The rock that was left exposed contains some of the most stunning fossils recorded. Coprolite in many sizes and colors can be found. I have seen pieces up to 2 feet tall and 3 feet in diameter. Often they look just like a cow pie turned to rock. They don't smell--they are ROCK now.
I have seen coprolite that look just like something your neighbor's dog left on your lawn. I have seen some that are 6 inches long and 2 inches in diameter and resemble a cucumber.
Whole cycads are usually under 1 foot tall. Complete pieces are incredibly rare and extremely valuable. I have only seen a few in my whole life and none ever for sale. But the most beautiful ones in the world come from this area. When cut along the grain parallel to the skin the insides can reveal a diamond pattern of reds and yellows. These are the best specimens!
The area also has brachiopods, other woods of different colors from black to browns to reds & yellows, dinosaur tracks, gold, and uranium minerals from a very extensive uranium deposit all found right in the canyon.
All of these things would be great to collect still today, but they are now protected in the
Oh, did I mention in the late 1970's the name of the canyon changed to
Some information for this article came from Petrified Wood: The World of Fossilized Wood, Cones, Ferns, and Cycads by Frank Daniels. We have this book for sale as well. It is $75 and well worth the price.