Fort Drum Crystal Mine: Fossil Hunting in Okeechobee County, Florida

Quick details

Access

Paid / fee dig

County

Okeechobee County

State

Florida

Nearest road

Herbert Hoover Dike

Coordinates

27.20000, -80.80000

Geology at Fort Drum Crystal Mine

This spot sits on Shelly sediments of Plio-Pleistocene age, mapped as sand and limestone that formed within roughly the last 4 million years. Reworked sediments like these can carry fossils eroded from older beds upstream, typically as rolled bone fragments, teeth, and shell material.

Mapped unit

Shelly sediments of Plio-Pleistocene age

Age

4 Ma to present (Late Pliocene to Pleistocene)

Rock types

sand and limestone

Elevation

10 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 Fort Drum Crystal Mine

Best months: September to June. Typical highs run 92°F in midsummer and 74°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 52°F.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, OKEECHOBEE station (5 mi away).

Land & collecting status

Pay-to-dig site

This is a fee-dig location. Hours, prices, and what you can keep vary by operator. Call ahead before driving out.

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 Fort Drum Crystal Mine

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

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