Where to Find Garnet in North Carolina

43 mapped garnet rockhounding spots in North Carolina, across 27 counties. Garnet is a hard, glassy silicate that comes in many varieties. North Carolina has the deepest gem-mining tradition on the East Coast.

Every garnet spot in North Carolina

Sorted by county. Coordinates open in Google Maps. Click a row for details.

Spot	County	Minerals	Coordinates	Access
Emerald Hollow MineEmerald Hollow Mine Drive	Alexander County	Emerald Aquamarine Sapphire Garnet Smoky Quartz Topaz Amethyst Citrine +3 more	35.9137, -81.0829	Public
Hiddenite (area 2)Duncan Lane	Alexander County	Aquamarine Beryl Quartz Rutile Emerald Hiddenite Calcite Dolomite +2 more	35.9136, -81.0740	Public
Bullhead MountainArbor Lane	Alleghany County	Garnet Kyanite Magnetite	36.4574, -81.0302	Public
Anson CountyWhite Store Road	Anson County	Gold Calcite Garnet Galena Pyrite Siderite Rutile Sphalerite	34.9570, -80.1227	Public
Horse CreekCoy Ham Road	Ashe County	Epidote Garnet Magnetite	36.5294, -81.6010	Public
CranberryTrilium Creek Run	Avery County	Epidote Garnet Hematite Kyanite Unakite	36.1346, -81.9826	Public
IngallsGusher Knob Road	Avery County	Garnet	35.9810, -82.0015	Public
PlumtreeMud Puppy Rock Lane	Avery County	Feldspar Garnet	36.0318, -82.0110	Public
SpearGusher Knob Road	Avery County	Beryl Garnet Epidote Mica	35.9822, -82.0007	Public
DemocratBig Ivy Drive	Buncombe County	Chalcedony Feldspar Garnet Moonstone Olivine Vermiculite	35.7865, -82.5007	Public
Reems CreekReems Creek Road	Buncombe County	Garnet	35.6918, -82.5110	Public
High PeakHigh Peak Mountain Road	Burke County	Garnet	35.7237, -81.6087	Public
Yadkin ValleyCove Branch Road	Caldwell County	Beryl Garnet	36.0434, -81.5147	Public
Caswell CountyPage Road	Caswell County	Gold Allanite Mica Garnet Quartz	36.4310, -79.3772	Public
BrasstownEast US 64	Cherokee County	Garnet	35.0742, -83.9965	Public
Little Snowbird MountainsFS 304	Cherokee County	Chloritoid Ottrelite Garnet Gold Staurolite	35.2367, -83.8703	Public
Vengeance CreekFS 6148	Cherokee County	Calcite Garnet Quartz Staurolite	35.1490, -83.8886	Public
Chunky Gal MountainBuck Creek Trail	Clay County	Garnet Staurolite	35.0362, -83.5730	Public
EarlRoseborough Road	Cleveland County	Aquamarine Garnet	35.1920, -81.5069	Public
Winston-SalemWaughtown Connector Greenway	Forsyth County	Halloysite Hematite Magnetite Garnet	36.0820, -80.2043	Public
Clubb MountainAlexis Lucia Road	Gaston County	Corundum Lazulite Kyanite Damourite Gold Garnet Hematite Magnetite +2 more	35.4014, -81.0817	Public
Crowder's MountainBackside Trail	Gaston County	Barite Chalcopyrite Corundum Gold Bearing Galena Gold Garnet Hematite Limonite +5 more	35.2326, -81.2749	Public
Pressley MinePressley Mine Road	Haywood County	Albite Amphibolite Corundum Damourite Sapphire Epidote Garnet Quartz	35.5729, -82.8127	Public
Roberson RidgeRocky Branch Road	Haywood County	Ankerite Apatite Biotite Garnet Muscovite Pyrrhotite Quartz Tourmaline	35.4150, -82.9962	Public
Elijah Mountain Gem MineBrevard Road	Henderson County	Ruby Sapphire Emerald Quartz Citrine Amethyst Garnet Aventurine +10 more	35.3244, -82.5034	Public
Balsam Gap MineDark Ridge Road	Jackson County	Magnesite Albite Allanite Green Beryl Columbite Corundum Garnet Biotite +2 more	35.4240, -83.0985	Public
Cherokee Ruby & Sapphire MineCrestview Heights	Macon County	Ruby Sapphire Garnet Quartz	35.1700, -83.3800	Paid / fee
Cowee CreekSheffield Farms Road	Macon County	Garnet Ruby Sapphire Corundum Beryl Hornblende Kyanite Pyrite +3 more	35.2721, -83.3936	Public
FranklinLyle Mill Road	Macon County	Amethyst Bronzite Epidote Fibrolite Garnet Jasper Kyanite Quartz +6 more	35.2261, -83.3606	Public
Mason MountainBuck Mountain Road	Macon County	Corundum Garnet Hornblende Quartz	35.2470, -83.3617	Public
OttoGeorgia Road	Macon County	Amethyst Garnet Quartz	35.0668, -83.3877	Public
Little Pine Garnet MineCaney Fork Road	Madison County	Garnet Quartz Chlorite	35.7625, -82.7242	Public
Deer Park MineDeer Park Lake Road	Mitchell County	Autunite Feldspar Garnet Hyalite Opal Mica Monazite Thulite	35.9330, -82.1050	Public
Sink Hole Mine and other area minesNC 80	Mitchell County	Blue Beryl Apatite Garnet Kyanite Thulite	35.9757, -82.1766	Public
Gold HillSaint Stephens Church Road	Rowan County	Magnetite Manganese Garnet Amethyst Sunstone Gold	35.5128, -80.3437	Public
Marlin Knob	Rutherford County	Garnet Unakite	35.5082, -81.8413	Public
Thermal CityCandy Rock Road	Rutherford County	Garnet	35.5253, -81.9867	Public
Big CreekLynchburg Road	Stokes County	Garnet Moonstone Smoky Quartz	36.4500, -80.2901	Public
Bryson CityEast Deep Creek Road	Swain County	Allanite Garnet Magnetite Moonstone Quartz Pyrite Feldspar Mica +2 more	35.4436, -83.4402	Public
Looking Glass FallsPisgah Highway	Transylvania County	Garnet	35.2963, -82.7682	Public
WilkesboroState Road 1174	Wilkes County	Garnet Serpentine Talc	36.1042, -81.1881	Public
BurnsvilleRay Mine Trail	Yancey County	Albite Amazonite Apatite Aquamarine Autunite Beryl Emerald Fluorite +8 more	35.8883, -82.2747	Public
Celo RidgeUpper Brown's Creek Road	Yancey County	Sapphire Feldspar Garnet Kyanite Mica	35.8640, -82.2253	Public

Garnet in North Carolina FAQ

Where can I find garnet in North Carolina?+

RockHoundR tracks 43 garnet spots in North Carolina, spread across 27 counties. The strongest concentration is in Macon County.

Is collecting garnet legal in North Carolina?+

Casual hand collection of common rocks and minerals like garnet is allowed on most BLM and U.S. Forest Service land in North Carolina, with daily and annual limits set by the local field office. National parks, most state parks, and tribal land are off-limits. Always confirm rules before a trip.

What is the best garnet location in North Carolina?+

Macon County has the most garnet spots in our database for North Carolina. The full county breakdown is below — different counties produce different qualities and varieties.

Hunt garnet in North Carolina on the map

Open RockHoundR for live land overlays, weather, geology, and saved spots.

Where to Find Garnet in North Carolina

Garnet by county in North Carolina

Every garnet spot in North Carolina

Garnet in North Carolina FAQ

Other states for garnet

Other minerals to find in North Carolina

Hunt garnet in North Carolina on the map