Where to Find Garnet in Alabama

Alabama has 7 mapped collecting spots that report garnet, spread across 4 counties. The largest share sits in Clay County with 3 spots. 1 of the spots are on land mapped as publicly accessible.

Standout garnet spots in Alabama

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

Talladega National Forest (Shoal Creek)
Cleburne County
The Talladega National Forest sits on the southern end of the Appalachian gold belt, and the Shoal Creek district is the most reliable place in Alabama to prospect on open public land rather than private mine ground.

Best counties for garnet in Alabama

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

Every garnet spot we track in Alabama

Sorted by county. Coordinates open in Google Maps.

Spot	County	Minerals	Coordinates	Access
Shirley MineHazelrig Road	Blount County	Garnet Kyanite Magnetite Tourmaline	33.9794, -86.5671	Check locally
Bob Lee MineCaldwell Road	Clay County	Garnet	33.3359, -85.8715	Check locally
Gibson MineCaldwell Road	Clay County	Garnet	33.3420, -85.8864	Check locally
M & G MineOak Grove Road	Clay County	Apatite Garnet Smoky Quartz	33.3799, -85.7969	Check locally
Talladega National Forest (Shoal Creek)	Cleburne County	Gold Quartz Garnet Pyrite Magnetite	33.6600, -85.6200	Public
Millsite Tin Mine	Coosa County	Albite Apatite Cassiterite Epidote Garnet Lepidolite Topaz Tourmaline +1 more	32.8997, -86.2063	Check locally
Near Pond Mine	Coosa County	Feldspar Garnet Moonstone Quartz Tourmaline	32.8891, -86.2378	Check locally

Garnet in Alabama FAQ

Where can you find garnet in Alabama?+

The mapped spots concentrate in Clay County, Coosa County, and Blount County. Every spot on this page appears on the map above with coordinates and access notes.

How many garnet spots are mapped in Alabama?+

7 spots across 4 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 garnet in Alabama?+

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. 1 of the 7 mapped spots here sit on land marked public. Always confirm current rules with the managing agency before you dig.

Where else to find garnet

More minerals to hunt in Alabama

Hunt garnet in Alabama 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.