Oxbow Road Cut (Oxbow-Rossie Road): Calcite Rockhounding in Saint Lawrence County, New York

Plan your visit

Generally open to casual rockhounding

County

Saint Lawrence County

State

New York

Nearest road

County Route 3

Coordinates

44.30031, -75.62823

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

Land & collecting status

Generally open to casual rockhounding

Most public-tagged spots sit on BLM, U.S. Forest Service, or other federal land where reasonable hand collecting of common rocks and minerals is allowed. Confirm posted rules and active mining claims before you dig.

Access note: The cut sits along County Route 3, the Oxbow to Rossie road, about a mile outside the Oxbow hamlet. Shoulder parking only; pull fully off the road and work fallen material rather than the standing face.

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 Oxbow Road Cut (Oxbow-Rossie Road)

Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)

Best months: April to November. Typical highs run 79°F in midsummer and 27°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 5°F.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, GOUVERNEUR 3 NW station (7 mi away).

Geology at Oxbow Road Cut (Oxbow-Rossie Road)

This spot sits on Calcitic and dolomitic marble, mapped as marble that formed roughly 1600 to 1000 million years ago. Metamorphic rock like this weathers into resistant float, and minerals that survive transport typically concentrate in nearby drainages.

Mapped unit

Calcitic and dolomitic marble

Age

1600–1000 Ma (Mesoproterozoic)

Rock types

marble

Elevation

370 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.

• New York State Museum, Geological Survey
• NYS DEC land use rules
• Herkimer Diamond Mines
• Community submissions reviewed against published agency rules