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Science

Hill Annex State Park closure means end to public fossil digs at Hill Annex Paleontology Project

a lake is seen from a hill
The Hill Annex Mine State Park has been permanently closed. Hill Annex was a mine for iron ore before it became a visitor attraction for nearly 50 years.
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

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The recent closure of Hill Annex State Park in northern Minnesota may affect fossil digs starting next year.   

The Hill Annex Paleontology Project was started by Science Museum of Minnesota volunteers in 2014. According to their website, the project’s focus is to study the Cretaceous deposits found in the region of Minnesota, with a focus on the Mesabi Iron Range in the state park.

Fossils of clams, snails, sharks’ teeth and crocodile parts dating back millions of years have been found in the area. 

Co-founder and paleontologist John Westgaard said that the closure of the state park is a loss, as it was the last publicly accessible fossil site in Minnesota.

A dinosaur claw fossil
A dinosaur claw fossil — a little more than an inch long — was found on Minnesota's Iron Range late this summer by a team of researchers at Hill Annex Mine. The bone is being analyzed by paleontologists at the Science Museum of Minnesota.
Mark Ryan | Courtesy Science Museum of Minnesota

“Fieldwork is the gateway to science,” he said. “When you can get out there, you can stand amongst the trees and the plants and the animals and the dirt and put your hands on what's being studied.”

The project operates out of the Minnesota Discovery Center in Chisholm and began a summer youth camp three years ago to introduce excited youth to the science of paleontology and the world around them.

“You get to immerse yourself. You’re not reading about something in a book, you’re not sitting in a classroom. It can really open up and demystify science for kids,” Westgaard said.

Current programming and projects are not affected through the rest of this year, Westgaard said, and there are ongoing discussions of how to move forward in 2025.