Burlington (geodes): Geode Digging in Des Moines County, Iowa

Plan your visit

Generally open to casual rockhounding

County

Des Moines County

State

Iowa

Nearest road

Starrs Cave Road

Postcode

52601

Coordinates

40.85205, -91.14931

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: Surface collecting is legal on Mississippi River gravel bars at public river accesses in and around Burlington, below the ordinary high-water mark. Pick loose material only, and avoid the Illinois shore, which falls within the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge.

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 Burlington (geodes)

Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)

Best months: March to November. Typical highs run 86°F in midsummer and 33°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 17°F.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, BURLINGTON MUNI AP station (6 mi away).

Geology at Burlington (geodes)

This spot sits on ground mapped as Fammenian that formed roughly 370 to 360 million years ago. Geodes typically weather free of their host rock and collect as rounded float in soils and drainages.

Mapped unit

Fammenian

Age

370–360 Ma (Late Devonian)

Elevation

560 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.

• Iowa Geological Survey
• Iowa DNR state park rules
• Community submissions reviewed against published agency rules