Rockhounding in Alabama

22 mapped spots across 5 counties. Alabama produces a wide range of rockhounding-grade material — see the full list of spots, minerals, and access notes below.

Top minerals found in Alabama

Counts reflect how many spots in this list mention each mineral.

Rockhounding near major Alabama cities

Day-trip range. Each section lists the closest mapped rockhounding spots within about 150 miles of the city — most are inside a 2 to 3 hour drive.

Rockhounding near Birmingham

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6 closest spots to Birmingham, AL.

Neighboring states with rockhounding

Geology rarely respects state borders. These states share mapped rockhounding country with Alabama — useful when Alabama is the start, not the whole trip. Each card links to the closest county across the line.

Rockhounding by county in Alabama

County pages are linked once we have at least 3 mapped spots for a focused guide with coordinates, mineral notes, and nearby spots.

Every rockhounding spot in Alabama

Sorted by county. Tap coordinates to open in Google Maps, or open RockHoundR for the full map view with land overlays and weather.

Spot	County	Minerals	Coordinates	Access
Shirley MineHazelrig Road	Blount County	Garnet Kyanite Magnetite Tourmaline	33.9794, -86.5671	Check locally
Bob Lee MineCaldwell Road	Clay County	Garnet	33.3359, -85.8715	Check locally
Buzzard CreekNewbury's Road	Clay County	Chlorite Green Quartz	33.3251, -85.9283	Check locally
Gibson MineCaldwell Road	Clay County	Garnet	33.3420, -85.8864	Check locally
Gold Mines Creek (East)Watts Mill Road	Clay County	Actinolite Chlorite Olivine Pyrope Gold Sillimanite Talc	33.3547, -85.8820	Check locally
Gold Mines Creek (West)Watts Mill Road	Clay County	Apatite Beryl Albite Microcline Rhodolite Almandine Muscovite Tourmaline	33.3537, -85.8833	Check locally
M & G MineOak Grove Road	Clay County	Apatite Garnet Smoky Quartz	33.3799, -85.7969	Check locally
Pleasant Grove ChurchMountain View Road	Clay County	Copper Turquoise	33.3221, -85.9015	Check locally
Pleasant Grove RoadPleasant Grove Road	Clay County	Quartz	33.3236, -85.6860	Check locally
Bently Tin Mine	Coosa County	Cassiterite Tantalite Tourmaline	32.8914, -86.2466	Check locally
Millsite Tin Mine	Coosa County	Albite Apatite Cassiterite Epidote Garnet Lepidolite Topaz Tourmaline +1 more	32.8997, -86.2063	Check locally
Near Pond Mine	Coosa County	Feldspar Garnet Moonstone Quartz Tourmaline	32.8891, -86.2378	Check locally
Pegmatite Outcropings	Coosa County	Cassiterite Feldspar Muscovite Quartz	32.9262, -86.2174	Check locally
Pond MineCounty Road 18	Coosa County	Muscovite	32.8945, -86.2558	Check locally
Rockford ExcavationsNixburg Road	Coosa County	Gold	32.8763, -86.2135	Check locally
Hog Mountain	Tallapoosa County	Arsenic Arsenopyrite Galena Gold Graphite Pyrite Pyrrhotite Sphalerite	33.0759, -85.8497	Check locally
Lake Martin Outcrops	Tallapoosa County	Epidote Actinolite Bronzite Feldspar Hematite Quartz Unakite	32.8075, -85.8961	Check locally
River Near Lake Martin	Tallapoosa County	Ruby Sapphire	32.6252, -85.8914	Check locally
Black Warrior River Mines & PitsRocky Branch Road	Tuscaloosa County	Agate Chalcedony Fossils Jasper Kyanite Steatite Vivianite	33.2784, -87.3994	Check locally
Brookwood Strip MinesRocky Branch Road	Tuscaloosa County	Hematite Quartz Siderite Agate Petrified Wood	33.2615, -87.3875	Check locally
Tuscaloosa Rockhounding AreaEbenezer Lane	Tuscaloosa County	Silicified Wood	33.0851, -87.5508	Check locally
Tuscaloosa Rockhounding Area (Petrified Wood)AL 216	Tuscaloosa County	Quartz Petrified Wood	33.2267, -87.4265	Check locally

Alabama rockhounding FAQ

Is rockhounding legal in Alabama?+

Casual hand collecting is allowed on most BLM and U.S. Forest Service land in Alabama, with daily and annual limits set by the managing field office. National parks, most state parks, and tribal lands are off-limits. Always confirm rules with the local agency before a trip.

What rocks and minerals can you find in Alabama?+

Alabama spots in this list most commonly produce Garnet, Quartz, Tourmaline, Apatite, Cassiterite. The full list across all spots is broader.

How many rockhounding sites are in Alabama?+

RockHoundR currently lists 22 rockhounding spots in Alabama across 5 counties. Many more exist; the app keeps your private finds saved alongside the public ones.

Can I take rocks home from Alabama public land?+

On most BLM and Forest Service land, recreational hand collecting of common rocks and minerals is allowed in reasonable amounts. Vertebrate fossils, archaeological items, and posted mining-claim minerals are not. Check the field office for current limits.

Map every Alabama spot in the app

Open the RockHoundR app to see Alabama on a real map with public land overlays, weather, geology, and your saved finds.