Where to Find Limonite in Utah

Limonite is the rusty yellow-brown weathering product of pyrite and other iron sulfides, and it caps almost every Utah ore body that ever carried iron. The gossans of the Tintic and Park City districts are heavily limonitic, and box-work limonite (cellular pseudomorphs after pyrite cubes) is common on the upper dumps. Larger massive deposits sit at Iron Springs in Iron County, where Permian-age sediments host bedded limonite. Botryoidal goethite-limonite occurs in the Frisco district, sometimes hollow and ringing when tapped. Collectors prize the boxwork specimens and the rare hematite-after-limonite color-shift pieces. The most productive ground is in Tintic gossan caps (Juab County), Iron Springs (Iron County), Frisco district (Beaver County).

Casual hand collection of common rocks and minerals like limonite is allowed on most BLM and U.S. Forest Service land in Utah, with daily and annual limits set by the local field office. National parks, most state parks, and tribal land are off-limits. Always confirm rules before a trip.

Tintic gossan caps (Juab County) is the standout. Other strong ground includes Iron Springs (Iron County), Frisco district (Beaver County).