Where to Find Calcite in New Jersey

New Jersey calcite is famous for its fluorescence at the Franklin and Sterling Hill zinc deposits in Sussex County. Franklin Marble calcite glows red under short-wave ultraviolet light, often with green willemite associated, and the Buckwheat dump and Mineral Museum collecting field are the standard public access points. Crystal habit is mostly cleavable masses, though tabular and scalenohedral crystals turn up in vugs of the franklinite-willemite ore. Trap-rock quarries through Hudson and Bergen counties (Paterson, Prospect Park) carry small clear calcite groups in basalt with prehnite. The fluorescent reds from Franklin are the prize, and a portable SW UV lamp is essential field equipment.

Best counties for calcite in New Jersey

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

Every calcite spot we track in New Jersey

Sorted by county. Coordinates open in Google Maps.

Spot	County	Minerals	Coordinates	Access
The PalisadesLong Path	Bergen County	Banded Agate Albite Amethyst Analcime Apatite Calcite Datolite Epidote +6 more	40.9500, -73.9202	Public
Bergen Hill by Hudson RiverNew Jersey Turnpike Newark Bay Extension	Hudson County	Banded Agate Albite Amethyst Analcime Apatite Calcite Datolite Epidote +6 more	40.7108, -74.0543	Public
General Area (Hudson/Passaic)New Street	Hudson County	Banded Agate Albite Amethyst Analcime Apatite Calcite Datolite Epidote +6 more	40.6634, -74.1099	Public
Snake HillLaurel Hill Road	Hudson County	Banded Agate Albite Amethyst Analcime Apatite Calcite Datolite Epidote +6 more	40.7581, -74.0893	Public
Belle MountainValley Road	Mercer County	Malachite Cuprite Hornfels Calcite Zeolite Chlorite Shale	40.3360, -74.9249	Public
Pennington MountainWoodsville Road	Mercer County	Calcite Celadonite Epidote	40.3616, -74.8063	Public
Mine Hill (bornite)Iron Mountain Road	Morris County	Bornite Calcite Chalcopyrite Chlorite Garnet Hematite Magnetite Pyrite +4 more	40.8866, -74.6050	Public
Pompton LakesI 287	Passaic County	Banded Agate Amethyst Barite Calcite Chalcedony Cuprite Datolite Dolomite +7 more	41.0054, -74.3071	Public
Prospect Park QuarryNorth 16th Street	Passaic County	Banded Agate Amethyst Barite Calcite Chalcedony Cuprite Datolite Dolomite +7 more	40.9404, -74.1748	Public
RingwoodPeters Mine Road	Passaic County	Calcite Chalcopyrite Corundum Epidote Garnet Hornblende Pyrite Serpentine +1 more	41.1464, -74.2693	Public
Bound BrookFire Road	Somerset County	Agate Bornite Calcite Chalcocite Copper Silver Prehnite Quartz +3 more	40.5890, -74.5678	Public
HopewellLong Hill Road	Somerset County	Calcite Stilbite Prehnite Malachite Chalcopyrite Copper	40.4578, -74.7207	Public
Franklin-Ogdensburg-Sterling Hill mining districtPlant Street	Sussex County	Willemite Zincite Calcite Fluorite	41.0835, -74.6053	Public

Before you go

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

Calcite in New Jersey FAQ

Where can you find calcite in New Jersey?+

The mapped spots concentrate in Hudson County County, Passaic County County, and Mercer County County. Known collecting areas include Buckwheat dump (Sussex County), Sterling Hill museum (Sussex County), and Paterson quarries (Passaic County). Every spot on this page appears on the map above with coordinates and access notes.

How many calcite spots are mapped in New Jersey?+

13 spots across 7 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 calcite in New Jersey?+

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 calcite

More minerals to hunt in New Jersey

Hunt calcite in New Jersey 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.