Kentucky Dam Village State Park: Fort Payne Chert Rockhounding in Marshall County, Kentucky

Quick details

Access

Permission required

County

Marshall County

State

Kentucky

Nearest road

Gilbertsville Highway

Postcode

42044

Coordinates

37.01082, -88.28361

Geology at Kentucky Dam Village State Park

This spot sits on Lacustrine and fluvial deposits, mapped as silt | clay | sand | gravel that formed within roughly the last 3 million years. Gravels like these concentrate whatever survives the river: agate, jasper, and other tough silica typically show up as rounded, waxy stones.

Mapped unit

Lacustrine and fluvial deposits

Age

3 Ma to present (Quaternary)

Rock types

silt | clay | sand | gravel

Elevation

350 ft

Geologic mapping via Macrostrat and the underlying state geological survey maps (CC BY 4.0). Bedrock at the surface can vary within a mapped unit.

Best time to visit Kentucky Dam Village State Park

Conditions here are workable year-round, with typical highs from 46°F in winter to 90°F in summer.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, BENTON station (11 mi away).

Land & collecting status

Permission required before collecting

Requires landowner or agency permission before any collecting. Do not enter without explicit authorization.

Public-land rules vary by agency, season, and field office. The RockHoundR app pulls live BLM, USFS, NPS, and tribal overlays so you can see exactly which agency manages the ground at this spot.

Sources & verification

Spot details combine the public RockHoundR location dataset, normalized mineral labels, agency land-status checks in the app, and community submissions. Coordinates are approximate until verified in the field.

Sources: RockHoundR public spot dataset, app land overlays, and local agency review before each trip.

Found at Kentucky Dam Village State Park

Each chip opens all spots that produce that material; the encyclopedia link opens the full ID and field guide.

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