Rapatee Strip Mine: Pyritized Gastropod Rockhounding in Fulton County, Illinois

Plan your visit

Generally open to casual rockhounding

County

Fulton County

State

Illinois

Nearest road

IL 116

Postcode

61544

Coordinates

40.70866, -90.15237

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: Much of the old Fulton County coal land has been reclaimed and some is now publicly managed, but access to the specific spoil areas varies and parts are private, so verify current ownership and permission before collecting. Iron-sulfide fossils oxidize over time and should be kept dry and stabilized. Fulton County, west-central Illinois near Farmington.

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 Rapatee Strip Mine

Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)

Best months: March to November. Typical highs run 84°F in midsummer and 32°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 15°F.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, KNOXVILLE station (15 mi away).

Geology at Rapatee Strip Mine

This spot sits on Carbondale Formation, mapped as shale, sandstone, and coal that formed roughly 315 to 305 million years ago. Sedimentary rock like this erodes unevenly, so the most productive collecting is typically along fresh cuts, badland slopes, and active drainages.

Mapped unit

Carbondale Formation

Age

315–305 Ma (Pennsylvanian)

Rock types

shale, sandstone, and coal

Elevation

670 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.

• Illinois State Geological Survey
• Illinois DNR site rules
• Shawnee National Forest
• Community submissions reviewed against published agency rules