Rockhounding near Washington, DC

198 mapped rockhounding spots within 150 miles of Washington — 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 Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey.

Closest rockhounding spots to Washington

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

ArlingtonArlington County, Virginia3 mi · 4 min driveJasper
ArlingtonArlington County, Virginia5 mi · 7 min driveBlue Quartz
Bear IslandMontgomery County, Maryland10 mi · 13 min driveApatite, Epidote, Amphibolite
Kensington Mica MineMontgomery County, Maryland10 mi · 13 min driveGolden Beryl, Mica
Potomac RiverFairfax County, Virginia12 mi · 15 min driveApatite, Specularite, Tourmaline
BeltsvillePrince George's County, Maryland12 mi · 15 min driveHyalite Opal, Quartz, Silicified Wood

Most-reported finds near Washington

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

Hunting something specific near Washington?

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

Every spot within 150 miles of Washington

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

Spot	County	Minerals	Coordinates	Access
ArlingtonCustis Memorial Parkway	Arlington County	Jasper	38.8983, -77.0925	Permission
ArlingtonFour Mile Run Trail	Arlington County	Blue Quartz	38.8494, -77.1032	Public
Bear IslandChesapeake and Ohio Canal Towpath	Montgomery County	Apatite Epidote Amphibolite Sphene Zircon	38.9740, -77.2027	Public
Kensington Mica MineNorthwest Branch Trail	Montgomery County	Golden Beryl Mica	39.0569, -77.0118	Public
Potomac RiverGeorgetown Pike	Fairfax County	Apatite Specularite Tourmaline	38.9776, -77.2331	Public
BeltsvilleBay Hill Drive	Prince George's County	Hyalite Opal Quartz Silicified Wood	39.0646, -76.9285	Public
Hunting HillPiney Meetinghouse Road	Montgomery County	Calcite Diopside Garnet Opal Serpentine	39.0827, -77.2204	Public
Prince George’s CountyMartin Road	Prince George's County	Petrified Wood	38.6913, -76.7972	Public
ClarksvilleSouth Wind Trail	Howard County	Marble	39.2007, -76.9132	Public
GaithersburgLower Magruder Trail	Montgomery County	Serpentine Steatite	39.2285, -77.1903	Public
CentrevilleCompton Road	Fairfax County	Amethyst	38.8208, -77.4664	Public
MinnievilleRunning Creek Drive	Prince William County	Amethyst Quartz	38.6359, -77.3997	Public
Sullivan CoveHolly Avenue	Anne Arundel County	Amber	39.0674, -76.5482	Public
Loudon CountyCochran Mill Road	Loudoun County	Calcite Datolite Epidote Natrolite Stilbite Diopside Magnetite Prehnite +1 more	39.0819, -77.5219	Public
Magothy RiverDrum Avenue North	Anne Arundel County	Pyrite	39.1153, -76.5670	Public
North Ferry PointNorth Ferry Point Road	Anne Arundel County	Amber Fossils	39.0857, -76.5026	Public
MarriottsvilleMarriottsville Road	Howard County	Quartz	39.3488, -76.8997	Public
GraniteQuarry Trail	Baltimore County	Quartz Garnet Tourmaline Copper	39.3454, -76.8637	Public
QuanticoSouth Elrod Avenue	Stafford County	Petrified Wood Opalized Wood	38.4852, -77.3139	Public
Point of RocksCatoctin Mountain Highway	Frederick County	Puddingstone	39.2755, -77.5416	Public
FrederickHillmark Court	Frederick County	Pink Fluorite	39.3893, -77.3883	Public
Bare Hills mining districtYellow Trail	Baltimore County	Actinolite Malachite Epidote Feldspar Garnet Moss Agate Pyrite Quartz +3 more	39.3871, -76.6523	Public
Dollyhyde CreekDollyhyde Road	Frederick County	Bornite Pink Calcite Covellite Malachite Quartz	39.4740, -77.2262	Public
Stafford CountyMount Hope Church Road	Stafford County	Vivianite	38.3878, -77.4058	Public
New WindsorNew Windsor Road	Carroll County	Azurite Bornite Calamine Malachite Smithsonite Sphalerite	39.5363, -77.1052	Public

Washington rockhounding FAQ

Where can I go rockhounding near Washington?+

There are 198 mapped rockhounding spots within about 150 miles of Washington, District of Columbia. The closest is Arlington in Arlington County, roughly 3 miles away. The full list is on this page with coordinates and drive times.

What rocks and minerals can you find near Washington?+

Spots within driving distance of Washington most commonly produce quartz, amethyst, calcite, garnet, jasper, epidote.

Is rockhounding legal near Washington?+

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 Washington?+

Most weekend trips from Washington 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 6 states. Open the state page for the full county-by-county view.

Pack Washington's rockhounding map in your pocket

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