your money but I did get into trouble for digging in the pit in the center with some friends (that stuff isn't pre-sifted). I thought the owner said that was free game so I went in but he definitely didn't want me in there. He also tried getting us to excavate some overburden (dirt and rock) on the other side of the hill from the quarry. We dug for about two hours and weren't getting anything so we gave up on that. The good news was he let us have free admission for scouting out some new spots that he claimed were going to yield a lot of shark teeth but ended up being dry. So I have mixed feelings about this place. Would I do it again? Certainly I would but I would try to pay him a bit more to dig in the middle where the material hasn't already had the nicer larger teeth sifted. It was a fun trip.
Written May 31, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Katie H
West Hollywood, CA22 contributions
Jun 2017 • Couples
We had a great time at Ernst Quarries (Slow Curve Quarry) this weekend! It's about 2 hours from LA and absolutely worth the trip.
Here are some things to note:
1. All tools are provided. You can just show up!
2. Rob met us at the entrance gate to escort us into the quarry and gives everyone a quick rundown before the dig.
Do not arrive after 8am :)
3. Bring gloves if you're digging into the walls, but you can also sift through smaller rocks and find really great teeth in the piles (sieves&sifters are provided) and you wont need gloves for that.
4. Bring food and sunblock and lots of water! You park near the dig site so you can go back and forth throughout the day to your car.
5. Bring a box to put your fossils/shark teeth in...Some can be quite fragile.
6. If something looks fragile, keep it in matrix (in the dirt block) til you get home, and then soak in a bowl of warm water and the fossil falls right out.
7. No bathrooms... camping rules apply so bring tp if need be!
8. A bandana to wear over your nose/mouth is helpful since there's dust and dirt flying around. That said, you get very dirty and dusty so dress accordingly.
9. You have the day, I believe til 5pm, but you can leave whenever you want.
10. And last but not least, you will find lots of shark teeth of all different sizes! We were digging for 5- 6 hours and came away with more than 70 fossils of all shapes and sizes, from teeny tiny teeth all the way to giant makos the size of a palm. This is so worth the drive, a great day and an unforgettable experience!
Here are some things to note:
1. All tools are provided. You can just show up!
2. Rob met us at the entrance gate to escort us into the quarry and gives everyone a quick rundown before the dig.
Do not arrive after 8am :)
3. Bring gloves if you're digging into the walls, but you can also sift through smaller rocks and find really great teeth in the piles (sieves&sifters are provided) and you wont need gloves for that.
4. Bring food and sunblock and lots of water! You park near the dig site so you can go back and forth throughout the day to your car.
5. Bring a box to put your fossils/shark teeth in...Some can be quite fragile.
6. If something looks fragile, keep it in matrix (in the dirt block) til you get home, and then soak in a bowl of warm water and the fossil falls right out.
7. No bathrooms... camping rules apply so bring tp if need be!
8. A bandana to wear over your nose/mouth is helpful since there's dust and dirt flying around. That said, you get very dirty and dusty so dress accordingly.
9. You have the day, I believe til 5pm, but you can leave whenever you want.
10. And last but not least, you will find lots of shark teeth of all different sizes! We were digging for 5- 6 hours and came away with more than 70 fossils of all shapes and sizes, from teeny tiny teeth all the way to giant makos the size of a palm. This is so worth the drive, a great day and an unforgettable experience!
Written June 12, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lepha
Murrieta, CA714 contributions
The website says kids must be at least 13, but some of the reviews indicate that their 10 year olds loved it. Can anyone clarify?
Ethan M
Bakersfield, CA1 contribution
Will the place give us tools to dig or do we need to bring our own?
karen m
1 contribution
Last. Time I visited they had all the tools you might need for a dig! It was amazing! I was there last year, the owners didn’t mind if you had smaller hammer or chisel but they were definitely against large tools being brought in.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Ernst Quarries
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