Where to Find Quartz in Alabama

Alabama has 8 mapped collecting spots that report quartz, spread across 6 counties. The largest share sits in Coosa County with 2 spots. 2 of the spots are on land mapped as publicly accessible.

Standout quartz 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.
Pegmatite Outcropings
Coosa County
Coosa County is widely regarded as the richest single county in Alabama for variety, with pegmatites and the historic tin belt producing feldspar, muscovite, tourmaline, cassiterite, beryl, and garnet.
Bankhead National Forest
Winston County
The William B. Bankhead National Forest spreads across about 181,000 acres of the Cumberland Plateau in northwest Alabama, where the Sipsey Fork cuts sandstone gorges that expose fresh rock.

Best counties for quartz in Alabama

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

Every quartz spot we track in Alabama

Sorted by county. Coordinates open in Google Maps.

Spot	County	Minerals	Coordinates	Access
Pleasant Grove RoadPleasant Grove Road	Clay County	Quartz	33.3236, -85.6860	Check locally
Talladega National Forest (Shoal Creek)	Cleburne County	Gold Quartz Garnet Pyrite Magnetite	33.6600, -85.6200	Public
Near Pond Mine	Coosa County	Feldspar Garnet Moonstone Quartz Tourmaline	32.8891, -86.2378	Check locally
Pegmatite Outcropings	Coosa County	Cassiterite Feldspar Muscovite Quartz	32.9262, -86.2174	Permission
Lake Martin Outcrops	Tallapoosa County	Epidote Actinolite Bronzite Feldspar Hematite Quartz Unakite	32.8075, -85.8961	Check locally
Brookwood Strip MinesRocky Branch Road	Tuscaloosa County	Hematite Quartz Siderite Agate Petrified Wood	33.2615, -87.3875	Check locally
Tuscaloosa Rockhounding Area (Petrified Wood)AL 216	Tuscaloosa County	Quartz Petrified Wood	33.2267, -87.4265	Check locally
Bankhead National Forest	Winston County	Quartz Chert Fossils Iron Concretions	34.2800, -87.4000	Public

Before you go

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

Quartz in Alabama FAQ

Where can you find quartz in Alabama?+

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

How many quartz spots are mapped in Alabama?+

8 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 quartz 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. 2 of the 8 mapped spots here sit on land marked public. Always confirm current rules with the managing agency before you dig.

Where else to find quartz

More minerals to hunt in Alabama

Hunt quartz 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.