Bauxite Quarries: Bauxite & Heliotrope Bauxite Rockhounding in Saline County, Arkansas
- Minerals reported
- 2
- Elevation
- 540 ft
- Best months
- September to June
Saline County is one of the two districts in the Arkansas bauxite region, a roughly 275-square-mile belt described by the Arkansas Geological Survey and USGS as the state's historic aluminum-ore province. The quarries stand out because the material is tied to weathered syenite and related intrusive rocks rather than ordinary clay or ironstone. Reported finds include bauxite, heliotrope bauxite. Below: coordinates, access notes, nearby spots, and trip-planning links.
Plan your visit
Generally open to casual rockhounding
- County
- Saline County
- State
- Arkansas
- Nearest road
- Bauxite Cutoff Road
- Postcode
- 72011
- Coordinates
- 34.54434, -92.50533
Coordinates are approximate. Confirm the exact ground in the RockHoundR app, where land overlays show which agency manages the area.
Land & collecting status
Generally open to casual rockhounding
Most public-tagged spots sit on BLM, U.S. Forest Service, or other federal land where reasonable hand collecting of common rocks and minerals is allowed. Confirm posted rules and active mining claims before you dig.
Public-land rules vary by agency, season, and field office. The RockHoundR app pulls live BLM, USFS, NPS, and tribal overlays so you can see exactly which agency manages the ground at this spot.
Best time to visit Bauxite Quarries
Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)
Best months: September to June. Typical highs run 92°F in midsummer and 52°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 30°F.
Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, BENTON station (6 mi away), adjusted for elevation.
Geology at Bauxite Quarries
This spot sits on Igneous rocks, mapped as nepheline syenite, intrusive carbonatite, and alkalic volcanic that formed roughly 145 to 66 million years ago. Volcanic ground like this weathers into rocky slopes and float, and fresh exposures in cuts and drainages are usually the most productive places to look.
- Mapped unit
- Igneous rocks
- Age
- 145–66 Ma (Cretaceous)
- Rock types
- nepheline syenite, intrusive carbonatite, and alkalic volcanic
- Elevation
- 540 ft
Geologic mapping via Macrostrat and the underlying state geological survey maps (CC BY 4.0). Bedrock at the surface can vary within a mapped unit.
Today's weather
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The app shows live weather, recent rain, and a daily rockhounding score for Bauxite Quarries.
Get the appSources & verification
Spot details combine the public RockHoundR location dataset, normalized mineral labels, agency land-status checks in the app, and community submissions. Coordinates are approximate until verified in the field.
State guidance last verified:
- Ouachita National Forest, Mineral Collecting
- Crater of Diamonds State Park, Rules and finds
- Arkansas Geological Survey
- Community submissions reviewed against published agency rules
Found at Bauxite Quarries
Each name opens all spots that produce that material; the encyclopedia link opens the full ID and field guide.
Bauxite- Heliotrope Bauxite
Nearby rockhounding spots
Other rockhounding spots within driving distance of Bauxite Quarries.
- Cove CreekHot Spring County, Arkansas · 19 mi awayPyrite
- Unnamed Location Near CemeteryHot Spring County, Arkansas · 20 mi awaySmoky Quartz, Brookite
- Willie Rickard Rock FarmSaline County, Arkansas · 21 mi awayQuartz
- Unnamed Location (Melanite)Hot Spring County, Arkansas · 21 mi awayMelanite, Nepheline, Biotite
- Cove Creek Bridge BoulderHot Spring County, Arkansas · 22 mi awayEudialyte, Nepheline, Syenite
- Cove Creek BridgeHot Spring County, Arkansas · 22 mi awayApatite, Monticellite, Magnetite
- Unnamed Location (Smoky Quartz & Calcite)Saline County, Arkansas · 22 mi awaySmoky Quartz, Calcite, Chert
- Unnamed Location (Magnet Cove area)Hot Spring County, Arkansas · 22 mi awaySphene, Nepheline Syenite
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More rockhounding in Arkansas
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