Rockhounding near Birmingham, AL

70 mapped rockhounding spots within 150 miles of Birmingham — most are inside a 2 to 3 hour drive. Below: a map, the closest spots, what they produce, and full coordinates with access notes.

Covering parts of Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee.

Closest rockhounding spots to Birmingham

The 6 nearest mapped spots, with straight-line distance and an approximate drive time.

Shirley MineBlount County, Alabama35 mi · 43 min driveGarnet, Kyanite, Magnetite
Brookwood Strip MinesTuscaloosa County, Alabama38 mi · 47 min driveHematite, Quartz, Siderite
Black Warrior River Mines & PitsTuscaloosa County, Alabama38 mi · 47 min driveAgate, Chalcedony, Fossils
Tuscaloosa Rockhounding Area (Petrified Wood)Tuscaloosa County, Alabama41 mi · 51 min driveQuartz, Petrified Wood
Tuscaloosa Rockhounding AreaTuscaloosa County, Alabama52 mi · 1 hr 5 min driveSilicified Wood
Buzzard CreekClay County, Alabama53 mi · 1 hr 6 min driveChlorite, Green Quartz

Most-reported finds near Birmingham

Counts reflect how many spots in this radius mention each material.

Hunting something specific near Birmingham?

These materials have enough dedicated spots around Birmingham to earn their own page, with distances and a separate map.

Every spot within 150 miles of Birmingham

Sorted by distance from Birmingham. Tap a row to open the spot detail page with full directions, access status, and nearby trips.

Spot	County	Minerals	Coordinates	Access
Shirley MineHazelrig Road	Blount County	Garnet Kyanite Magnetite Tourmaline	33.9794, -86.5671	Check locally
Brookwood Strip MinesRocky Branch Road	Tuscaloosa County	Hematite Quartz Siderite Agate Petrified Wood	33.2615, -87.3875	Check locally
Black Warrior River Mines & PitsRocky Branch Road	Tuscaloosa County	Agate Chalcedony Fossils Jasper Kyanite Steatite Vivianite	33.2784, -87.3994	Check locally
Tuscaloosa Rockhounding Area (Petrified Wood)AL 216	Tuscaloosa County	Quartz Petrified Wood	33.2267, -87.4265	Check locally
Tuscaloosa Rockhounding AreaEbenezer Lane	Tuscaloosa County	Silicified Wood	33.0851, -87.5508	Check locally
Buzzard CreekNewbury's Road	Clay County	Chlorite Green Quartz	33.3251, -85.9283	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
Pleasant Grove ChurchMountain View Road	Clay County	Copper Turquoise	33.3221, -85.9015	Check locally
Bently Tin Mine	Coosa County	Cassiterite Tantalite Tourmaline	32.8914, -86.2466	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
Near Pond Mine	Coosa County	Feldspar Garnet Moonstone Quartz Tourmaline	32.8891, -86.2378	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
Millsite Tin Mine	Coosa County	Albite Apatite Cassiterite Epidote Garnet Lepidolite Topaz Tourmaline +1 more	32.8997, -86.2063	Check locally
Bob Lee MineCaldwell Road	Clay County	Garnet	33.3359, -85.8715	Check locally
Rockford ExcavationsNixburg Road	Coosa County	Gold	32.8763, -86.2135	Check locally
M & G MineOak Grove Road	Clay County	Apatite Garnet Smoky Quartz	33.3799, -85.7969	Check locally
Hog Mountain	Tallapoosa County	Arsenic Arsenopyrite Galena Gold Graphite Pyrite Pyrrhotite Sphalerite	33.0759, -85.8497	Check locally
Pleasant Grove RoadPleasant Grove Road	Clay County	Quartz	33.3236, -85.6860	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
BremenTom Murphy Freeway	Haralson County	Quartz	33.6906, -85.2160	Public
Tallapoosa RiverCarrollton Greenbelt	Carroll County	Ruby	33.5862, -85.1058	Public
CarrolltonGA 166	Carroll County	Asbestos Garnet Olivine	33.5870, -85.0400	Public

Birmingham rockhounding FAQ

Where can I go rockhounding near Birmingham?+

There are 70 mapped rockhounding spots within about 150 miles of Birmingham, Alabama. The closest is Shirley Mine in Blount County, roughly 35 miles away. The full list is on this page with coordinates and drive times.

What rocks and minerals can you find near Birmingham?+

Spots within driving distance of Birmingham most commonly produce quartz, garnet, tourmaline, chert, agate, beryl.

Is rockhounding legal near Birmingham?+

Casual hand collecting of common rocks and minerals is allowed on most BLM and U.S. Forest Service land, with limits set by the local field office. National parks, most state parks, and tribal land are off-limits. Each spot page on this site lists access status; always confirm current rules with the managing agency before a trip.

How far do most rockhounders drive from Birmingham?+

Most weekend trips from Birmingham fall inside a 2 to 3 hour drive, which is roughly the 150-mile radius shown on this page. Closer spots are good for half-day outings; the outer ones are better as overnight trips.

More state coverage

The spots above span 4 states. Open the state page for the full county-by-county view.

Pack Birmingham's rockhounding map in your pocket

Open RockHoundR for live land overlays, weather, geology, directions, and saved finds — wherever the drive takes you.