Where to Find Unakite in Tennessee

Tennessee has 5 mapped collecting spots that report unakite, spread across 3 counties. The largest share sits in Cocke County with 2 spots. 5 of the spots are on land mapped as publicly accessible.

Standout unakite spots in Tennessee

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

Roan Mountain
Carter County
Roan Mountain anchors the Unaka Range that gives unakite its name, and the pink-and-green epidote granite occurs as cobbles in the stream gravels and roadside cuts along the TN 143 corridor.
Unaka Mountains
Unicoi County
The Unaka Range is the type locality for unakite, the pink-and-green ornamental rock named after these mountains, an intergrowth of pink orthoclase, green epidote, and quartz weathered from the Precambrian basement.

Best counties for unakite in Tennessee

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

Every unakite spot we track in Tennessee

Sorted by county. Coordinates open in Google Maps.

Spot	County	Minerals	Coordinates	Access
Roan MountainLaurel Hylands Road	Carter County	Unakite	36.1940, -82.0825	Public
Del RioOld Fifteenth Road	Cocke County	Unakite	35.9094, -83.0452	Public
Rag MountainGulf Road	Cocke County	Unakite	35.8117, -83.0461	Public
Flag PondJames H. Quillen Parkway	Unicoi County	Unakite	36.0164, -82.5479	Public
Unaka MountainsAppalachian Trail	Unicoi County	Epidote Quartz Unakite	36.1102, -82.3815	Public

Before you go

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

Unakite in Tennessee FAQ

Where can you find unakite in Tennessee?+

The mapped spots concentrate in Cocke County, Unicoi County, and Carter County. Every spot on this page appears on the map above with coordinates and access notes.

How many unakite spots are mapped in Tennessee?+

5 spots across 3 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 unakite in Tennessee?+

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. 5 of the 5 mapped spots here sit on land marked public. Always confirm current rules with the managing agency before you dig.

Where else to find unakite

More minerals to hunt in Tennessee

Hunt unakite in Tennessee 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.