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.

Standout agate spots in North Carolina

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

Danbury
Stokes County 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. It broadens the North Carolina top 10 beyond mines and pegmatites by representing the Sauratown Mountains' smaller but distinctive lapidary material.

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.

Every agate spot we track in North Carolina

Sorted by county. Coordinates open in Google Maps.

Spot	County	Minerals	Coordinates	Access
ConcordShadowcrest Drive Southwest	Cabarrus County	Agate Carnelian Chalcedony Common Opal	35.3619, -80.6279	Public
MooresvilleIsland Point Road	Catawba County	Agate Amethyst Quartz	35.6210, -80.9530	Public
UnakaBeaver Dam Loop	Cherokee County	Staurolite Agate Epidote Pink Feldspar Gold Petrified Wood Smoky Quartz	35.1839, -84.1541	Public
CasarGolden Valley Road	Cleveland County	Agate Quartz	35.5120, -81.6531	Public
Cape Fear River and tributariesHijacked	Cumberland County	Agate Chalcedony Chert Jasper Common Opal Agatized Wood	35.1012, -78.8569	Public
Cumberland CountyFreedom Lane	Cumberland County	Agate Chalcedony Chert Jasper Common Opal Agatized Wood	34.9592, -78.9394	Public
ButnerOld Oxford Road	Durham County	Agate Amethyst Jasper	36.1270, -78.8245	Public
Creedmore	Granville County	Agate Jasper Chalcedony	36.2075, -78.6571	Public
Lake SummitSouth Lake Summit Road	Henderson County	Agate	35.2220, -82.4300	Public
Statesville	Iredell County	Agate Amethyst Quartz	35.7292, -80.8815	Public
CaldwellBailey Road	Mecklenburg County	Agate Carnelian Chalcedony	35.4655, -80.8270	Public
Mitchell CountyNC 261	Mitchell County	Agate	36.0555, -82.1350	Public
DanburySheppard Mill Road	Stokes County	Agate Carnelian Chalcedony Jasper Hyalite Opal Hematite Amethyst	36.4083, -80.2000	Public

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 County, Cabarrus County County, and Catawba County 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 appears on the map above with 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.