Laurel: Iron Ore Rockhounding in Sussex County, Delaware
Updated June 2026
Laurel is a mapped rockhounding spot in Sussex County, Delaware. Reported finds include iron ore. Below: coordinates, access notes, nearby spots, and trip-planning links.
Map showing Laurel in Sussex County, Delaware
Quick details
- Access
- Public area
- County
- Sussex County
- State
- Delaware
- Nearest road
- Hastings Drive
- Postcode
- 19956
- Coordinates
- 38.53014, -75.57662
Geology at Laurel
This spot sits on Chesapeake Group, mapped as silt that formed roughly 66 to 3 million years ago. Loose deposits like these are float-collecting ground: erosion keeps moving durable rocks and minerals into gravel bars, cutbanks, and washes.
- Mapped unit
- Chesapeake Group
- Age
- 66–3 Ma (Tertiary)
- Rock types
- silt
- Elevation
- 60 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.
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.
Sources & 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.
Sources: RockHoundR public spot dataset, app land overlays, and local agency review before each trip.
Found at Laurel
Each chip 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 Laurel.
- Pepper CreekTop pick in DelawareSussex County, Delaware · 18 mi awayFossils
- Fowler BeachTop pick in DelawareSussex County, Delaware · 29 mi awayQuartz
- Slaughter BeachTop pick in DelawareSussex County, Delaware · 30 mi awayQuartz, Jasper
- Deauville BeachSussex County, Delaware · 30 mi awayQuartz
- Killen PondTop pick in DelawareKent County, Delaware · 31 mi awayFossils
- Coursey PondTop pick in DelawareKent County, Delaware · 32 mi awayFossils
- Cape HenlopenTop pick in DelawareSussex County, Delaware · 32 mi awayQuartz
- Bowers BeachTop pick in DelawareKent County, Delaware · 38 mi awayQuartz
Across the state line from Laurel
Laurel is close enough to the Delaware border that the next-closest rockhounding spots are in a neighboring state. Worth knowing if you are already on the road.
- Ocean CityTop pick in MarylandWorcester County, Maryland · 29 mi awayQuartz
- Higbee Beach Wildlife Management AreaTop pick in New JerseyCape May County, New Jersey · 44 mi awayQuartz, Chalcedony
- Cape MayTop pick in New JerseyCape May County, New Jersey · 45 mi awayQuartz, Chalcedony
- Calvert Cliffs State ParkTop pick in MarylandCalvert County, Maryland · 46 mi awayFossils, Shark Teeth
- Chesapeake BayCalvert County, Maryland · 48 mi awayFossils
- Flag Ponds Nature ParkTop pick in MarylandCalvert County, Maryland · 48 mi awayShark Teeth, Fossils
Laurel FAQ
Where is Laurel?+
What rocks and minerals can you find at Laurel?+
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More rockhounding in Delaware
See all 13 Delaware spots →Open Laurel on the map
Use the RockHoundR app for live land overlays, weather, geology, directions, and saved finds.
