Devil’s Toenails – May 2026
If you’re going to Capitol Reef National Park, you should definitely stop in at this location. It is a very short drive off of Highway 24 and the fossils are very abundant so it’s a quick stop right before the entrance to the National Park.
The fossils are unfortunately called “Devil’s Toenails”, but they are really fossil oyster shells. Most are chipped or cracked, but they are still clearly oyster shells. According to this website the shells are Oyster Gryphaea.
We also found some small pieces of chalcedony at this location and some rocks that looked like possibly some sort of fossil tube-like structure.
Marine shell fossils are very common all over Utah, so this is not a destination spot, but if one is driving through the area it’s worth a stop. We picked up plenty of fossils in less than 15 minutes.
We parked at 38.26600, -111.08029.
