Lawtey Highland Mine: Kyanite & Zircon Rockhounding in Bradford County, Florida

Quick details

Access

Public area

County

Bradford County

State

Florida

Nearest road

North 6th Avenue

Coordinates

30.05303, -82.05128

Geology at Lawtey Highland Mine

This spot sits on Trail Ridge sands, mapped as sand that formed within roughly the last 3 million years. Loose deposits like these are float-collecting ground: erosion keeps moving durable rocks and minerals into gravel bars, cutbanks, and washes.

Mapped unit

Trail Ridge sands

Age

3 Ma to present (Pleistocene)

Rock types

sand

Elevation

190 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.

Best time to visit Lawtey Highland Mine

Best months: September to May. Typical highs run 92°F in midsummer and 68°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 45°F.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, STARKE station (9 mi away).

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 Lawtey Highland Mine

Each chip opens all spots that produce that material; the encyclopedia link opens the full ID and field guide.

• KyaniteEncyclopedia →
• ZirconEncyclopedia →
• Ilmenite