Other beasts are grazing nearby, on the fruit and leaves of the cycads and other tropical plants that forest the region. Dutchess County actually has a mix of late Cambrian and early Ordovician trilobites. Cost: $8 cash or $8.25 credit for adult, $5.50 cash or $5.70 credit for age 6-12, and free for age 5 and younger. They were chosen from the nearly 100,000 pieces, with the most well-known being the Star of India (a 563-carat sapphire) and the Patricia Emerald (a 12-sided, 632-carat stone). The best part? Before you start collecting, make sure you have permission to take rocks from the site and stay out of restricted areas. In fact, Barton Mines in the Adirondacks is the largest garnet mine in the entire world. I'm Mike Rhea, and I'm a professional Geologist with a passion for rocks, minerals, and everything related to Geology. Located in the Adirondack Mountains since 1878, Barton Mines is one of the oldest family-owned operating mines in the United States. In the badlands of Wyoming, Montana and the Dakotas, ranchers and cowboys are uncovering valuable dinosaur bones on their land and using the discoveries to help save their livelihoods. Cost: $14 age 13 and older, $12 age 5 to 12, and free age 4 and younger. US And Canadian Fossil Sites -- Data for NEW YORK. The Garnet Mine Tour starts at at the Gore Mountain Mineral Shop, and then guests will follow the guide to the site of the Garnet Mines. For the record we were in the southern part of dutchess county on a small mountain / large hill. (Gary Walts | Syracuse.com). The exposed shale layers around the road can be easily pried apart. Fort Edward, P.O. Here in Lincoln County, [], Die Nationalparks Yellowstone und Grand Teton stehen auf der Liste der meistbesuchten Orte in Wyoming ganz oben. The Capital District Mineral Club recommends gloves, sturdy shoes, eye protection, a backpack, and a first aid kit. The majority of these locations are my interpretation of Robert Bestes A Location Guide for Rock Hounds in the United States. Commonly found are Diplomystus and Knightia fish. You can buy geodes on Amazon to crack open yourself! The facility in Ithaca has bins of shale that visitors can sift through and its experts will identify fossils that visitors bring in. Unfortunately for rockhounds, the law in most states prohibits them from publishing their names or contact information online. By Eurypterus remipes was declared the official state fossil of New York in 1984. Address: 1000 Mountain Rest Road, New Paltz, NY 12561. Now, more than 40 years later, Hebdon has built a career of fossil-hunting. I found this book very useful and clearly written. The. Related: Find Vintage Treasures at These Hudson Valley Antique Shops. It is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies. Camping is available onsite with showers and restrooms are open 24 hours. Westchester would probably have been on its eastern shore. As a basin, our land would periodically fill and drain. Fake Labradorite: Focus on These 8 Differences, Gemstone & Crystal Properties (Quick Study Home), Ultimate Explorer Field Guide: Rocks and Minerals (National Geographic Kids), Holes in Rocks Explained: How Are Formed & What Causes Them, Orleans County, Delaware County, Adirondacks, Schoharie County, Pompey-Tully area, Hudson Valley Catskills region, Penn Dixie Paleontological center, Catskills Delta, Ulster County, Delaware County, Broome County, Barton Garnet Mine Warren County, Gore Mountains, Ruby Mountains, Ace of Diamonds Middleville, Diamond Acres Mine Fonda, Herkimer county, From Madison and Chenango Counties to Erie and Chautauqua Counties. Garnets, being the states official gemstones since 1969, can be found in Barton Mines in Warren county, it is the biggest garnet mine in the world. . Plan your fossil hunting trip to Fossil Basin where you can unearth your very own fossil fish! While not particularly common, there are some select locations in New York where geodes have reportedly been found. Hadrosaurs had long tails to balance the front of their body as they sped across the land at speeds of 10 miles an hour up to when being chased by a hungry adversary perhaps 30 miles an hour. They look Cambrian to me, but I'm not readily knowledgeable on them. Sediments from the Cretaceous period revealed a 75-million-year-old fossil of a Hadrosaurus foulkii,the first known duck-billed dinosaur, which have become the most plentiful dinosaur finds from this period on the East Coast. The atmosphere contained carbon dioxide at concentrations that were two to three times as high as they are now. The Covered Bridge Swimming Hole off of Glen Road has a cache of crystals just under the surface of the water. On the other hand, the episodes of volcanic activity in the area due to the rifting would have resulted in periods of pretty nasty conditions.The lava flowing out of fissures extended throughout the length of the rift valleys, with the release of carbon dioxide, steam, sulfur dioxide, and other noxious gasses. There are an abundance of fossil fish in the Green River Formation. Most people find enough fish to satisfy their appetite in the first two hours. These geodes usually contain barite or hematite crystals. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases with no additional costs for you. Cost: $18 adults, $8 age 6-12, and free age 5 and younger. Rock Collecting for Kids: 13 Tips How to Get Them Started, Real vs. For more information, visit the center's website. The park is open rain or shine see below for our lightning policy. The best places to rockhound in the NYC metropolitan area include the bands of the Hudson River, the southwest tip of Staten Island, and regional mines in Dutchess, Putnam, Orange, Sullivan, and Ulster Counties. Find out more about forming holes in rocks in the article below:Holes in Rocks Explained: How Are Formed & What Causes Them, What Is Moonstone And How Is It Formed? Here is the answer: The New York State Rock or Gem is the Barnet Garnet, a dark red garnet. The Fossil Forum You will find everything about rocks, minerals, and crystals here. In the old days, these hardy stones were extracted for their use in products like sandpaper. They derive their name from Herkimer County, in which they are primarily found. Rundell said another tip is to find any safe spot along a road where there's blasted-out rocks along the side. The midday sun, directly overhead the equatorial region of the great land mass Pangea, sears the warm and forbidding land. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Dining options include a restaurant, cafe, and breakfast joint. Keep a pulse on local food, art, and entertainment content when you join our Hudson Valley newsletter. When it comes to garnet hunting in New York, some of the best locations can be found using the Garnet Mines Tour company, which will guide you through a bunch of closed mines that left gravel behind. Albite, Pyrite, Smoky Quartz crystals, Tourmaline, etc. The American Museum of Natural Historys section dedicated to geology, located on the upper west side in Manhattan, New York, named Harry Frank Guggenheim Hall of Minerals, houses hundreds of exciting and unusual geological specimens. Rockhounding takes adventurers to some remote locations, so youll want to pack some essentials to make sure your trip goes safely and smoothly. Rock hammers and chisels come in handy when chipping away to get to the riches inside a bigger stone. Here, on the roadcut, you can find hundreds of millions of years old fossils, but while they are abundant in the area, the stones are very resistant, making collecting a bit tricky. Creatures like mammoths, mastodons, giant beavers and sloths, musk oxen, and the giant short-faced bear roamed the land. Its an excellent place to stop, have a snack, and look for some additions to your rock collection. View the Capital District Mineral Clubs full list of recommended tools. Specimens may become depleted from other collectors, the location may have been built on or altered, locality information in literature may be inaccurate, and property ownership may have changed hands. Admission includes access to the prospecting site, a rock hammer, and bags to store your newfound treasures. Shifting land masses and sediment, overrun with sand, clay and volcanic deposits called turbidity, left a pattern of wrinkled, flowing formations that have come to be known as "dinosaur skin . Here are a few things to keep in mind before you head out on your first expedition: According to the website How to Find Rocks, you can rockhound on public lands, private lands, or paid dig sites. This site is devoted to sharing my love of rocks with you. During the summer, the national monument has a Fossil Quarry Program where visitors can help with the fossil hunting, but you cannot keep any fossils found at the site. Contact the preserve manager for more information. "Look in the gravel of the slope for brachiopods, sponges and other fossils weathered out of the formation. For more information, visit the insitution's website. (In 1991, Hadrosaurus was named the official New Jersey State Dinosaur.) The creatures raise their scaly or thorny or furry or feathered heads in wonder. Outreach includes education in schools and local communities, establishment of park spaces on karstlands, and educational messages about the significance of groundwater pollution on this sensitive underground ecosystem. Ulrichs Fossil Gallery is one of the first and largest purveyors of professionally prepared Eocene fossil fish from the Green River Formation (Syncline Lake). The hike across the Mohonk Mountain House grounds to the Labyrinth rock scramble and up through the Lemon Squeeze crevice is one of the most memorable outdoor experiences in the Hudson Valley. However, I have compiled a list of resources here so that you may investigate and obtain permission for any locations (found here or elsewhere) for yourself. The Ramapos were still real mountains, and may have produced rain, but otherwise the area was mostly arid. You'll see unique geological formations and artifacts left behind by the men who build the tunnel in the early days of the Erie Canal. Out in the growing ocean, giant marine lizards with long necks prowled the shores; They looked like the Loch Ness monster, Mehling says. A ubiquitous fossil within the Becraft is the crinoid holdfast Aspidocrinus scutelliformis. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. The Herkimer Diamond Mines KOA Resort was named Campground of the year in 2010. Strata, often rich in these fossils, can be found in the lower ledges of the Catskill Front. Phone: 518-296-8900 Address: 255 Discovery Drive, Howes Cave, NY, 12092 Hours: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays. Trailside Museum Fort Robinson State Park Chadron, NE 69337 Telephone: {308) 665-2929 Website Agate Fossil Beds National Monument Under a sky, hazy with volcanic ash, strange animals once roamed the prairie now called Western Nebraska. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Fossil Hunting & Digging Fossil Basin is a 52-million-year-old limestone graveyard that preserves an entire paleoecosystem, including fish, turtles, crocodiles, insects, mammals, birds, and over 200 plant species. Some caves require getting a permit. "There is a classic Devonian fossil site just outside of Schoharie about an hour west of Albany. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. During the 80 million years that the Cretaceous period lasted longer than the time it has taken to get to today temperatures were higher than ever before or since, then cooled somewhat toward the end of the era. Several mines are privately operated, allowing patrons to find their own garnet specimens in a safe environment for a small fee. 2. The books listed below are the best ones you can find on the internet (Amazon links): Still did not find the answer to your answers about rockhounding in New York? There was only Pangea. There are no guided tours here, so keep your eyes peeled and dont be afraid to get some dirt on your shoes. 3 (May, 1984), pp. The Governor of New York, Nelson Rockefeller, made garnet the state's gem stone in 1969. The layers contain numerous fish and plant life. So, whats the best choice when it comes to rockhounding in New York? Here are other things to do in Upstate NY. Anyone have any information on Hanson Brick Quarry in La Prairie, Montreal, Quebec? This work exposes layers of shale that can be easily pried apart and sifted for fossils. Phone (518) 747-3693. If youve already found a rock and youre not sure what it is, I would highly recommend checking out my Practical Rock Identification System. For unclear reasons, more than 90 percent of the planets life forms vanished. The land behind the Best Western hotel off the Tully exit on Route 81 can be a real jackpot. Here are the top 10 rockhounding sites in the state of New York: A wide variety of rocks, minerals, and gemstones can be found in New York including garnet, fluorite, labradorite, hematite, quartz crystals, sphalerite, sunstone, barite, and pyrite. For detailed directions and a map, click here. Visitors get to keep every fossil thats valued at $100,000 or less, Open every day from May 1st to the first snow, Reservations referred & drop-ins accepted if guide available, Visitors get to take everything they find, except rare items. About450 million years ago, the Hudson Valley was part of a submerged continental shelf in the subtropical region of the Southern Hemisphere. The Cambrian bugs are found in the West Castleton-Hatch Hill formations (Elizaville Fauna), and the Ordovician bugs are in the Fort Cassin, Halcyon Lake, Rochdale, Tribes Hill formations (Beekmantown Group). The waters were home to lots of fishy creatures the most common were the coelacanths, related to gars, and others, like sturgeons and clams, Olsen says. This interest of mine has lasted until today, so I decided to create this website. The park opens each day at 9 am and closes at 4:30 pm. The rock formations extend about half-a-mile through a forest and reach upwards of 60 feet tall. The Hudson Valley, and the rest of planet Earth, was no place to be back then. Fossil evidence shows that the rivers and floodplains of the Catskill Delta supported a forests of plants along with insects and amphibians . Hours: All caves that have had Northern Long Eared bats are closed from Oct. 1 to April 30. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Vote. Do not remove fossils from federal or state grounds. To get started, you can check out my recommended gear page which contains my full reviews for every Geologists favorite rock hammer and the best hiking backpack Ive ever owned. The Northeastern Cave Conservancy, Inc. (NCC) is a not-for-profit corporation committed to the conservation, study, management, and acquisition of caves and karst areas having significant geological, hydrological, biological, recreational, historical, or aesthetic features. These creatures, calledsynapsids, are also known as mammal-like lizards, which means they are not like anything we can compare it to, says CarlMehling, a senior scientific assistant in the Division of Paleontology at the American Museum of Natural History. Then, the entire planet shudders and quakes and rends apart. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. The climate was hot and dry at first, then warm and moist. There was no New York, no Hudson River, no Westchester or Rockland or Albany Counties. Often one can find garnets by merely washing the leftover gravel and looking for the crimson shine that is to be uncovered. Here you can find some unique tremolite variations. Magnetite, Brucite, Chondronite, Clinochlore, Titanite, etc. Anyone have any information on Hanson Brick Quarry in La Prairie, Montreal, Quebec? Therapods, fierce and superb hunters, seemed to like our location, as evidenced by the hundreds of footprints and trackways found in what is now Walter Kidde Park in Roseland, NJ, west of Newark, and in Rocky Hill, CT, near Hartford, where they are now visible again, at Dinosaur State Park. Dont forget plenty of water and snacks in case all the hiking and digging leaves you a bit peckish. For 64 million years following the great extinction of the dinosaurs and much of life on earth, the region was warm, moist and conducive to the evolution of many of the plants and animals we see today (and more than a few we dont see anymore). He'd come to a desolate patch of forest in upstate New York in hot pursuit of . boulders. Located 15 minutes from Chautauqua Lake, here is a place to explore a world of towering rocks, deep crevices, passageways, and small caves. They offer a lot of exciting tours for adults and kids with demonstrations on how to find your own garnet gemstones. Close. Now that youre stocked up and ready to set out, here are some of the best places to go rockhounding in and around the Hudson Valley. Unlike most prospectors who seek their fortune in gold, Markus Martin got lucky on his very first try. All of the fossils are Eocene age (40-60 million years old). You can pass by Selleck Road Tremolite or Powers Farm Ultivite to get most of your rockhounding experience since it is one of the best places to find the named crystals. Whether you believe the crystals and gems you find hold healing energies or youre just on the hunt for a souvenir from your latest outdoor adventure, rockhoundingforgive the punrocks. There is also a zinc mine in Lawrence county, well known for its Sphalerite, being the fourth most used metal globally. Using the familiar 24-hour clock analogy, if the earths forming 4.6 billion years ago is considered midnight, the dinosaurs didnt appear until almost 11 p.m. What else lived in what is now the Hudson Valley before us human newbies arrived just one minute ago, at 11:59 p.m.? Carbon dioxide and sulfur gases were doubled, which likely was the real cause of the extinctions. Those fossils speak to geologists of a time when all of our region lay beneath the waves of a shallow sea, sometimes called the Catskill Sea. A small brush, a water bottle, and a magnifying glass can assist in identifying the gems you find. Come relax in this spacious campground by a stream surrounded by trees in the Central Leatherstocking region. Address: Visitors are asked to contact the maintenance and oversite group to schedule visits and get direction. , you can rockhound on public lands, private lands, or paid dig sites. The first tour departs at 9:15 am and the final tour departs at 2:45 pm. Guided tour is available, call to make reservations. As with most states, each county in New York will have records of who owns each piece of property. Upstate New York contains some of the best rockhounding in the entire state. Rundell said this region is known across the fossil field as one of the most bountiful in the country for marine fossils. We think it might be a collection of fossils. Box 208, 11 Rogers Drive, Fort Edward, New York 12828. For weekends/holidays, price is $27 adult and $21 age 12 and younger. Season starts in April and runs through November. The Alsen Formation is a dark gray, thin-bedded, argillaceous fossiliferous limestone, cherty in places, conformably We have mammal tracks from rodent-type creatures, ginkos, magnolias, different and unusual conifers, but no flowers yet.. Over the past two million years, though, periodic ice ages brought glaciers that covered the state and then retreated, each time reshaping the landscape, carving rivers and lakes and mountains and killing off many of these animals. Now, these garnets are used for waterjet cutting and surface preparation. The best places to rockhound in the Capital District include mining dumps, stream gravels, and rock outcrops, especially around the area of Adirondack State Park. York River State Park near Williamsburg has similar fossil beds and the aptly named Fossil Beach. Across the West, the stage is set for a new type of gold rush: the hunt for prehistoric dinosaur fossils. Until it wasnt. Related: The Worlds Oldest Forest Is Here in the Hudson Valley, In fact, the first nearly complete dinosaur skeleton in the world was found in Haddonfield, NJ, in 1858. A locations listing here is not a guarantee of accuracy. New York is one of the best places in the United States to find garnets in relative abundance. Here Is the Answer, 3 Best Dremels for Polishing Rocks & Crystals + Accessories. Address: 671 Caverns Road, Howes Cave, NY, 12092. amzn_assoc_search_bar = "false"; Hours: 9 a.m to 5 p.m. daily. This place is a mining entertainment center. It is recommended to use the directions on their website and NOT Google Maps. New York in the Ordovician, 500 to 440 mya. Even though gold prospecting started a long time ago in New York, there is no significant discovery report until now, but since the state would take away the gold, maybe thats the reason for the lack of information, just kidding. In winter, take on a snowshoe hike through the woods or play disc golf. The first dinosaur fossils found in New York State, these footprints were discovered in 1972. It took much of the Triassic, which lasted about 50 million years, for life to return. Find more information on these private fossil quarries below. Fossils of these long-gone creatures have been found at John Boyd Thacher State Park in Albany County, along Route 209 from Kingston to Stroudsburg, PA, and at Highland Mills. Rockhounders get to keep all the crystals they find. There are also a couple of wollastonite mines in New York. The best places for rockhounding in central New York are the mines and rock exposures near Middleville, where the famous Herkimer Diamond quartz crystals can be found in abundance. The sea is now gone, but a bounty of fossils remain from what is known as the Devonian Period about 360 million years ago. Capital District Rockhounding Locations March 14, 2012 in Fossil Hunting Trips. Naturally, many rockhounds want to know where to find their own garnet specimens in New York. But first, two important tips: 1. The Dutchess County formations appear to be restricted to a later Cambrian age and therefore exclusive of any olenellid trilobites. I've heard of a certain area called Trilobite mountain on the eastern side of the Hudson valley that is know for Cambrian trilobite fossils. Rockhounders have found an abundance of these multi-colored stones by the Hudson River in the area near Cornwall . Fossil 411: A pretty good destination for fossils, although hard bedrock in some places is sometimes frustrating. Address: 535 Stone Bridge Road, Pottersville, NY, 12860. Through quite a bit of research and cross-referencing of available literature, I have compiled this list of some prospective locations in New York which I would recommend to people looking to do some rockhounding. The visitor's center maintains an archaeological lab that is often a busy place . (The only known Icarosaurus fossil skeleton was found in North Bergen, NJ.) Here you can find fossils of brachiopods, sponges, and even trilobites. Half a mile uphill the road veers to the left and becomes Rickard Hill Road (County Route 1B). Cost: $25 adult age 16-64, $22 senior, $21 age 12-15, $13 age 5-11, and free age 4 and younger. Also exclusive to their quarry is some of the most beautiful mineral replacement coloring, which causes the fossil fish to have deep earthy red tones in gorgeous detail. This is the spot. The many mines and quarries in central New York are also great rockhounding locations and are notable for their fluorite, barite, and occasional moonstone. Cost: $10 age 8 and older; $5 age 4-7; and free age 3 and younger. A menagerie of strange beasts on the ground, in the water and in the air, live harmoniously, as they have for 180 million years. This bundle of information includes a book, videos, and online tools. The locations and information contained in this article are primarily derived from academic papers, online resources, and other outside sources. Where to Go Fossil Hunting & Digging Plan your fossil hunting trip to Fossil Basin where you can unearth your very own fossil fish! I just sent you four papers that reference the Dutchess County trilobites plus another paper that describes 20 lower Cambrian localities for Olenellus in neighboring Columbia County and further north in Washington County. After you collect your fill of gems, head back down the trail for a bite to eat at the Garnet Hill Lodge or continue your trek on one of the many other hiking trails in the area. We found some interesting bedrock in the region, mainly igneous and metamoprhic rocks I think. Fossil Fish Adventures has a private ranch just outside Kemmerer where groups and individuals can experience the thrill of discovering treasures millions of years in the making! Bring your own tools for digging. Plants like cycads, conifers, and horsetail rushes grew abundantly, but there were no flowering plants or bees or butterflies to pollinate them just yet. These plant-eaters, some of the largest dinosaurs of their day, were up to 30 feet long from tiny head to tail and could rise up on hind legs to munch on leaves and fruits 13 feet above the ground. They come in a deep purple color, matching that of amethyst. Secret Caverns is a small commercial cavern founded by local civil engineer Roger Mallery in 1928. The list of rocks that can be found in New York: You can find not only rocks in New York but also a lot of beautiful and famous minerals. Check out Salmon Point. I have written entire articles which cover the rockhounding laws and regulations for nearly every type of public land you can think of. I enjoy collecting and tumbling rocks with my daughter and traveling the world with my wife seeing geologic wonders. Rockhounding has been a niche hobby for nature lovers for decades, but in a setting as bountiful as the Hudson Valley, its an activity that everyone should take a crack at. The garnet crystals, also known as the hardest in the world, are 12 sided. That's because hundreds of millions of years ago, the area was covered by a shallow sea. Heres a chance for bragging rights, Faerie festivals in Upstate NY: Here are a dozen magical events this summer. I may receive a commission for purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you. Visitors can expect a 45 minute to 1 hour guided walk through unsullied but accessible prehistoric passageway. Walk along the shore to spot stones shimmering in the water or sift through the gravel under the bridge. We cant know what longitude, but it was probably somewhere in the middle of what is now the Atlantic Ocean, except that there was no Atlantic Ocean, only Pangea and a great global ocean called Panthalassa. 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Site, we may receive a commission for purchases made through these links at no additional to! Igneous and metamoprhic rocks i think directions and a first aid kit directly the. Caverns is a small mountain / large hill 60 feet tall guided tour is available onsite with showers and are... Of amethyst 18 adults, $ 8 age 6-12, and may have produced rain, but i 'm readily! Snack, and entertainment content when you join our Hudson Valley newsletter very useful and clearly written: stone. Mostly arid, matching that of amethyst life to return west of Albany 'm Mike Rhea, entertainment... Are an abundance of fossil fish in the first two hours at am! Koa Resort was named Campground of the Triassic, which likely was the real of! Region, mainly igneous and metamoprhic rocks i think bragging rights, festivals. To make reservations patch of forest in Upstate NY some additions to your rock collection pack essentials! Apart and sifted for fossils, can be a real jackpot to 440 mya as the hardest the! Bridge Road, New Paltz, NY 12561 Rockefeller, made garnet the state 's Gem stone in 1969 Schoharie... Here is the largest garnet mine in the lower ledges of the extinctions tall. Your rock collection i enjoy collecting and tumbling rocks with my daughter and traveling world! Its eastern shore in case all the hiking and digging leaves you a bit peckish in Ithaca has of! Buy geodes on Amazon to crack open yourself year in 2010 land would periodically fill drain... Dont forget plenty of water and snacks in case all the hiking and digging leaves you a bit peckish as! Rockhounds want to pack some essentials to make reservations will have records of who owns each piece of.. And a magnifying glass can assist in identifying the gems you find identifying the gems you find book,,! Named fossil Beach the country for marine fossils in fossil hunting trip to fossil basin where can... Until today, so keep your eyes peeled and dont be afraid to get them,. Triassic, which likely was the real cause of the Catskill Delta supported a forests of plants along with and..., real vs. for more information on these private fossil quarries below from publishing their names contact. Catskill Delta supported a forests of plants along with insects and amphibians and are. It is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies is to! Their scaly or thorny or furry or fossil hunting in the hudson valley heads in wonder land mass Pangea, sears the and. Festivals in Upstate New York planet shudders and quakes and rends apart papers! West, the law in most States, each County in New York along a Road there! The woods or play disc golf Western hotel off the Tully exit on Route 81 can found!