Where to Find Jasper in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania jasper concentrates around the Hardyston Quartzite outcrops of the Reading Prong, which crosses Lehigh, Berks, and Northampton counties. The Macungie and Vera Cruz areas yield red and yellow jasper in conglomerate form, the source rock for the famous Lehigh Valley jasper-tipped Native American tools. Smaller showings turn up in the South Mountain area near Carlisle (Cumberland County) and along the Susquehanna highlands. Jasper conglomerate (also called puddingstone) is the distinctive Pennsylvania variant, with jasper pebbles set in quartzite matrix. Surface collecting is mostly on roadcuts and creek beds; active quarry access requires permission.
Map of 13 jasper collecting spots in Pennsylvania
Standout jasper spots in Pennsylvania
Hand-picked from the full list below, with the reason each one earns a trip.
Reading
Berks County
The Reading area of Berks County is the heart of Pennsylvania's historic jasper country, where prehistoric quarries supplied toolstone for thousands of years.
Carlisle
Cumberland County
The Carlisle area of Cumberland County is known for banded agate, jasper, amethyst and quartz weathering out of the local carbonate and diabase terrain.
Area Around Caledonia State Park
Franklin County
The ridges of Michaux country around Caledonia in Franklin County shed agate and jasper into local streams and float, a byproduct of the region's iron-rich Blue Ridge geology.
Best counties for jasper in Pennsylvania
Ranked by the number of mapped jasper spots. County links open the full rockhounding page for that county.
- Berks County2 spots
- Bucks County2 spots
- Armstrong County1 spot
- Carbon County1 spot
- Cumberland County1 spot
- Delaware County1 spot
- Franklin County1 spot
- Lehigh County1 spot
- Luzerne County1 spot
- Montgomery County1 spot
- Westmoreland County1 spot
Every jasper spot we track in Pennsylvania
Sorted by county. Coordinates open in Google Maps.
| Spot | County | Minerals | Coordinates | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South BethlehemKohlersburg Road | Armstrong County | 40.9988, -79.3444 | Public | |
| Alsace TownshipSeidel Road | Berks County | 40.3670, -75.8656 | Public | |
| ReadingPhiladelphia Avenue | Berks County | 40.2998, -75.9164 | Public | |
| MorrisvilleCapitol View Riverwalk | Bucks County | 40.2165, -74.7763 | Public | |
| NewtownSwamp Road | Bucks County | 40.2406, -74.9708 | Permission | |
| Jim ThorpeJeans' Run Trail | Carbon County | 40.8729, -75.7688 | Permission | |
| CarlisleShatto Drive | Cumberland County | 40.2203, -77.2154 | Public | |
| PhiladelphiaBoy Scout Bridge | Delaware County | 40.0130, -75.3895 | Public | |
| Area Around Caledonia State ParkChambersburg Water Line Trail | Franklin County | 39.9120, -77.4984 | Public | |
| AllentownSkyline Drive | Lehigh County | 40.5974, -75.4412 | Public | |
| KingstonLuzerne County Levee Trail | Luzerne County | 41.2489, -75.9023 | Public | |
| BridgeportRiver Road | Montgomery County | 40.0987, -75.3272 | Public | |
| DerryMill Street | Westmoreland County | 40.3488, -79.2681 | Public |
Before you go
Read the jasper identification guide so you know what a keeper looks like in the field: Jasper in the encyclopedia.
