Where to Find Pyrite in Illinois

Illinois has 7 mapped collecting spots that report pyrite, spread across 5 counties. The largest share sits in Hancock County with 3 spots. 7 of the spots are on land mapped as publicly accessible.

Standout pyrite spots in Illinois

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

Cave-In Rock
Hardin County
Cave-In Rock sits at the heart of the Illinois-Kentucky Fluorspar District, the largest fluorite-producing region in United States history and the reason fluorite is the Illinois state mineral.
Sparta
Randolph County
The coal-measure exposures around Sparta in Randolph County yield well-preserved Pennsylvanian plant fossils along with pyritized and marcasite-replaced material from the Carbondale Formation and associated beds.

Best counties for pyrite in Illinois

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

Every pyrite spot we track in Illinois

Sorted by county. Coordinates open in Google Maps.

Spot	County	Minerals	Coordinates	Access
East BrooklynSouth Kankakee Road	Grundy County	Marcasite Pyrite	41.1666, -88.2450	Public
Crystal Glen CreekNorth County Road 700	Hancock County	Geode Barite Calcite Dolomite Goethite Pyrite Quartz Selenite	40.3714, -91.3755	Public
Hamilton QuarrySouth 2nd Street	Hancock County	Geode Pyrite Calcite Sphalerite	40.3822, -91.3554	Public
Spillman CreekNorth County Road 1540	Hancock County	Geode Pyrite Chalcedony Sphalerite Quartz	40.6163, -91.2030	Public
Cave-In RockHastie Mine Road	Hardin County	Barite Calcite Cerussite Chalcopyrite Fluorite Galena Pyrite Smithsonite +1 more	37.5032, -88.2052	Public
North AuroraConco Street	Kane County	Bornite Calcite Chalcopyrite Pyrite	41.8029, -88.3195	Public
SpartaUnion Road	Randolph County	Pyrite Fossils	38.0778, -89.7285	Public

Before you go

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

Pyrite in Illinois FAQ

Where can you find pyrite in Illinois?+

The mapped spots concentrate in Hancock County, Grundy County, and Hardin County. Every spot on this page appears on the map above with coordinates and access notes.

How many pyrite spots are mapped in Illinois?+

7 spots across 5 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 pyrite in Illinois?+

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. 7 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 pyrite

More minerals to hunt in Illinois

Hunt pyrite in Illinois 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.