Rockhounding near Joplin, MO

46 mapped rockhounding spots within 150 miles of Joplin — 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 Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas.

Closest rockhounding spots to Joplin

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

Most-reported finds near Joplin

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

Hunting something specific near Joplin?

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

Every spot within 150 miles of Joplin

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

Spot	County	Minerals	Coordinates	Access
GalenaWest 7th Street	Cherokee County	Galena Sphalerite Barite Calcite Cerussite Marcasite Pyrite Smithsonite	37.0749, -94.6448	Public
JoplinNorth 3rd Street	Jasper County	Apatite Aragonite Azurite Barite Calcite Cerussite Chalcopyrite Chrysocolla +5 more	37.1950, -94.4756	Public
Baxter SpringsFive Mile Avenue	Cherokee County	Galena Sphalerite Pyrite	37.0013, -94.7054	Public
Racine & Seneca	Ottawa County	Tripoli	36.9035, -94.6550	Public
Peoria	Ottawa County	Calamine Cerussite Galena	36.9036, -94.6557	Check locally
MiamiCR S620	Ottawa County	Aragonite Barite Calcite Chalcopyrite Chert Dolomite Galena Gypsum +4 more	36.9849, -94.7601	Check locally
Indian Creek	Newton County	Quartz Smoky Quartz	36.7813, -94.2447	Public
WentworthGum Road	Newton County	Zinc Pyrite Sphalerite	36.9411, -94.0652	Public
West MineralNorthwest 70th Street	Cherokee County	Pyrite Calcite Dolomite Marcasite Sphalerite	37.2433, -94.9662	Public
Liberal	Barton County	Pickeringite Pyrite Siderite	37.5827, -94.4869	Public
Elk River near Bee BluffMO E	McDonald County	Chert Blue Chert	36.6316, -94.1918	Public
GreenfieldEast Dade 114	Dade County	Agate Chert Petrified Wood	37.4162, -93.8310	Public
Lake SpavinawMickey Mantle Memorial Highway	Mayes County	Cerussite Galena Magnetite Goethite Pyrite Quartz Dolomite	36.3876, -95.0620	Check locally
SpringfieldEast Chestnut Expressway	Greene County	Barite Calcite Cerussite Dickite Dolomite Galena Limonite Marcasite +2 more	37.2098, -93.2264	Public
Foster & Hume	Bates County	Alunogen Gypsum Melanterite	38.1565, -94.4942	Public
Verdigris River	Wilson County	Agate Jasper Chalcedony Petrified Wood	37.6571, -95.7763	Public
Yates Center	Woodson County	Amethyst Quartz	37.7552, -95.7331	Public
TahlequahSouth 540 Road	Cherokee County	Pyrite	35.9261, -94.9273	Check locally
HermitageEast Dallas Street	Hickory County	Chalcedony Chert	37.9435, -93.3081	Public
Peterson MineCounty Road 182	Hickory County	Sphalerite	37.9260, -93.2686	Public
Garnett	Anderson County	Fossils	38.3452, -95.2533	Public
Tightwad	Henry County	Pyrite	38.2877, -93.5644	Public
Warsaw	Benton County	Agate Chert Mozarkite	38.1868, -93.3821	Public
MansfieldUS 60	Wright County	Galena Smithsonite Sphalerite Hemimorphite	37.1107, -92.5432	Public
Decaturville CraterLilac Rd	Laclede County	Albite Galena Glauconite Limonite Marcasite Microcline Muscovite Opal +4 more	37.8930, -92.7085	Public

Joplin rockhounding FAQ

Where can I go rockhounding near Joplin?+

There are 46 mapped rockhounding spots within about 150 miles of Joplin, Missouri. The closest is Galena in Cherokee County, roughly 7 miles away. The full list is on this page with coordinates and drive times.

What rocks and minerals can you find near Joplin?+

Spots within driving distance of Joplin most commonly produce pyrite, sphalerite, galena, calcite, dolomite, barite.

Is rockhounding legal near Joplin?+

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 Joplin?+

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

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