Sturgeon Point Lighthouse: Fossil Hunting in Alcona County, Michigan

Plan your visit

Pay-to-dig site

County

Alcona County

State

Michigan

Coordinates

44.71272, -83.27270

Coordinates are approximate. Confirm the exact ground in the RockHoundR app, where land overlays show which agency manages the area.

Land & collecting status

Pay-to-dig site

This is a fee-dig location. Hours, prices, and what you can keep vary by operator. Call ahead before driving out.

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.

Best time to visit Sturgeon Point Lighthouse

Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)

Best months: April to October. Typical highs run 74°F in midsummer and 26°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 14°F.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, HARRISVILLE SP station (4 mi away).

Geology at Sturgeon Point Lighthouse

This spot sits on Antrim Shale, mapped as black shale that formed roughly 385 to 360 million years ago. Sedimentary layers like these are where fossils are typically preserved, and fresh exposures after rain or in active cuts tend to produce best.

Mapped unit

Antrim Shale

Age

385–360 Ma (Late Devonian)

Rock types

black shale

Elevation

600 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.

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.

State guidance last verified: April 1, 2026

• Michigan DNR, Rockhounding rules
• Michigan Geological Survey
• Isle Royale National Park, Rules
• Community submissions reviewed against published agency rules