Scottsville: Geode Digging in Allen County, Kentucky

Quick details

Access

Public area

County

Allen County

State

Kentucky

Nearest road

Old Hartsville Road

Postcode

42164

Coordinates

36.74103, -86.19049

Geology at Scottsville

This spot sits on Fort Payne Formation, mapped as siltstone | limestone | shale that formed roughly 360 to 325 million years ago. Limestone country like this is classic geode ground: cavities in the carbonate rock can line themselves with quartz or calcite crystals.

Mapped unit

Fort Payne Formation

Age

360–325 Ma (Mississippian)

Rock types

siltstone | limestone | shale

Elevation

680 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 Scottsville

Conditions here are workable year-round, with typical highs from 45°F in winter to 87°F in summer.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, SCOTTSVILLE station (2 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 Scottsville

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

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