Clark Hill Quarries: Beryl & Aquamarine Rockhounding in Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Connecticut
- Minerals reported
- 10
- Elevation
- 730 ft
Clark Hill in Meshomasic State Forest is a second DEEP-sanctioned collecting site and includes the well-known Nathan Hall Quarry. Its pegmatites carry sharp books of muscovite, large almandine garnet, beryl in colors from yellow through aqua, and the uranium micas autunite and torbernite, along with fluorapatite and pocket microcline. It is one of the few places in Connecticut where the classic New England pegmatite suite can be collected legally. Reported finds include beryl, aquamarine, garnet, muscovite, autunite, and more. Below: coordinates, access notes, nearby spots, and trip-planning links.
Plan your visit
Generally open to casual rockhounding
- State
- Connecticut
- Nearest road
- Woodcutters Road
- Postcode
- 06424
- Coordinates
- 41.59369, -72.54319
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: Same program as the other state-forest quarries: a free DEEP Educational Mineral Collection Permit is required, issued only to organized educational groups such as mineral clubs, schools, museums, and nature centers. Access is by scheduled group day, hand tools only, with specimens for educational use and not for sale. The uranium micas here are mildly radioactive, so handle and store any autunite or torbernite accordingly.
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.
Geology at Clark Hill Quarries
This spot sits on Fitch Formation, mapped as calc silicate rock and mica schist that formed roughly 445 to 420 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
- Fitch Formation
- Age
- 445–420 Ma (Silurian)
- Rock types
- calc silicate rock and mica schist
- Elevation
- 730 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.
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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 Clark Hill Quarries
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 Clark Hill Quarries.
- Pelton’s QuarryLower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Connecticut · 2 mi awayCitrine, Rose Quartz, Smoky Quartz
- Collins HillLower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Connecticut · 3 mi awayApatite, Aquamarine, Beryl
- Case QuarryLower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Connecticut · 3 mi awayAlbite, Microcline, Quartz
- Walden Gem QuarryLower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Connecticut · 3 mi awayAlbite, Aquamarine, Beryl
- Hale’s Brook QuarriesLower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Connecticut · 3 mi awayBeryl, Pegmatite
- Riverside QuarryLower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Connecticut · 4 mi awayAquamarine, Beryl
- White Rocks QuarryLower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Connecticut · 4 mi awayBeryl, Tourmaline
- Case QuarriesLower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Connecticut · 5 mi awayBeryl, Aquamarine, Columbite
Across the state line from Clark Hill Quarries
Clark Hill Quarries 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.
- Lane QuarryHampden County, Massachusetts · 37 mi awayAmethyst, Datolite, Prehnite
- Moosup RiverProvidence County, Rhode Island · 42 mi awayEpidote, Hornblende, Orthoclase
- WesterlySouth County, Rhode Island · 44 mi awayBeryl
- BlandfordHampden County, Massachusetts · 45 mi awayBeryl, Feldspar
- MontgomeryHampden County, Massachusetts · 45 mi awayGalena
- West GreenwichKent County, Rhode Island · 48 mi awayAmazonite
Clark Hill Quarries FAQ
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