CCC Quarry: Beryl & Aquamarine Rockhounding in Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Connecticut
- Minerals reported
- 8
- Elevation
- 270 ft
- Best months
- March to November
The CCC Quarry, a 19th-century feldspar working near the old Civilian Conservation Corps camp in Cockaponset State Forest, is the third state-sanctioned collecting site in Connecticut. Its pegmatite carries microcline, albite, muscovite, schorl, and beryl including aquamarine, with historic reports of uraninite and autunite. It rounds out the DEEP trio that keeps legal pegmatite collecting alive in the state. Reported finds include beryl, aquamarine, microcline, albite, muscovite, and more. Below: coordinates, access notes, nearby spots, and trip-planning links.
Plan your visit
Generally open to casual rockhounding
- State
- Connecticut
- Nearest road
- Filley Road
- Postcode
- 06438
- Coordinates
- 41.47000, -72.51000
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.
Access note: Open for collecting only under the free DEEP Educational Mineral Collection Permit granted to mineral clubs, schools, museums, and nature centers, arranged ahead of time. Access is on scheduled group days, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., small hand tools only, no commercial sale. Individuals should join a permitted club field trip to collect here legally.
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 CCC Quarry
Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)
Best months: March to November. Typical highs run 83°F in midsummer and 36°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 18°F.
Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, MERIDEN MARKHAM MUNI AP station (17 mi away), adjusted for elevation.
Geology at CCC Quarry
This spot sits on Collins Hill Formation, mapped as schist that formed roughly 470 to 445 million years ago. Metamorphic belts like this often host pegmatite dikes, the coarse-crystal bodies that typically carry beryl, tourmaline, and sheet mica.
- Mapped unit
- Collins Hill Formation
- Age
- 470–445 Ma (Middle Ordovician to Late Ordovician)
- Rock types
- schist
- Elevation
- 270 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 CCC Quarry.
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.
- Connecticut Geological Survey
- CT DEEP state land rules
- Community submissions reviewed against published agency rules
Found at CCC Quarry
Each name opens all spots that produce that material; the encyclopedia link opens the full ID and field guide.
Nearby rockhounding spots
Other rockhounding spots within driving distance of CCC Quarry.
- CCC PegmatiteLower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Connecticut · 1 mi awayAlbite, Beryl, Columbite
- Hewitt Gem QuarryLower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Connecticut · 1 mi awayBeryl, Aquamarine, Morganite
- Gillette QuarryLower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Connecticut · 2 mi awayAmazonite, Aquamarine, Beryl
- Slocum ProspectLower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Connecticut · 5 mi awayBeryl, Rose Quartz
- White Rocks QuarryLower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Connecticut · 7 mi awayBeryl, Tourmaline
- Riverside QuarryLower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Connecticut · 8 mi awayAquamarine, Beryl
- Clark Hill QuarriesLower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Connecticut · 9 mi awayBeryl, Aquamarine, Garnet
- Collins HillLower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Connecticut · 9 mi awayApatite, Aquamarine, Beryl
Across the state line from CCC Quarry
CCC Quarry is close enough to the Connecticut border that the next-closest rockhounding spots are in a neighboring state. Worth knowing if you are already on the road.
- WesterlySouth County, Rhode Island · 41 mi awayBeryl
- Moosup RiverProvidence County, Rhode Island · 43 mi awayEpidote, Hornblende, Orthoclase
- Lane QuarryHampden County, Massachusetts · 46 mi awayAmethyst, Datolite, Prehnite
- West GreenwichKent County, Rhode Island · 48 mi awayAmazonite
- BlandfordHampden County, Massachusetts · 53 mi awayBeryl, Feldspar
- MontgomeryHampden County, Massachusetts · 53 mi awayGalena
CCC Quarry FAQ
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More rockhounding in Connecticut
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