Where to Find Agate in North Carolina

North Carolina agate is a modest player compared to the state's metamorphic and pegmatite minerals. The Stokes and Surry county roadcuts through the Sauratown Mountains yield small banded and dendritic agate in altered tuff. Cedar Mountain and the Madison County volcanics produce scattered chalcedony nodules with agate banding. The Carolina Slate Belt across Stanly and Montgomery counties adds occasional agate-filled vesicles in metamorphosed rhyolite. Most North Carolina agate is float-sized rather than nodule-sized, and the better material concentrates in stream gravels along the Yadkin and Pee Dee drainages.

Spot list checked against source data on April 1, 2026.

Open the full map

Every agate spot we track in North Carolina

Best spotDanburyStokes County, North CarolinaPublic access · Agate, Carnelian, Chalcedony +4
UnakaCherokee County, North CarolinaPublic access · Staurolite, Agate, Epidote +4
Cape Fear River and tributariesCumberland County, North CarolinaPublic access · Agate, Chalcedony, Chert +3
Cumberland CountyCumberland County, North CarolinaPublic access · Agate, Chalcedony, Chert +3
ConcordCabarrus County, North CarolinaPublic access · Agate, Carnelian, Chalcedony +1
ButnerDurham County, North CarolinaPublic access · Agate, Amethyst, Jasper
CaldwellMecklenburg County, North CarolinaPublic access · Agate, Carnelian, Chalcedony
CreedmoreGranville County, North CarolinaPublic access · Agate, Jasper, Chalcedony
MooresvilleCatawba County, North CarolinaPublic access · Agate, Amethyst, Quartz
StatesvilleIredell County, North CarolinaPublic access · Agate, Amethyst, Quartz
CasarCleveland County, North CarolinaPublic access · Agate, Quartz
Lake SummitHenderson County, North CarolinaPublic access · Agate
Mitchell CountyMitchell County, North CarolinaPublic access · Agate

Standout agate spots in North Carolina

Hand-picked from the full list above, with the reason each one earns a trip.

Danbury
Stokes County
Danbury is the best northern Piedmont silica stop in this set, with agate, carnelian, chalcedony, jasper, hyalite opal, hematite, and amethyst listed from the Stokes County area.

Best counties for agate in North Carolina

Ranked by the number of mapped agate spots. County links open the full rockhounding page for that county.

Before you go

Read the agate identification guide so you know what a keeper looks like in the field: Agate in the encyclopedia.

Agate in North Carolina FAQ

Where can you find agate in North Carolina?+

The mapped spots concentrate in Cumberland County, Cabarrus County, and Catawba County. Known collecting areas include Sauratown Mountains roadcuts (Stokes County), Cedar Mountain (Madison County), and Yadkin River gravels (Stanly County). Every spot on this page is on the map, and each spot's own page has its coordinates and access notes.

How many agate spots are mapped in North Carolina?+

13 spots across 12 counties. The RockHoundR app keeps the same spots on an offline map with public land overlays, geology layers, and your saved finds.

Is it legal to collect agate in North Carolina?+

Hand collecting of common rocks and minerals in small amounts for personal use is generally allowed on BLM and U.S. Forest Service land, with limits set by the local field office. National parks, most state parks, and tribal land are closed to collecting. 13 of the 13 mapped spots here sit on land marked public. Always confirm current rules with the managing agency before you dig.

Where else to find agate

More minerals to hunt in North Carolina

Hunt agate in North Carolina with the map in your pocket

RockHoundR puts these spots on an offline map with BLM and Forest Service overlays, geology layers, and a log for your finds.