Where to Find Quartz in Wisconsin

Wisconsin quartz comes from three main settings. The Mineral Point area in the southwestern lead-zinc belt (Iowa and Lafayette counties) yields small quartz crystals in dolomite vugs alongside galena and sphalerite. The Door Peninsula in Door County produces calcite-quartz geodes in Silurian dolomite, with crystal interiors up to fist size. Central Wisconsin pegmatites in Marathon and Wood counties carry smoky quartz and rose quartz in granite cores. The Ableman's Gorge area near Rock Springs in Sauk County adds drusy quartz on Cambrian sandstone. Most Wisconsin quartz is small but well-formed; surface collecting concentrates on quarry dumps and roadcuts.

Standout quartz spots in Wisconsin

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

Powell Kyanite
Iron County
The schist exposures near Powell, on the Manitowish Range, form one of Wisconsin's few good kyanite and staurolite localities.

Best counties for quartz in Wisconsin

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

Iron County3 spots
Oconto County2 spots
Chippewa County1 spot
Douglas County1 spot
Florence County1 spot
Grant County1 spot
Marathon County1 spot
Polk County1 spot
Rusk County1 spot
Sauk County1 spot
Shawano County1 spot

Every quartz spot we track in Wisconsin

Sorted by county. Coordinates open in Google Maps.

Spot	County	Minerals	Coordinates	Access
Chippewa County	Chippewa County	Lake Superior Agate Quartz	44.9497, -91.2400	Public
Ounce CreekCoppermine Scenic Drive Loop	Douglas County	Agate Azurite Bornite Chlorite Copper Diopside Epidote Malachite +2 more	46.2192, -91.5640	Public
Pine River Reservoir	Florence County	Quartz Kyanite Hematite	45.8328, -88.2640	Public
CassvilleBrewery Hollow Road	Grant County	Agate Quartz	42.7292, -90.9924	Public
General AreaState Highway 182	Iron County	Almandite Biotite Kyanite Muscovite Quartz Plagioclase Sillimanite Staurolite	46.0834, -89.9912	Public
Montreal MineWisconsin Avenue	Iron County	Actinolite Barite Selenite Braunite Calcite Celestine Dickite Dolomite +10 more	46.4281, -90.2337	Public
Powell KyaniteState Highway 182	Iron County	Kyanite Staurolite Almandine Biotite Quartz	46.1130, -90.1030	Public
Rib MountainState Park Road	Marathon County	Rhodochrosite Quartz	44.9192, -89.6791	Permission
Farr Lake S.E. AreaBachman Road	Oconto County	Beryl Quartz Spodumene Zinnwaldite	45.1570, -88.3621	Public
General AreaCarter Fire Tower Trail	Oconto County	Quartz Hematite	45.3740, -88.6330	Public
Dresser Trap Rock QuarryEast Avenue North	Polk County	Actinolite Augite Bornite Calcite Chalcopyrite Chlorite Chrysotile Copper +7 more	45.3790, -92.6297	Public
Flambeau Copper MineKennecott Avenue	Rusk County	Calcite Chalcocite Malachite Gold Quartz Zinc	45.4427, -91.1209	Public
Abelman's Gorge areaRiver Street	Sauk County	Quartz Quartzite	43.4904, -89.9174	Public
TigertonSell Lane	Shawano County	Bertrandite Beryl Quartz Phenakite	44.7330, -89.0736	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 Wisconsin FAQ

Where can you find quartz in Wisconsin?+

The mapped spots concentrate in Iron County, Oconto County, and Chippewa County. Known collecting areas include Mineral Point dolomite (Iowa County), Door Peninsula geodes (Door County), and Marathon County pegmatites. Every spot on this page appears on the map above with coordinates and access notes.

How many quartz spots are mapped in Wisconsin?+

14 spots across 11 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 Wisconsin?+

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. 13 of the 14 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 Wisconsin

Hunt quartz in Wisconsin 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.