You can find 350-million-year-old fossils less than three hours from Toronto

Sure, Jurassic World: Rebirth may be getting lukewarm reviews, but don’t let Hollywood’s franchise fatigue kill your childhood obsession with paleontology. Instead, spark some real wonder with a day trip to Rock Glen Conservation Area, where 350-million-year-old fossils are scattered along the trails—and admission is just $4.25.

Long before the first T. rex took a thunderous step, this patch of southern Ontario sat beneath a shallow tropical sea. Today, that ancient seabed lies exposed at Rock Glen, just outside Arkona, two and a half hours west of Toronto. Thanks to the erosive power of Rock Glen Falls and the Ausable River, fossils practically spill from the earth: brachiopods, crinoids, horn corals, trilobites, gastropods and even the occasional starfish.

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Start your visit at the Arkona Lions Museum and Information Centre with a crash course on the area’s history, from Devonian-era marine life to Indigenous use and early settler artifacts. After marvelling at fluorescent minerals, meteorites and Age of Fishes fossils, head to the trails. Fossil collecting is allowed, but rules apply: only one per person, and no digging or tools—so choose your souvenir wisely.

Rock Glen is also more than just a fossil site. The 27-hectare park sits at a rare ecological crossroads between two forest zones, where sycamore, tulip trees and sassafras mingle with sugar maple and beech. Wildflowers blanket the clearings, and more than 50 species of birds migrate through seasonally (keep an eye out for flashes of indigo buntings and scarlet tanagers in the leaves).

Need to cool off? Descend 50 wooden steps to the base of Rock Glen Falls, a 10-metre cascade slicing through layers of ancient rock. Feeling adventurous? Keep going—more than 100 steps lead into the Ausable Gorge, where limestone cliffs and dense canopy block out the modern world.

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Bring lunch and linger: the park has picnic pavilions, charcoal barbecues and grassy spots to sprawl. But you don’t need to while away the entire day here—we’re not all Ross Gellers at heart. Lambton Shores and the surrounding counties are packed with worthwhile detours.

Just 30 minutes west, Pinery Provincial Park offers 21 square kilometres of rare oak savannah and rolling dunes, 10 kilometres of sandy Lake Huron shoreline and sunsets ranked among the world’s best by National Geographic. Paddle the Old Ausable Channel, hike a forest trail or just plant a towel on the beach—no prehistoric knowledge required.

And for the not-so-outdoorsy, the area is also home to a growing network of wineries, cideries and meaderies. Shale Ridge Estate, Alton Farms, Dark Horse, Twin Pines Orchards and Bellamere Winery are just a few of the tasting stops nearby—perfect for toasting your fossil finds.