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Charleston Fossil Adventures, LLC
ABOUT CFA
Founded in ethical collection practices. Always upheld.
LEGAL ETHICAL SUCCESSFUL
Since 2016, author Ashby Gale and Charleston Fossil Adventures, LLC have become Charleston's trusted source for legal commercial paleontology in the Lowcountry, providing unparalleled education about South Carolina's vast prehistory.
We invite you to come on out and unearth these natural treasures with us, as you discover PRE-Historic Charleston!
OUR GUARANTEE:
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We NEVER plant fossils. What you find is what washed out that day!
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Small group sizes limited to 6 people.
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Paleontologist Ashby Gale is always your guide!
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No trespassing, no digging, no illegal poaching.
CFA is proud to be founded in ethical collection practices, and has remained in good standing with state agencies for the entirety of the company's operation.
3X Voted BEST Tour Guide and
Outdoor Activity in Charleston!
Charleston Fossil Adventures, LLC and its participants are proud to be in compliance with all state laws regarding the legal collection of fossils and artifacts in South Carolina. Since its inception in 2016, CFA remains in good standing with the Maritime Research Division under the South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology. LEARN MORE.
Enjoy our BRAND NEW
2023 ADVENTURES!
New Adventure Options:
-Protect your refund with cancellation insurance
-Save money with our NEW Adventure Bundles
-Book a private trip with Ashby
LEARN MORE...
RATE PER HEAD: $99 (ages 2-12) $125 (ages 13+)
DURATION: 2 hours
Recommended ages: 4+
Tour structure: Enjoy a scenic boat cruise to one fossil site. After 1.5 hours of hunting, return to the landing and end tour.
Make it private: $750 flat rate on available dates
RATE PER HEAD: $199 (ages 2-12) $225 (ages 13+)
DURATION: 4 hours
Recommended ages: 7+
Tour structure: Enjoy a longer boat cruise to two fossil sites. After 3 hours of hunting, Ashby will sort through everyone's finds and provide accurate identification of every fossil.
Make it private: $1300 flat rate on available dates
Pre-2023 analog: 1/2 day Fossil Kayaking Adventure
RATE PER HEAD: $325
DURATION: 6 hours
Recommended ages: 13+
Tour structure: Enjoy our longest boat cruise to three fossil sites. After 5 hours of hunting, Ashby will sort through everyone's finds and provide accurate identification of every fossil.
Pre-2023 analog: 3/4 day Fossil Kayaking Adventure
Custom Private Adventure
FLAT RATE: $1500
DURATION: You decide!
Tour description: Want the maximum flexibility of a private experience and Ashby's undivided attention, complete with a catered picnic lunch? Select this tour for our VIP experience! You pick the duration, number of sites, and up to six people for one convenient flat rate.
Also included: Custom YouTube video of your fossil ID session, fossil sorting containers, and one autographed copy of
A Beachcomber's Guide to Fossils.
**Please note that we do not collect fossils on this tour!**
RATE PER HEAD: $59 per person, all ages
DURATION: 2 hours
Tour description: Enjoy a 2 hour river cruise past four of Charleston's historic plantations dating back to the 1600s! During the cruise, Ashby Gale will cover the lesser known history of how paleontology led to Charleston's Reconstruction era prosperity.
Plantations visible from the river: Middleton Place (1741), Magnolia Plantation (1676), Drayton Hall (1747), and Runnymede Plantation (1705).
Make it private: $350 flat rate on available dates
EXCLUSIVE OFFER: Receive 15% off cruise tickets when bundled with any Fossil Hunting Adventure! (Subject to availability.)
What can I expect on my trip?!
SUBSCRIBE to Charleston Fossil Adventures on YouTube for more great fossil content! The best part about this subscription? It's 100% FREE!
THE FACE OF CFA
Ashby Gale
Paleontologist
Trust a published paleontologist to identify your fossil treasures!
Ashby Gale is the owner and primary tour guide for Charleston Fossil Adventures, LLC. Prior to founding CFA, Ashby served as the Interpretive Park Ranger at Edisto Beach State Park where he curated their fossil collection for three years.
From 2014-2020, Ashby worked with his parents on publishing
A Beachcomber's Guide to Fossils (University of Georgia Press), a full-color field guide with over 1200 photographs of common beach fossils found from Texas to Florida, and north to New Jersey.
Ashby has presented on his research both regionally and internationally at the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, Geological Society of America, and Southeastern Association of Vertebrate Paleontology conferences.
Ashby is currently the president of the Palmetto Paleontological Society.
PRAISE & PRESS
"Has there ever been a better name for a paleontologist from Charleston than
Ashby Gale? No, no there has not." ~K. Egan
This was the best part of the day:
Ash himself.
[My daughter found] a very rare tooth. So rare that Ashby didn't have one in his own collection, so rare that it wasn't pictured on his reference card, so rare that he whooped just a little bit when she shyly showed him.
Suddenly, we felt like paleontologists, too.
"To be able to have that connection with an extinct animal drives that fascination.”
Gale is no stranger to fossil-finding. It’s a love he’s made a career of as a paleontologist and the founder of Charleston Fossil Adventures.
The outfitter helps people legally find Charleston’s abundant fossils—the keyword being “legal.” Anyone can use a bucket and a shovel, which can destroy our fragile rivers and navigable waterways.
That kind of dig is illegal, and Gale, a paleontologist, is always mindful of the ecology around him when searching for fossils.
CONTACT US
Our Info
TOUR HOURS
Daily: 8:00 AM – Dusk
OFFICE HOURS
Daily: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
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