Where to Find Lake Superior Agate in Iowa

Iowa has 7 mapped collecting spots that report lake superior agate, spread across 6 counties. The largest share sits in Des Moines County with 2 spots. 6 of the spots are on land mapped as publicly accessible.

Standout lake superior agate spots in Iowa

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

Burlington (geodes)
Des Moines County
Burlington marks the transition between Iowa's two great rockhounding stories: the Keokuk geode belt to the south and the Lake Superior agate fields carried in by glaciers.
Bellevue
Jackson County
The Mississippi River gravel bars near Bellevue are one of Iowa's most productive Lake Superior agate grounds, working glacial drift that the river continually reworks and sorts.
Muscatine (agate)
Louisa County
The stream gravels around Muscatine and neighboring Louisa County are named by the Iowa Geological Survey as a reliable source of Lake Superior agate, moss agate, chalcedony, and clear quartz.

Best counties for lake superior agate in Iowa

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

Des Moines County2 spots
Butler County1 spot
Dubuque County1 spot
Fayette County1 spot
Jackson County1 spot
Louisa County1 spot

Every lake superior agate spot we track in Iowa

Sorted by county. Coordinates open in Google Maps.

Spot	County	Minerals	Coordinates	Access
Shell RockState Highway 3	Butler County	Lake Superior Agate	42.7266, -92.5863	Public
Burlington (geodes)Starrs Cave Road	Des Moines County	Lake Superior Agate Quartz Geode	40.8521, -91.1493	Public
Burlington (Lake Superior agate)Flint River Trail	Des Moines County	Lake Superior Agate	40.8320, -91.0984	Public
DubuqueRiverside Road	Dubuque County	Lake Superior Agate Moss Agate Oolitic Agates Moonstone Jasper Petrified Wood Fossils	42.5762, -90.6824	Permission
Fayette CountyEcho Valley Road	Fayette County	Lake Superior Agate	42.9470, -91.7751	Public
BellevueGreat River Road	Jackson County	Lake Superior Agate Moss Agate Carnelian Moonstone Jasper Petrified Coral	42.2313, -90.4017	Public
Muscatine (agate)County Road G44X	Louisa County	Lake Superior Agate Moss Agate Chalcedony Quartz	41.3185, -91.1561	Public

Before you go

Read the lake superior agate identification guide so you know what a keeper looks like in the field: Lake Superior Agate in the encyclopedia.

Lake Superior Agate in Iowa FAQ

Where can you find lake superior agate in Iowa?+

The mapped spots concentrate in Des Moines County, Butler County, and Dubuque County. Every spot on this page appears on the map above with coordinates and access notes.

How many lake superior agate spots are mapped in Iowa?+

7 spots across 6 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 lake superior agate in Iowa?+

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. 6 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 lake superior agate

More minerals to hunt in Iowa

Hunt lake superior agate in Iowa 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.