Where to Find Quartz in West Virginia

West Virginia quartz concentrates in the Appalachian sandstone country of the eastern panhandle. Berkeley Springs in Morgan County and the surrounding Lost River drainage in Hardy and Hampshire counties yield doubly-terminated quartz crystals ("diamonds") in sandstone vugs, similar in habit to the Herkimer diamond of New York. The crystals are small (under a centimeter) but well-formed and water-clear. Smaller showings of milky and smoky quartz occur in the Greenbrier Limestone outcrops of the southeast. Most collecting is on roadcuts and creek beds in eroded sandstone bluffs; active quarry access is limited.

Best counties for quartz in West Virginia

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

Greenbrier County4 spots
Berkeley County1 spot
Hardy County1 spot
Jefferson County1 spot
Mineral County1 spot
Monroe County1 spot
Morgan County1 spot
Pendleton County1 spot
Randolph County1 spot

Every quartz spot we track in West Virginia

Sorted by county. Coordinates open in Google Maps.

Spot	County	Minerals	Coordinates	Access
Berkeley County	Berkeley County	Calcite Dolomite Quartz	39.4727, -77.9076	Public
AldersonRed & Blue Sulphur Springs Turnpike	Greenbrier County	Quartz	37.7957, -80.6212	Public
Fort SpringJohn Foeren Way	Greenbrier County	Calcite Celestite Dolomite Quartz	37.7428, -80.5533	Public
FrazerHighland Trail	Greenbrier County	Quartz	37.7502, -80.5602	Public
WilliamsburgWhite Oak Trail	Greenbrier County	Silicified Coral Quartz	37.9774, -80.4963	Public
PetersburgUS 220;WV 28;WV 55	Hardy County	Calcite Dolomite Quartz	38.9972, -79.0756	Public
Snickers GapMission Road	Jefferson County	Blue Amphibole Green Amphibole Quartz Epidote	39.1589, -77.8459	Public
Knobly Mountain	Mineral County	Chalcedony Calcite Dolomite Fluorite Sulfur Quartz Sphalerite	39.3459, -79.0029	Public
UnionBuster Brown Road	Monroe County	Quartz	37.5361, -80.5165	Public
Berkeley SpringsHancock Road	Morgan County	Calcite Jasper Pyrite Cubes Quartz Selenite	39.6490, -78.2176	Public
FranklinMountaineer Drive	Pendleton County	Chert Smoky Quartz Quartz	38.6542, -79.3864	Public
HarmanUS 33;WV 55	Randolph County	Calcite Dolomite Quartz	38.9154, -79.5131	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 West Virginia FAQ

Where can you find quartz in West Virginia?+

The mapped spots concentrate in Greenbrier County County, Berkeley County County, and Hardy County County. Known collecting areas include Berkeley Springs sandstone (Morgan County), Lost River drainage (Hardy County), and Hampshire County roadcuts. Every spot on this page appears on the map above with coordinates and access notes.

How many quartz spots are mapped in West Virginia?+

12 spots across 9 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 West Virginia?+

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. 12 of the 12 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 West Virginia

Hunt quartz in West Virginia 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.