Rockhounding near Madison, WI

57 mapped rockhounding spots within 150 miles of Madison — most are inside a 2 to 3 hour drive. Below: a map, the closest spots, what they produce, and full coordinates with access notes.

Covering parts of Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota.

Closest rockhounding spots to Madison

The 6 nearest mapped spots, with straight-line distance and an approximate drive time.

Most-reported finds near Madison

Counts reflect how many spots in this radius mention each material.

Every spot within 150 miles of Madison

Sorted by distance from Madison. Tap a row to open the spot detail page with full directions, access status, and nearby trips.

Spot	County	Minerals	Coordinates	Access
Gravels of Kettle MoraineSheil Drive	Dane County	Diamond	42.9015, -89.4225	Public
Devil's LakeDevil's Doorway Trail	Sauk County	Lake Superior Agate	43.4136, -89.7200	Public
Monroe11th Street	Green County	Galena	42.6001, -89.6517	Public
DodgevilleCounty Highway YZ	Iowa County	Barite Calcite Galena Marcasite Pyrite Smithsonite Sphalerite	42.9757, -90.0862	Public
Abelman's Gorge areaRiver Street	Sauk County	Quartz Quartzite	43.4904, -89.9174	Public
EagleState Highway 59	Waukesha County	Diamond	42.8754, -88.5245	Public
Mayville & Iron RidgeLimetown Coutry	Dodge County	Limestone Hematite	43.4468, -88.5370	Public
Cobb & MifflinBollant Road	Iowa County	Azurite Barite Chalcopyrite Cuprite Smithsonite Sphalerite	42.8839, -90.3877	Public
MuscodaElm Street	Iowa County	Agate	43.1902, -90.4200	Public
PlattevilleWest Main Street	Grant County	Barite Calcite Galena Marcasite Pyrite Smithsonite Sphalerite	42.7346, -90.4803	Public
General Area QuarriesMamerow Lane	Racine County	Crinoids Trilobites	42.7755, -88.2515	Public
Hazel GreenState Highway 80	Grant County	Barite Calcite Galena Marcasite Pyrite Smithsonite Sphalerite	42.5327, -90.4359	Public
Berlin & UtleyEast Huron Street	Green Lake County	Rhyolite	43.9684, -88.9442	Public
BoscobelState Highway 60	Crawford County	Pearls	43.1503, -90.7185	Public
OshkoshDivision Street	Waushara County	Calcite Galena Marcasite Pyrite Sphalerite Fossils	44.0430, -89.0981	Public
WerleyStar Lane	Grant County	Barite Dogtooth Calcite Galena Marcasite Pyrite Smithsonite Sphalerite	43.0204, -90.7662	Public
GalenaSouth Bench Street	Jo Daviess County	Cerussite Galena	42.4160, -90.4300	Public
DubuqueRiverside Road	Dubuque County	Lake Superior Agate Moss Agate Oolitic Agates Moonstone Jasper Petrified Wood Fossils	42.5762, -90.6824	Public
Grant River bedsGreat River Road	Grant County	Pearls	42.6697, -90.7486	Public
Estabrook ParkMilwaukee River Greenway Westside	Milwaukee County	Geode Millerite	43.1013, -87.9140	Public
SaukvilleWest Acacia Drive	Ozaukee County	Diamond	43.3620, -87.9539	Public
BellevueGreat River Road	Jackson County	Lake Superior Agate Moss Agate Carnelian Moonstone Jasper Petrified Coral	42.2313, -90.4017	Public
RacineRacine MRK Trail	Racine County	Fossils Calcite Marcasite	42.7739, -87.8083	Public
CassvilleBrewery Hollow Road	Grant County	Agate Quartz	42.7292, -90.9924	Public
Harper’s FerryWinfield Road	Allamakee County	Pearls	43.2099, -91.1367	Public

Madison rockhounding FAQ

Where can I go rockhounding near Madison?+

There are 57 mapped rockhounding spots within about 150 miles of Madison, Wisconsin. The closest is Gravels of Kettle Moraine in Dane County, roughly 12 miles away. The full list is on this page with coordinates and drive times.

What rocks and minerals can you find near Madison?+

Spots within driving distance of Madison most commonly produce lake superior agate, pyrite, calcite, galena, marcasite, agate.

Is rockhounding legal near Madison?+

Casual hand collecting of common rocks and minerals is allowed on most BLM and U.S. Forest Service land, with limits set by the local field office. National parks, most state parks, and tribal land are off-limits. Each spot page on this site lists access status; always confirm current rules with the managing agency before a trip.

How far do most rockhounders drive from Madison?+

Most weekend trips from Madison fall inside a 2 to 3 hour drive, which is roughly the 150-mile radius shown on this page. Closer spots are good for half-day outings; the outer ones are better as overnight trips.

More state coverage

The spots above span 4 states. Open the state page for the full county-by-county view.

Pack Madison's rockhounding map in your pocket

Open RockHoundR for live land overlays, weather, geology, directions, and saved finds — wherever the drive takes you.