Lake Murray Dam: Garnet & Kyanite Rockhounding in Lexington County, South Carolina

Quick details

Access

Public area

County

Lexington County

State

South Carolina

Nearest road

Silver Wood Lane

Postcode

29072

Coordinates

34.04887, -81.19879

Geology at Lake Murray Dam

This spot sits on Asbill Pond Formation, mapped as metasiltstone and metasandstone that formed roughly 510 to 495 million years ago. Sedimentary rock like this erodes unevenly, so the most productive collecting is typically along fresh cuts, badland slopes, and active drainages.

Mapped unit

Asbill Pond Formation

Age

510–495 Ma (Middle Cambrian)

Rock types

metasiltstone and metasandstone

Elevation

190 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.

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.

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.

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.

Sources: RockHoundR public spot dataset, app land overlays, and local agency review before each trip.

Found at Lake Murray Dam

Each chip opens all spots that produce that material; the encyclopedia link opens the full ID and field guide.

• GarnetEncyclopedia →
• KyaniteEncyclopedia →