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Rockhounding in Florida

Updated August 2026

42 mapped spots for rock hunting and rock collecting across 27 counties. Florida rockhounding is fossils and agatized coral: shark teeth on the Gulf beaches at Venice and Englewood, Pleistocene mammal bones and teeth in the Peace River, agatized coral from the Tampa Bay and Withlacoochee drainages, chert and calcite in the limestone country around Brooksville and Crystal River, and quartz-lined geodes near Quincy. A state fossil permit is the one rule most newcomers miss.

Where is the best rockhounding in Florida?

The best rockhounding in Florida is at Crystal River in Citrus County (calcite, quartz), Brooksville in Hernando County (calcite, echinoid geode), and Hillsborough River in Hillsborough County (brain coral, finger coral). In total, 42 mapped collecting spots across 27 counties produce chert, fossil, and agatized coral, each listed below with its land access.

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Every rockhounding spot in Florida

Florida rockhounding photos

Representative spot and material photos from locations in this state, shown where verified public image records are available.

5 photos

Top minerals found in Florida

Counts reflect how many spots in this list mention each mineral.

Notable areas: Venice shark teeth, Peace River mammoth and horse teeth, Tampa Bay agatized coral, Fort Drum calcite clams, and Quincy geodes are the Florida targets collectors travel for.

Geology behind Florida rockhounding

Florida is a carbonate platform. Eocene and Oligocene limestone (Ocala, Suwannee) crops out on the Brooksville Ridge and along the Suwannee and Withlacoochee rivers, weathering to chert and, where silica replaced coral heads, to the agatized coral that is the state stone. The Miocene Hawthorn Group covers much of the peninsula with phosphatic sand and clay; its Bone Valley member in Polk and Hillsborough counties is the phosphate district and a famous fossil producer, and Hawthorn clays around Quincy in Gadsden County hold quartz geodes. Rivers like the Peace, Hillsborough, and Suwannee cut through Pleistocene and Miocene beds and concentrate mammoth, mastodon, horse, and dugong material with shark teeth in their gravel. The Gulf beaches from Venice to Englewood erode offshore fossil beds and wash shark teeth ashore, and Okeechobee County's shell pits produced the golden calcite that grew inside fossil clams at Fort Drum.

Best regions to focus your search

Gulf shark-tooth beaches (Sarasota, Charlotte)

Venice, Caspersen, and Englewood beaches for shark teeth in the swash line, best after storms and offshore dredging. Public beaches allow picking; no permit is needed for shark teeth.

Peace River and the phosphate district (DeSoto, Hardee, Polk)

Sifting the Peace River gravel at low water for shark teeth, mammal teeth, and bone. Vertebrate fossils require the state fossil permit. The phosphate mines are private; the Mulberry museum is the way to see Bone Valley.

Agatized coral and limestone country (Hillsborough, Pinellas, Citrus, Hernando)

Agatized coral in the Hillsborough River, Tampa Bay shorelines, and Withlacoochee gravel, chert and calcite around Brooksville and Crystal River. Much of the classic Ballast Point ground is developed; rivers and quarry club days are the access.

North Florida (Hamilton, Gadsden, Jackson)

Suwannee River chert and fossils at low water, quartz geodes in the Quincy clays, and Marianna limestone fossils around Cottondale. Mostly private; ask first.

Best season

November through April, the dry season, when rivers run low and clear enough to sift and the heat is bearable. The Peace River is best from December to March; summer rains make it high and fast. Beach teeth are best after winter cold fronts and storms.

What to bring

A floating sifter or a quarter-inch screen and a shovel for the rivers, a sand scoop for the beaches, water shoes, sun protection, and the Florida vertebrate fossil permit if you plan to keep bone or mammal teeth. Watch for alligators on river banks and never sift alone.

Local collecting history

Bone Valley phosphate mining began in the 1880s and turned up the fossils that made Florida a paleontology destination. Venice has called itself the shark tooth capital of the world for decades. Agatized coral became the state stone in 1979.

Rockhounding near major Florida cities

Day-trip range. Each section lists the closest mapped rockhounding spots within about 150 miles of the city. Most are inside a 2 to 3 hour drive.

Rockhounding near Jacksonville

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6 closest spots to Jacksonville, FL.

  • Skinner MineDuval County · Ilmenite, Rutile6 mi8 min drive
  • Lawtey Highland MineBradford County · Kyanite, Zircon30 mi38 min drive
  • St. Johns County AreaSaint Johns County · Coquina39 mi49 min drive
  • Cross Florida Barge CanalPutnam County · Fossil, Silicified Coral54 mi1 hr 8 min drive
  • Stephen Foster State ParkHamilton County · Agatized Coral66 mi1 hr 23 min drive
  • Suwannee RiverHamilton County · Agatized Coral68 mi1 hr 25 min drive

Rockhounding near Tampa

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6 closest spots to Tampa, FL.

Neighboring states with rockhounding

Geology rarely respects state borders. These states share mapped rockhounding country with Florida, useful when Florida is the start, not the whole trip. Each card links to the closest county across the line.

Rockhounding by county in Florida

County pages are linked once we have at least 3 mapped spots for a focused guide with coordinates, mineral notes, and nearby spots.

Top picks in Florida

10 best spots

Hand-picked standouts from the Florida list, chosen for unusual mineralogy, documented public access, or both. Each card links to coordinates, access notes, and what to look for.

Fee digs and gem mining in Florida

3 places in Florida where you pay to dig and keep what you find. Prices and seasons change, so check with the operator before you drive out.

Rock and mineral clubs in Florida

20 clubs in Florida. Clubs run field trips, shows and workshops, and many trips go to private claims you can't reach alone.

All 20 Florida clubs →

Florida rockhounding FAQ

Is rockhounding legal in Florida?+
Yes, on public beaches for shark teeth and shells, in rivers with the state vertebrate fossil permit for bone and mammal teeth, on national forest land for hand collecting, and on private land with permission. State parks and water management lands prohibit collecting.
Do I need a permit to collect fossils in Florida?+
For vertebrate fossils on state-owned land, which includes most river bottoms, yes: the Florida Museum of Natural History issues an inexpensive annual permit and asks for a report of what you found. Shark teeth, shells, plant fossils, and invertebrates do not need one. Artifacts are never collectible.
Where is the best place to find shark teeth in Florida?+
Venice and Caspersen beaches in Sarasota County and Englewood Beach in Charlotte County, in the swash line after storms and dredging. Inland, the Peace River between Wauchula and Arcadia produces teeth and bone by sifting gravel at low water.
Where can I find agatized coral in Florida?+
The Hillsborough River, Tampa Bay shorelines, and the Withlacoochee and Suwannee river gravels, where silica replaced Oligocene coral heads. The historic Ballast Point beds are largely built over. Low water and quarry club days are the best access.
What rocks and minerals can you find in Florida?+
Florida spots in this list most often produce chert, fossils, agatized coral, calcite, chalcedony, fossilized ivory, fossilized coral, and shark teeth, plus Quincy quartz geodes and Bone Valley material.
Where can I go rock hunting in Florida?+
Rock hunting, rock collecting and rockhounding are the same hobby under different names. 42 spots are mapped in Florida, 35 of them with public access. Hamilton County, Hillsborough County, and Okeechobee County have the most.
Is there gem mining or pay-to-dig in Florida?+
Yes. 3 fee digs are mapped in Florida, where you pay to dig and keep what you find: Fort Drum, Fort Drum Crystal Mine, and Rucks Pit. Prices and seasons change, so check with the operator before you drive out.
Where can I dig for crystals in Florida?+
1 mapped spot in Florida reports quartz, amethyst, or smoky quartz, mostly in Citrus County. Each one is in the list on this page with its land access.
Can you find geodes in Florida?+
Yes. 3 mapped spots in Florida report geodes, mostly in Hernando County, Hillsborough County, and Pinellas County.

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