Withlacoochee River: Agatized Coral Rockhounding in Lowndes County, Georgia

Plan your visit

Generally open to casual rockhounding

County

Lowndes County

State

Georgia

Coordinates

30.64140, -83.32008

Coordinates are approximate. Confirm the exact ground in the RockHoundR app, where land overlays show which agency manages the area.

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.

Access note: Collecting is done by wading and searching the riverbed and exposed gravel bars, best during low water. Public access is via state-recognized boat ramps on the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail, such as Knights Ferry Boat Ramp. Collect from the riverbed and bars below the ordinary high-water line; do not climb out onto private bank parcels, and check current Georgia DNR rules before collecting.

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.

Best time to visit Withlacoochee River

Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)

Best months: September to June. Typical highs run 92°F in midsummer and 63°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 39°F.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, VALDOSTA RGNL AP station (10 mi away).

Geology at Withlacoochee River

This spot sits on Hawthorn Formation, mapped as dolostone, sand, and clay that formed roughly 23 to 5 million years ago. Reworked sediments like these can carry fossils eroded from older beds upstream, typically as rolled bone fragments, teeth, and shell material.

Mapped unit

Hawthorn Formation

Age

23–5 Ma (Miocene)

Rock types

dolostone, sand, and clay

Elevation

100 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.

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.

• Georgia Environmental Protection Division, Geologic Survey
• Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests
• Georgia State Parks rules
• Community submissions reviewed against published agency rules