Rockhounding near Cincinnati, OH

59 mapped rockhounding spots within 150 miles of Cincinnati — 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 Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia.

Closest rockhounding spots to Cincinnati

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

Most-reported finds near Cincinnati

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

Hunting something specific near Cincinnati?

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

Every spot within 150 miles of Cincinnati

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

Spot	County	Minerals	Coordinates	Access
MilfordGlendale Milford Road	Hamilton County	Diamond	39.1850, -84.2885	Public
WeisburgWeisburg Road	Dearborn County	Trilobites	39.2222, -85.0484	Public
New PointSouth 700 East	Decatur County	Chalcopyrite	39.3232, -85.3450	Public
GratzKY 355	Owen County	Barite Calcite Fluorite Galena Sphalerite	38.4772, -84.9605	Public
Sinking SpringWater Street	Highland County	Hematite	39.0727, -83.3868	Public
ElizabethtownCounty Road South 750 East	Bartholomew County	Fluorescent Calcite Fluorite Marcasite	39.1659, -85.7778	Public
NorristownOld State Road 252	Shelby County	Fluorescent Calcite Fluorite Marcasite	39.3628, -85.7740	Public
ChillicotheState Route 28	Ross County	Pyrite	39.3511, -83.0967	Public
Louisville (oolites area)Gene Snyder Freeway	Jefferson County	Silicified Fossils Oolite	38.2611, -85.5030	Public
TroyMundys Landing Road	Woodford County	Barite Calcite Fluorite Galena Sphalerite	37.8515, -84.7664	Public
Kentucky River BendMundys Landing Road	Woodford County	Barite Calcite Fluorite Galena Sphalerite	37.8473, -84.7663	Public
Rowan CountyChristy Creek Road	Rowan County	Fossils	38.1885, -83.3711	Public
Greenhorn CreekHorse Trail B	Brown County	Gold	39.1289, -86.1963	Permission
Brown CountySR 46;SR 135	Brown County	Corundum Quartz Topaz Diamond	39.1961, -86.2117	Permission
Louisville (quarry area)Chickasaw Park Road	Jefferson County	Fossilized Quarry Petrified Wood	38.2405, -85.8348	Public
BeanblossomSR 135	Brown County	Geode	39.2621, -86.2483	Public
Brown County State ParkSR 46	Brown County	Geode Marcasite Aragonite Quartz	39.1780, -86.2698	Public
ColumbusJackson Pike	Franklin County	Pyrite	39.9023, -83.0163	Public
IndianapolisSouth Harding Street	Marion County	Moonstone	39.7095, -86.2031	Public
Salt CreekDunn Bridge Road	Lawrence County	Geode	38.9585, -86.3947	Public
Little Sandy River	Elliott County	Apatite Almandine Garnet Chromite Diopside Feldspar Quartz	38.1175, -83.1100	Public
Williams CreekNottingham Court	Marion County	Amethyst Quartz	39.8884, -86.1433	Public
Caldwell QuarryStanford Road	Boyle County	Fluorite	37.6262, -84.7464	Public
Buddha	Lawrence County	Barite Calcite Celestite Gypsum Strontianite	38.7717, -86.3777	Public
Bedford	Lawrence County	Geode	38.8721, -86.4199	Public

Cincinnati rockhounding FAQ

Where can I go rockhounding near Cincinnati?+

There are 59 mapped rockhounding spots within about 150 miles of Cincinnati, Ohio. The closest is Milford in Hamilton County, roughly 13 miles away. The full list is on this page with coordinates and drive times.

What rocks and minerals can you find near Cincinnati?+

Spots within driving distance of Cincinnati most commonly produce geode, quartz, calcite, fluorite, barite, pyrite.

Is rockhounding legal near Cincinnati?+

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 Cincinnati?+

Most weekend trips from Cincinnati 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 Cincinnati's rockhounding map in your pocket

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