Quincy Area: Fossil Hunting in Gadsden County, Florida
Updated July 2026
Gadsden County in the eastern Panhandle is one of Florida's better sources of silicified (petrified) wood, which weathers out as tan to brown grain-patterned fragments from silica-rich Tertiary sediments. The Quincy area also yields chalcedony and assorted fossils along creek banks and in weathered soil. Petrified wood is a plant fossil and needs no state permit. Reported finds include silicified wood, fossils. Below: coordinates, access notes, nearby spots, and trip-planning links.
Quincy Area photos
Public image records connected to this spot or its reported material.
Map showing Quincy Area in Gadsden County, Florida
Quick details
- Access
- Public area
- County
- Gadsden County
- State
- Florida
- Nearest road
- Porter Mitchell Road
- Postcode
- 32352
- Coordinates
- 30.67658, -84.55657
Geology at Quincy Area
This spot sits on Hawthorn Group, Torreya Formation, mapped as sandstone and limestone that formed roughly 16 to 12 million years ago. Limestone like this typically forms in ancient seas, so marine fossils such as brachiopods, corals, and crinoids tend to weather out of fresh exposures.
- Mapped unit
- Hawthorn Group, Torreya Formation
- Age
- 16–12 Ma (Middle Miocene)
- Rock types
- sandstone and limestone
- Elevation
- 210 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 Quincy Area
Best months: September to June. Typical highs run 91°F in midsummer and 64°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 40°F.
Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, QUINCY 3 SSW 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 Quincy Area
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 Quincy Area.
- Unnamed Area (Silicified Wood)Gadsden County, Florida · 7 mi awaySilicified Wood, Fossils
- Jackson County AreaJackson County, Florida · 43 mi awayFossils, Chert
- Cottondale AreaTop pick in FloridaJackson County, Florida · 51 mi awayChert
- Chipley AreaWashington County, Florida · 59 mi awayCalcite, Chalk, Chert
- Washington County AreaWashington County, Florida · 64 mi awayChert, Flint
- Unnamed Area (Agatized Coral)Hamilton County, Florida · 102 mi awayAgatized Coral
- Suwannee River (North)Suwannee County, Florida · 106 mi awaySilicified Coral
- Suwannee RiverTop pick in FloridaHamilton County, Florida · 107 mi awayAgatized Coral
Across the state line from Quincy Area
Quincy Area is close enough to the Florida border that the next-closest rockhounding spots are in a neighboring state. Worth knowing if you are already on the road.
Quincy Area FAQ
Where is Quincy Area?+
What rocks and minerals can you find at Quincy Area?+
Is collecting allowed at Quincy Area?+
What tools should I bring to Quincy Area?+
When is the best time to visit Quincy Area?+
How do I get to Quincy Area?+
More rockhounding in Florida
See all 39 Florida spots →Open Quincy Area on the map
Use the RockHoundR app for live land overlays, weather, geology, directions, and saved finds.
